UX Consultant & Illustrator
Process design and technical illustration for Hirebotics
Project
Hirebotics is a robotics company that manufactures collaborative robots (Cobots) for use in the industrial fabrication sector.
As the Principal Consultant, I led the UX effort, design, and illustration of a series of pictorial diagrams, a parts catalog, and an assembly instruction manual for Hirebotics’ UR10e Cobot Welder (an automated industrial welding robot).
The Ask
New customers were encountering significant pain points during the installation sequence of the UR10e Cobot Welder. Hirebotics asked me to analyze their existing setup process and develop solutions to meet the following goals:
• Improve the user experience, customer success and customer satisfaction metrics during the installation and setup process.
• Reduce the burden of Hirebotics support staff during the installation and setup process.
UX Approach
• Conducted stakeholder interviews, established goals and KPIs
• Established user personas and conducted usability focus groups
• Created user journey maps
• Documented, refined, and tested the cobot installation sequence
Insights & Solutions
• The installation instructions existed within multiple disparate sources, resulting in end-user frustration and confusion. We consolidated these resources into a single, organized source of truth.
• The setup instructions contained multiple instances of jargon and other inaccessible language. We cataloged all potentially confusing intrinsic language and replaced it with accessible, explicit language.
• The installation process contained a high amount of contextual switching (steps performed within different contexts, e.g., a sequence that requires the user to perform functions on the teach pendant, then on the robot, then on the Beacon app, and back to the teach pendant), leading to end-user frustration and confusion. We refined the process to reduce the need for excessive context switching.
Deliverable 01
The existing assembly instructions referenced various Cobot parts but included few visual aids.
To enhance clarity, accessibility, and ease of use, we created a Parts Catalog that features names, detailed illustrations and brief descriptions of each component. This catalog enables users to visually identify any named part easily, reducing assembly errors and fostering user confidence.
Deliverable 02
“Global” or "holistic learners" tend to grasp concepts more effectively when they can see the overall structure and connections before focusing on specifics. In an effort to cater to this learning style, we designed comprehensive diagrams of the different systems that constitute the Cobot welder.
Deliverable 03
After interviewing users, observing installations and constructing a UR10e myself, I worked with the Hirebotics team to transform the assembly guide into a more user-friendly resource.
Through the design of clear visual aids and detailed step-by-step guidance we made the instructions more accessible and easier to follow — resulting in a more positive overall experience.
Phase 01 Roll-Out
We have created a printed manual that combines the Parts Catalog, diagrams and assembly sequence, which will be included with all outgoing UR10e Cobot Welders for the foreseeable future.
We will test this new assembly process to determine whether it meets our KPIs, including improving user experience, enhancing user satisfaction and reducing the workload on Hirebotics support staff during installation.
Based on the results, we will likely expand these processes to the digital platforms of the company’s website and native apps.