Hatch

Designing solutions for large scale engineering problems

About the Project

Hatch is a Global Multidisciplinary Management, Engineering, and Development Consultancy based in Canada. Its Group Companies have more than 9,000 staff in 70+ offices.

In 2021, they established a Digital Product department, focusing on standardizing the user experience for all their digital offerings, both internally and for clients. After appointing their Global Director for this new division, they engaged me for specialized design assistance. This engagement lasted for over 2 years.

My Role on the Project

At Hatch, my responsibilities were multi-faceted. Central to my role was the formulation of a design system, a pivotal asset that streamlined the creation of screens and prototypes. This system not only facilitated the redesign of existing products but also paved the way for the efficient development of new ones.

Beyond this, I took on the challenge of overhauling certain products to enhance usability. In tandem with business teams, I designed proposals for prospective new products, readying them for pitches to senior management for funding. Throughout this journey, I continuously molded user journeys and prototypes for each product feature, all the while ensuring our design system remained robust and adaptive, catering to the dynamic demands of all digital projects.

UX Strategy

At Hatch, our UX process began by identifying user challenges while aligning with business goals. Through targeted research, we refined design decisions, always emphasizing empathy. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, we navigated constraints and validated our approach with data, ensuring user-centric solutions that met Hatch's objectives.

The collaboration with cross-functional teams was demanding. Diverse business analysts, each with unique goals, often lacked insight into design and unification complexities. Through effective communication, we bridged these gaps, ensuring milestones were completed.

The Design System

Central to our collaboration with Hatch was the design system. This system was pivotal in consolidating everything from screens to user journeys. Notably, its synchronization with the frontend library ensured seamless integration with engineering components, enabling rapid development.

Within this system, I meticulously created color palettes, defined text styles and sizes, and designed interface components with their nuanced variations in Figma. Navigation patterns were established in addition, serving as the bedrock for intuitive user experiences.

Mobile and Responsive Designs

Creating a bespoke mobile experience was essential. With such diverse user needs, a custom mobile UX was crucial. This approach streamlines processes, ensures safety, and fosters real-time collaboration, all while saving costs and ensuring inclusivity. In essence, Hatch's tailored mobile designs were a strategic move towards future-ready consultancy.

Navigating Hatch's varied technological foundations posed a challenge, but adopting Flutter, connected with the already existing Microsoft Azure framework provided a unified solution for deploying responsive apps on mobile and desktop apps.

Management System for
Engineering Projects

As part of the digital products redesigned, we addressed significant challenges by revamping the Operational Readiness Management System (ORMS). Traditional tools suffered from visibility and consistency issues, leading to operational inefficiencies. Our solution, "Ready," is a cloud-based ORMS that offers clear accountability and real-time data, enabling teams to execute OR plans more effectively. This marked a shift in approach, emphasizing early team engagement and seamless transitions between project phases, setting a new benchmark in OR management.

Monitoring and Metrics in the Field

In the face of growing tailings management challenges in mining, I played a pivotal role in Hatch's innovative digital solution. My design streamlined tailings and water management, emphasized sustainability, and incorporated advanced geotechnical research. System features focused on monitoring and analyzing metrics in the field were prepared for tablet and mobile screens.

By blending real-world data with advanced tech, I helped craft a platform that addresses the unique needs of each mine, ensuring safety and efficiency. My contribution to this tool not only elevates Hatch's approach to tailings but also paves the way for a sustainable mining future.

Monitoring and Metrics in the Office

As tailings management complexities soared in mining, I was instrumental in devising Hatch's cutting-edge digital solution. Beyond field efficiency, I ensured the platform's versatility for in-office use. Monitoring screens were meticulously designed for various screen sizes, allowing tailored data visualization based on its significance. Whether onsite or at a desk, users could personalize views, ensuring immediate access to critical data. My work transformed not just Hatch's tailings approach but also bridged the gap between field operations and office analytics, fostering an integrated, sustainable mining landscape.

The Results

The refreshed design system, bolstered by the updated products, got embraced by thousands of Hatch clients as well as our internal team of consultants, engineers, project managers, and business analysts. It continuously evolves, staying abreast of emerging needs and the latest technological advancements, and it's now used by a broad team of internal designers.

I learned that C-Level alignment is pivotal for successful digital transformation. Collaborating with subject matter experts and valuing their knowledge proved indispensable. Furthermore, the project's triumph was accentuated by a stellar project manager, adept at distilling and harmonizing information into actionable roadmaps.

Overall, the collaboration with Hatch led to significant advancements in their digital offerings, both in terms of user experience and technological solutions. Through meticulous design and effective cross-functional collaboration, major challenges were addressed, leading to enhanced usability and efficiency for Hatch's clients and internal teams.

Many Thanks to

Aaron Nebauer, Aditya, Alexander Haselgrove, Anna Clatworthy, Daniel Andres-Molina, Daniel Lun, Dan McEvoy, Harleen Khanna, Jason Scott, Khaled Malas, Markus Mody, Michał Szkudlarek, Piotr Kasprzik , Robert Krawiel, Ryan Hunter, Tamanna Prashar.

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