Designing a Guided Work Experience for Anywhere

Mentor EM and UT Portable Inspection Instruments

GE’s Inspection Technologies business specializes in advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) that uses radiography, remote visual inspection, ultrasound and electromagnetic testing to detect material flaws in mission-critical equipment. At the heart of it all is a corps of diagnostic experts and technicians who serve industries like aerospace, oil and gas, power generation, shipping and automotive.

When next-generation electromagnetic and ultrasonic testing instruments were being developed, our UX team was brought in to help optimize design, features, functionality and brand experience for the user. At the same time, it was important to create uniform standards for developers as they prepared new products and applications for the business. After a thorough discovery process with program stakeholders, a strategy and roll-out plan was put in place.

A new Design Language System (DLS) was developed and reviewed which specified principles, elements, patterns, main screen views, layout and components. This also included specifications for grid, color themes (day and night modes) and palette, typography, iconography, error handling and alerts, buttons, controls, menus, statuses and gestures. As the software was developed and features added using an agile approach, new visuals, interactions and gestures were created shaped by the guidelines of the DLS.

The need to manage the many design assets required for a broad suite of inspection instruments led our team to build a web portal to house them all. This one-stop shop was created to supply standards, specs and common vocabulary so that all instruments, including legacy products from recent business acquisitions, would be developed with a uniform look and feel that is decidedly GE.

As a result, things are changing in the field. Proper workflows are being created and handed down from domain experts to inspectors – onsite and immediately. Data is more concise and easier to understand. Reports with screen and setting captures are being generated and distributed automatically, streamlining order-to-remittance processing. Custom desktop apps are coming online to acquire and analyze data, generate official reports, and create better workflows that improve productivity and quality assurance. That means technicians with less experience can accomplish more complex inspections in the field. Real-time collaboration is now possible with remote experts which allows fast and accurate indication confirmation eliminating stacks of paperwork and questionable inspection calls.

And with a Design Language System and user experience design process in place, GE Inspection Technologies is growing its brand of diagnostics excellence in the marketplace.