Geographic data collection is the process that allows organisations to analyse and assess real-world issues. In order to collect data properly, users require hardware called receivers that captures signals from satellites orbiting earth (such as the GPS) and process the data into accurate locations.

One of the most important digital transformation initiatives in Trimble is 'Connect and Scale', which aims to connect the diverse systems and technologies across the company, while focusing on improving value to the individual user. Trimble has an older mobile product called Mobile Manager, that allows any iOS or Android phone to configure a Trimble receiver. I was tasked with redesigning Mobile Manager as part of our division's effort to support the 'Connect and Scale' initiative.

Mobile Manager has been the key product in configuring Trimble’s wide range of receivers for many years, and is used daily by over 35,000 users around the world. How could I redesign Mobile Manager to add more value for users, while also allowing them to easily complete their regular tasks once they received the redesigned product?
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After talking to the business stakeholders and interviewing users around the world, I learned that the large majority of our users were workers such as field technicians, who had limited knowledge of geographic information systems in particular, and used a receiver to collect location data while they travelled around performing tasks.
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Their main issues were confusion with the purpose of some screens (some content was also available on other screens), and the difficulty in using a side menu to navigate the app. Nearly every user interviewed also strongly disliked the login requirement on launch, as it provided no functionality for any but the most modern receivers.

With a greater understanding of who our Mobile Manager users were, how they worked, and what their main motivations were, I was then able to design solutions to the problems I had identified.
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The first and most important improvement was removing the forced login from the app. I instead designed a dynamic workflow that only required login when the app detected the user had connected to a modern receiver.
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I also improved the information architecture of the product by focusing on simplifying the content of each screen, so that the user easily understood what the purpose of each screen was. I consolidated many screens that shared related content, and I also moved the primary screens to a bottom tab bar for easier navigation.

I was lucky enough to have access to business partners and end-users throughout the wireframing and prototyping stages, and regular feedback from both parties allowed me to test ideas and make fast adjustments. This project is currently in development, but due to the collaborative nature of the design process, I’m confident that the end result will solve our user’s main issues and also provided further value beyond their past experiences.

This project was the first product I lead the design of at Trimble, and I really enjoyed the challenge. I’ve come to appreciate the responsibility of not only overseeing the design of our division’s products, but I’ve also enjoyed building an effective product development process involving our users, distributors, product managers, engineers, and QAs.