London PVD Coating
01 — Overview
London PVD Coating needed a comprehensive digital platform to manage their physical vapor deposition coating operations. The project involved designing and building a system that could handle complex industrial workflows while remaining intuitive for operators and managers.
02 — The Challenge
The existing manual tracking processes were error-prone and time-consuming. Data was scattered across spreadsheets and paper records, making it difficult to generate reports, track production timelines, and maintain quality standards across multiple coating lines.
03 — Research
I analysed the existing user journey by interviewing operators, managers, and quality control staff. I identified pain points in data entry, report generation, and cross-department communication. Personas were created for each user type — operator, manager, and admin — with distinct needs and technical comfort levels.
04 — UX Process
I mapped the complete user flow from order intake to quality verification. Wireframes were created for the dashboard, order management, and reporting modules. Multiple iterations were tested with actual operators to refine the navigation and reduce cognitive load.
05 — UI Design
The final UI features a clean dashboard with real-time production tracking, automated quality checklists, and a comprehensive analytics view. The design uses a dark theme appropriate for industrial environments with high-contrast data visualizations.
06 — Testing & Iteration
I conducted usability testing with 5 operators and 2 managers over 2 weeks. Key improvements included reducing the order creation flow from 8 steps to 4, and making the reporting dashboard accessible in one click from any screen.
07 — Final Solution
A full-stack application with React frontend, Node.js backend, and custom database architecture tailored for PVD coating data types. The platform includes real-time production tracking, automated quality control, customer order management, and comprehensive analytics.
08 — Outcome
60% reduction in manual data entry time. Real-time visibility across all coating lines. Automated quality reporting saved 15 hours per week. Full audit trail for compliance requirements.
09 — What I Learned
This project taught me that industrial UX requires a different approach — the priority is reliability and speed over aesthetics. Designing for users who wear gloves and work in noisy environments changed how I think about touch targets and information hierarchy.