As part of my work in Cognit I participated in the design of an irrigation management tool.
My Part In The Project
I was responsible for the preliminary research and task analysis, took a leading part in the UX concept design, and participated in the usability testing and detailed design of the product.
Process
Task Analysis
There was a substantial task analysis in this project: I visited different types of farms (fields and plantations), interviewing different role holders: agronomic experts, growers, and irrigation managers. I focused on learning their language, schedule, preferences and desires, and identified their needs and goals. I learned which tasks were associated with which roles, and where they are usually performed from (office or field).
Concept-Testing
The main screens and workflow were demonstrated to farmers, marketing, and technical-support leaders, and the reception was very positive. The concept was generally approved, and we discussed some of the detailed behavior of the main screen as well, collecting feedback and priorities.
Detailed Design
We identified and documented the detailed design and behavior of each screen-part of the main screens.
User-Testing
While working on the detailed design specifications, I took part in planning a user-test, which included tasks and questions for users. During our work on the prototype for testing, it was easier to see the task-flow through the eyes of new users, and I noticed opportunities to improve their experience. The test itself also proved valuable: it showed a general success, but also allowed us to fix some issues.
Automatic irrigation illustration
(I do not own this project's materials and am not allowed to display them online)
What I've Learned
Domain Working on this project, I learned a lot about the farming industry.
Process
I learned there is value in user testing even before the test is run, in drawing attention to problems in the flow.