APP DESIGN
MathWorks | 2021- 2022
I lead the design of Rosbag Viewer desktop app from concept to launch, and strategically planned a roadmap for future expansions for its next two releases.
Due to content security constraints, specific details cannot be publicly disclosed. For a more in-depth understanding of my contributions to this project, please reach out for further information.
Overview
What are rosbags anyway?
ROS (Robotics Operating System) is an open-source suite that allows users to build robots. The raw data from these robotics systems are stored in collections called bags.
These rosbag files need to be opened, sorted and then displayed so that engineers can analyze them.
(See more about this product)
The Challenge
Currently, ROS users need to juggle a combination of MATLAB APIs and visualizers to do this analysis.
This is tedious and requires specialized knowledge in the MATLAB programming language.
The Goal
Build a no-code platform that users can achieve their goals in a simplified, single workflow.
The team
The product is technically complex and required domain knowledge in Robotics and Autonomous Systems.
I worked closely with a software developer, customer facing engineers, and a user researcher throughout the project to determine user roles and goals.
With user requirements researched and prioritized, I planned design sprints with the team to explore design concepts. I presented these to a internal panel for multiple rounds of feedback.
The resulting feedback and testing shaped how we made decisions for the MVP and future releases
The team
1x UX Designer (Myself)
1x UX Researcher
1x Product Lead
3x Software developers
1x Technical Writer
1x Quality Engineer
Solo Responsibilities
Project Timeline
6 months
The Result
A flexible, interactive robotics data solution that bridges the gap between data collection and analysis.
Key Successes
Complex data visualized
A lean robotics app that allows users to quickly import rosbag files and immediately visualize complex data.
Rosbag viewer detects ROS file types making it easy to find and import.
Modular and Configurable
Users can compose their own data visualization layouts from a collection of configurable panels.
This allows for flexible workspaces that change based on the goals of the engineer.
Reduced Clutter Without Reducing Capability
A comprehensive yet uncluttered layout that is carefully crafted to align with users' scientific mental models, providing the right information at the right time.
Usability testing showed that this created an intuitive understanding of complex data.
Icons designed with scientific precision
Scientifically meaningful icons create a bridge between the system and the real world scientific enviroment,
This simplifies understanding and aids quicker recognition and recall for users navigating complex information.
Word on the street
Customers like Clearpath Robotics report that data analysis time has been cut by up to 50%.
" [Rosbag Viewer] enables us to easily manipulate and visualize high-dimensional data without importing libraries or doing the other legwork that would be required in C++ or a similar language. "
"Clearpath Robotics Accelerates Algorithm Development for Industrial Robots" | MathWorks Customer Stories