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ITERATIVE UX DESIGN, RESEARCH, PROTOTYPING

1. Min Overview

My role:

Collaboration with Caterpillar designers and researchers for IM 360 Advanced Interaction Design

Responsibilities:

User Research: User & Business Research, Competitive Analysis, User Interviews, Persona Mapping, Journey Mapping, Empathy Maps, Golden Thread, Information Architecture, Contextual Inquiry

UX Design: Sketches, Wireframing, User Flows, Prototyping, Usability Testing & Analysis

Timeline:

January – April 2024 ( 4 Months)

Tools Used:

WordPress, HTML, CSS

My role:

Collaboration with Caterpillar designers and researchers for IM 360 Advanced Interaction Design

Responsibilities:

User Research: User & Business Research, Competitive Analysis, User Interviews, Persona Mapping, Journey Mapping, Empathy Maps, Golden Thread, Information Architecture, Contextual Inquiry

UX Design: Sketches, Wireframing, User Flows, Prototyping, Usability Testing & Analysis

Timeline:

September – October 2024 (6 Weeks)

Tools Used:

Figma, Maze

DESIGN CHALLENGE

Assisting both new and returning Cat Rental Store customers in selecting the right attachments for their machines

During this challenge, our class was split into teams and given six weeks to collaborate with Caterpillar’s UX team. We worked closely with our mentors to conduct research, brainstorm ideas, and develop design concepts, ultimately conducting usability testing with real users to refine our solutions in helping both new and returning Cat Rental Store customers choose the right attachments for their equipment.

THE SOLUTION

An intuitive platform that helps Cat Rental Store customers quickly find and select the right attachments for their equipment.

Streamline Compatible Attachments

 
  • Displaying compatible attachments on the machine page simplifies selection and reduces errors.

  •  Increases awareness and rental opportunities

  • Reduces missing items in rentals.

Filter option helps customers quickly find the right attachment for their job

  • Reduces confusion, ensuring customers select the correct attachment every time

  • Prevents missed or incompatible attachments.

  • Enhances user confidence by providing tailored, job-specific attachment choices

Reminder screen prompts users to add compatible attachments when adding machines

  •  Ensures customers don’t forget essential attachments, preventing missing items

  • Reduces the risk of incompatible or incomplete rental orders

  • Boosts sales by encouraging customers to rent additional attachments

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS + THE GAP

The competition lacked clear compatible attachments

I researched several of Caterpillar’s direct and indirect competitors in the machine rental industry and found that many lacked clear information on compatible attachments. This could easily confuse first-time users or those who aren’t as tech-savvy.

TESTING & IMPROVEMENTS

Our users were more likely to succeed in finding compatible attachments when information is clearly displayed

After gathering feedback from both users and our mentors, my team spent a few hours in a breakout room at Caterpillar refining our design. We used affinity mapping to organize our insights and pinpoint key areas for improvement. With these changes in place, we made major updates to the design and put together a presentation to share our findings and progress.

USER TASKS: (PROTOTYPE TEST)

  1. Find your rental equipment – You are a farmer looking for a Skid Steer equipment on the Cat Rental Store. Find the Skid Steer 232D and add it to your cart. (90% Success Rate)
  2. Finding the right compatible attachments – As a farmer you need to find an auger with high torque and a pallet fork attachment that are compatible with the Skid Steer 232D. Add them to your cart and then review your order. (88.9% Success Rate)
  3. Explain what information you think is missing from the attachment cards to make an educated purchase? 
  4. Rate how confident you felt in selecting attachments for the Skid Steer 232D.
  5. Explain your reasoning for your previous question.

CAT RENTAL STORE DESIGNS

Wireframes & Designs

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

High-Fidelity Wireframes

THE FINAL SCREENS

Final Prototype

Link to my full Figma work file HERE

FIGMA

Clickable Prototype

Click around the prototype here >>

CATERPILLAR UX CHALLENGE DAY

Photos

CONCLUSION + LESSONS LEARNED

What I'd do differently next time

This was my first UX challenge in collaboration with a Fortune 500 company, and it was an invaluable experience. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to go through the entire UX process alongside my talented peers and Caterpillar’s expert UX mentors. This hands-on experience has given me a deeper understanding of what it’s truly like to design for large-scale, high-impact projects.

Here are a few key insights I gained:

  • Iterate and test often: Continuous feedback from users is invaluable for refining solutions and addressing pain points before they become larger issues.

 

  • Context matters: Recognizing the user’s environment and expectations helps design solutions that fit seamlessly into their workflow.

 

  • Insight, not process driven: Recognizing how important all elements of a design/process are being put into context of how it fits into the bigger picture to aid in solving the problem.

 

  • Collaboration fuels innovation: Working closely with diverse teams, including UX experts and mentors, produced better ideas and more creative solutions.

 

  • Clear communication builds trust: Helping users feel confident in their choices is essential, especially when navigating technical products.
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