Case Study - Kundel Cranes
Designing a next-gen sales tool
The year was 2014. I was the Director of User Experience for Atlatl Software, a unique startup based in Charleston, South Carolina. We combined 3D models, the Unity gaming engine, and sound UX principles to create a tablet-based sales tool for companies selling modular industrial products. Our new client at the time, Kundel Cranes, sold/sells several types of heavy industrial equipment. Our task was to create a digital sales tool for one of their lines of modular indoor cranes.
Our final product was developed within Unity, and our design system (view design system details) did much of the heavy lifting on the design side. The wireframes you are about to see were sufficient as our final deliverable.
Defining the work flow
After researching the product features and installation process, we determined our designs would need to account for three primary architecture and process-related phases:
1. Define workspace dimensional requirements and constraints.
2. Review and select from available product lines.
3. Place selected product in virtual 3D workspace – specify custom attributes, dimensional specifications and add-ons.
Our research phase also discovered architectural elements (e.g. beams, joists and pillars) played a key role in the placement and selection options for each crane. Often these non-moveable warehouse factors could be leveraged as supportive elements. Other times they had to be avoided or given a certain amount of clearance.
I explored several environmental setup options that were easier and faster to use. I preferred them as it made the creation session much lighter and easier to manage. However, our research showed that a full-featured workspace builder was required to capture the architectural dimensions down to the inch. I was at least satisfied that It allowed the salesperson and client the ability to define only those elements that were needful and then quickly move on.
Defining the work space
Here we see a hint of the common architectural elements that can be defined, as well as simple geometric shapes to generally define other equipment and intrusive elements that could pose a hazzard or conflict.
Much of the interaction can be managed in the 3D workspace – dragging specified affordances with your finger to establish the general location and dimensions. However, relying solely on the 3D environment for that can be a source of some frustration. The addition of an expanding pane to dial in the specifics in 2D was also included to ease this potential inconvenience.
Selecting the appropriate product from the catalog
The product selection process mostly consists of presenting the client's existing marketing videos, images, and text-based explanations. There was usually a good amount of production work required, but the design itself mostly leveraged our preexisting design patterns.
Once selected, the product would then be carefully placed in the 3D environment. Some crane options might hang from structural beams or posts. Other options would be placed in such a way as to avoid architectural elements altogether.
Specifying the details
With the crane in place, the options and details need to be configured. Due to the detailed nature of this part of the process, we often had to context shift between the 3D and 2D enviroment. With the model components being the interactive anchor, or main reference point, the client would need to select a 3D element to define it's attributes in 2D. To coax along the experience, I occassionally had to offer explanatory screens like what you see here.
Some of the products offered several options/variables to choose from which pushed the limits of the 2D space. These controls could require a binary switch, radio button style control, or even sliders that need to account for decimal points. All of this was tailored for an easy to use touch screen experience, and was captured in our design system to reuse with the next client's solution.
After the crane was selected and configured, the plans would be emailed to the client and forwarded to the engineering team to build. The parts list and plans (in both isometric and orthographic formats) were included which contained a cost breakdown of all the nuts and bolts and other pieces that were part of their order.