Overview
Building on the needs of our staffing software, I led the UX for a real-time factory display system designed to make key workforce data visible where it matters most—on the floor. This is a look at how we extended our core platform to the physical workplace, improving awareness, accountability, and team coordination.
Live Data Display connects hundreds of workers across large, fast-moving plants by providing real-time operational visibility. Designed for dynamic manufacturing spaces, it helps teams track workflow, respond to changes, and make informed decisions—driving efficiency and reducing costly errors.
1k+ users
1000+ hours
saved scheduling
60% fewer punch
corrections
Goals
Bringing clarity and control to complex manufacturing environments
Visibility
We measured this by tracking reductions in attendance-related discrepancies and the number of manual corrections required in staffing records.
Stewardship
To promote shared accountability, we emphasized clear visual cues—like who’s present, who’s late, and upcoming shift transitions—on large, always-on displays.
Chapter 1
Discovery
Research Process
We kicked off with discovery research—interviews, field observations, and journey mapping—to capture how users move through the system, where friction emerges, and how those pain points shape the boundaries of the problem we set out to solve.
Core Research
We mapped each hand-off in the staffing flow, spotted the slow spots, and used those findings to streamline the process.
Diagramming the complete planning-to-operation flows surfaced hidden hand-offs and latency points, letting us validate assumptions with data, focus the display on the highest-impact information, and ultimately cut supervisor check-ins by 40 % during the pilot.
User Journeys
By looking at individual user journeys, we uncovered pain points caused by user error
Large manufacturing plants operate like living organisms — shifts change, workflows evolve, and coordination is critical. Workers from multiple agencies collaborate across shifts in constantly evolving workflows. Without timely access to operational data, tasks become misaligned and mistakes compound. There was a clear need for a connected system to surface live information, guide corrective actions, and synchronize efforts plant-wide.
Pain Points and Problem Scope
Fragmented data, slow reactions, and rising inefficiencies
Tracking every clock-in, transfer, and shift change revealed a simple pattern: when punches went missing, transfers weren’t recorded, or staff were thin, the floor had no reliable way to catch up in real time. Delays snowballed into mis-assignments and stop-gap fixes. We framed the problem as a single void—absent, up-to-the-minute visibility—and focused the display on closing it, giving every team the data they need the moment they need it.
Chapter 2
Building
3 Stage Process
Over the course of a year we iterated multiple times, beta tested with manufacturers, deployed to a few clients and started a refactor to support premium features. Broken into stages our process included:
Iterative Design for various data channels
Developing a content management system for display devices
Upgrading the platform to enable schedules and programming
Stage 1
Iterative Design
The first challenge was creating a display system that could handle diverse operational data and present it in an intuitive, easily scannable format for various user roles. I focused on scalable layouts, clear hierarchy, and glanceable readability to support fast-paced decision-making on the floor.
The displays also needed to be dual-purpose: equally functional during everyday work and polished enough to serve as marketing touchpoints during executive visits. Achieving this balance informed every design decision.
Key Design Goals
Our design focused on three essentials: surface only the information people must act on first; give every data block a flexible frame, so new metrics and modules can drop in without redesign; and keep text and visuals crisp from twenty feet away, no matter if the floor is washed in daylight or lit by high-bay LEDs.
Establishing the Style Guide
To keep every screen intuitive and consistent, we locked down a style guide that did the heavy lifting for us: clear type scales and visual hierarchy for quick glances, an HCD-tested color palette that stays legible under harsh shop-floor lighting, a library of repeatable headers, footers, and labels, and strict grid and spacing rules so any mix of metrics snaps into place. With these guardrails, new data modules plug in instantly and the whole system stays effortlessly cohesive as it grows.
Stage 2
Content Management System
Empowering administrators to control and configure displays
Operational staff needed simple yet powerful tools to manage display content and device settings. I designed a management platform that allowed them to configure channels, monitor display health, and schedule content updates with ease.
Balancing usability and flexibility was key. The platform had to be intuitive for day-to-day management, yet robust enough to handle complex scenarios across shifts and locations.
Flexible Use
Supporting dynamic needs without added complexity
As operational priorities shifted frequently, the content management experience had to be equally adaptable. The system enabled admins to quickly update displays, schedule rotations, and toggle between modes such as KPIs, workflow steps, or urgent alerts.
By making content modular and easily adjustable, I ensured the platform could evolve seamlessly alongside plant operations.
Stage 3
New Features: Scheduler
Introducing advanced scheduling as operations matured
We introduced the idea of a scheduling engine that would let each display change its content with the plant’s clock. The concept: show pre-shift safety cues at dawn, live production stats in mid-run, and hand-off summaries as crews swap out.
This phase was all about framing the opportunity and proving the mechanics. We mocked time-based “programs,” walked floor leads through storyboards, and built a lightweight prototype that cycled sample data on a thirty-minute loop. Early reactions were positive—crews liked seeing only what mattered “right now”—but we still had to test how quickly managers could build schedules and whether the screens stayed readable as modules swapped.
The next iterations will focus on real-world trials, measuring setup time, and refining the transitions so information appears exactly when it’s useful and never a moment after.
Iterative Lofi Design for Scheduler
Refining complex interactions through rapid, collaborative prototyping
We rolled out a calendar-based scheduler that lets plant admins drag minute-level content blocks onto a timeline, push them to any screen group, and preview the result in real time. Targeted segments—such as crew-change briefings or department-specific metrics—are set up in advance by the user, while open slots are automatically filled with safety tips, plant announcements, or even sponsored messages, keeping every display relevant from first shift to last.
Fully Custom Schedule Management
Evolving into a robust, user-friendly scheduling solution
The final version of the scheduler became a full calendar interface, enabling users to drag and drop content, visualize conflicts, and preview live states. It transformed scheduling from a tedious task into a seamless part of daily operations.
With this, the platform matured into a comprehensive management system, empowering teams to fully control plant-wide communication with confidence and ease.
Chapter 3
Conclusions
Challenges
Making complex systems feel simple—and useful—in motion.
One of the hardest parts was designing a content management system flexible enough for operational leaders, yet simple enough to be adopted without tech support. At the same time, we had to help organizations see the value of installing more screens—not just one or two—so each area could serve the right people at the right time. The real design challenge wasn’t just interface complexity; it was making sure the right information reached people with different roles and goals during the small, transitional moments they actually had.
Validation & Impact
Operational visibility led to real behavior change and smoother coordination.
Some of the most meaningful insights came from simply observing plant operations as they unfolded. By walking the floor, sitting in planning meetings, and noting the habits that existed before our system, we caught things interviews alone would have missed—like how timing, trust, and the tone of information affected whether people engaged or ignored the tools.
Once displays were live across key areas, we saw fewer delays between shifts, more proactive communication, and a notable drop in repeated check-ins. Teams began responding to what they could see— small operational lapses became easier to catch and correct. We saw increased communication between shifts, fewer escalations, and more proactive behavior—all without needing to build complex training flows. The system supported both awareness and accountability, quietly improving rhythm and reliability on the floor.
Next Steps
Scaling relevance means smarter sync, not just more screens.
With the foundations in place, the next opportunity is making it easier to fine-tune what content appears where—so every display speaks directly to the people near it. By tying displays more tightly to existing operational plans, the system can automatically adapt to shifting roles, locations, and schedules. The most exciting part? Getting to keep building with teams that are redefining how information flows through real industrial spaces.