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Revamping a Legacy Steel Production System

Project Summary

Client

Domain

Role

Users

Tools

: Leading Steel Manufacturing Company

: Enterprise Process Management & Manufacturing

: Senior Technical Lead – UX Design (Responsible for User Research, Usability and Prototyping)

: Internal Employees (Production Plant Engineers, Supervisors, Operators, QC Inspectors, Maintenance Personnel)

: Figma

Business Objective

Increase production efficiency by simplifying data-heavy workflows and reducing time spent navigating outdated screens.

Overview of this project

This project focuses on improving user workflows and system efficiency across three critical stages of steel manufacturing at JSW:

Steel Melting Shop (SMS) — Where Steel Is Born: Users interact with systems that manage raw material melting and initial steel formation, where timely updates and batch tracking are crucial.
Hot Strip Mill (HSM) — Converting Steel into Wide, Flat Strips: This stage involves monitoring and controlling the shaping and rolling of steel strips, requiring high-precision data input and batch updates.
Cold Rolled Mill (CRM) — Precision Finishing for High-Quality Steel: Users handle fine finishing processes, ensuring quality compliance and accurate reporting for end products.

Problem Statement

Modernize a legacy system to improve usability challenges, reduce popup & clicks, eliminate reduntant workflow, accelerate operational efficiency and boost employee satisfaction.

Identified Personas

Production Plant Engineers – Optimising technical processes and Analysing system performance
Production Supervisors – Monitor real-time progress and manage production schedules.
Shift Operators – Input data, Track machinery status, and log production events.
Quality Control Inspectors – Review and validate steel quality parameters.
Maintenance Personnel – Log equipment issues and downtime reports.

SUS Survey

We began with a System Usability Scale (SUS) survey to quickly capture users’ perceived usability of the existing interface. Conducted with 1000 system users using a 5-point Likert scale, the SUS provided a standardized usability score that served as a strong benchmark and helped identify key focus areas for deeper evaluation.

1 – Strongly Disagree, 2 – Disagree, 3 – Neutral, 4 – Agree, 5 – Strongly Agree.

SUS Questions

I think that I would like to use this system frequently.
I found the system unnecessarily complex.
I thought the system was easy to use.
I think that I would need the support of a technical person to be able to use this system.
I found the various functions in this system were well integrated.
I thought there was too much inconsistency in this system.
I would imagine that most people would learn to use this system very quickly.
I found the system very cumbersome to use.
I felt very confident using the system.
I needed to learn a lot of things before I could get going with this system.

Calculated SUS Score (Legacy System) - 49.2 / 100

This indicates below-average usability — a common threshold is 68. So this score shows clear room for improvement.

User interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from all three modules

Based on SUS survey insights, we conducted in-depth user interviews with core participants from all 3 modules to explore the root causes. This session provided rich context on user workflows, mental models, and specific frustrations, allowing us to uncover gaps not visible through surveys or expert reviews.

User Interiews Questions

Can you walk me through your typical day using the current system?
Can you walk me through a recent task you did on the system? Where did it feel smooth or frustrating?
Does the screen match how you actually work on the floor?
Which steps in your workflow feel repetitive or unnecessary?
Can you describe situations where you had to re-enter the same data across screens?
Tell me about a time you saw an error. Did the message help you fix it?
Do you find yourself scrolling too much to complete a task or find information?
Do pop-ups interrupt your work? Any example where it caused trouble?
Is anything hard to read or use during night shifts or under poor lighting?
Which screens feel too cluttered or overwhelming to use efficiently?

Usability challenges and pain points identified through user interview

1. Navigation - Users struggle to find relevant screens for functions & unwanted popups.
2. Visual - High information density and poor visual hierarchy reduce user focus and clarity.
3. Redundant Actions - Repeating tasks due to poor workflow alignment.
4. Lack of Error Support - System errors don't help users resolve issues.
5. Inconsistent Layouts - Interface changes from screen to screen & vertical + horizontal scrolling.

Accessibility Enhancements Based on WCAG 2.1 (Level A)

As a Senior Technical Lead, I recommend & integrated WCAG 2.1 Level A accessibility standards into the redesigned system, tailoring features to real-world usage scenarios:

Keyboard Navigation: Enabled full keyboard operability for users working in hands-busy industrial environments.
Adjustable Text Sizes: Designed flexible typography to accommodate ageing employees or those with visual strain.
Voice Input Support: Proposed audio input options for frequent data-entry fields to reduce manual workload.
High-Contrast Mode: Implemented a Black & White high-contrast theme to meet WCAG 2.1 colour contrast standards, enhancing text legibility for users with low vision, glare sensitivity, or challenging lighting conditions.
Motor Accessibility: Increased target sizes and spacing to support users with motor impairments, reducing interaction errors.

This approach ensured the interface remained inclusive, context-aware, and aligned with the daily challenges of the steel plant workforce.

Wireframe Process

Based on the key insights from research methods, I designed low-fidelity wireframes in Figma, focusing on Minimised Pop-ups, Reduced Scrolls, Improved Visual Hierarchy, Easy Navigation, Minimalist Layouts, Better Error Prevention Mechanisms, Consolidating Repeated Fields, and Enhancing Screen Flow.

I created 2–3 layout options per task, which were reviewed with Development, BA and Plant Operations teams to ensure alignment with real-world processes.

Design System Creation (Atomic Design Approach)

To bring clarity and consistency to the redesigned interface, I developed a modular design system following the Atomic Design methodology—structuring UI components as Atoms, Molecules, Organisms, Templates, and Pages—while aligning with the company’s existing brand guidelines.

I focused on standardising key UI elements—like Buttons, UI Patterns, Font Styles & Sizes, Forms, Tables, and Colours—so the experience felt familiar. This also made it easier to scale designs across modules and helped the dev team implement changes faster.

Sample High Fidelity Design

Once the wireframes were finalised, I developed interactive high-fidelity prototypes in Figma for key workflows.

The prototypes were shared with IT and plant teams for walkthroughs, helping them visualise the final interface and validate improvements in clarity, navigation, and task efficiency.

Existing Design

New Design

Create New User

Add Page to Role

Create New Role

Responsive Layout

Final Outcome

The redesign of the legacy manufacturing system resulted in measurable improvements in usability, efficiency, and user satisfaction

Streamlined user workflows by removing redundant steps in frequent tasks like batch updates and quality checks.
Pilot users completed routine tasks (e.g., logging batch records) 20% faster than in the old system—validated through timed task simulations.
Applied consistent layout patterns, increased whitespace, and introduced visual hierarchy—making screens easier to scan under factory lighting and shift conditions.
90% of pilot users rated the new interface as significantly more intuitive; pain points like repeated data entry and poor readability dropped sharply.
Implemented WCAG 2.1 Level A: keyboard navigation for hands-free use, Audio Input, and text resizing for ageing workers.
The improved interface is projected to save the company over 1,000+ hours annually, reducing error rates and training time.

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Revamping a Legacy Steel Production System

Project Summary

Client

Domain

Role

: Leading Steel Manufacturing Company

: Enterprise Process Management & Manufacturing

Business Objective

Increase production efficiency by simplifying data-heavy workflows and reducing time spent navigating outdated screens.

Overview of this project

Problem Statement

Modernize a legacy system to improve usability challenges, reduce popup & clicks, eliminate reduntant workflow, accelerate operational efficiency and boost employee satisfaction.

Identified Personas

SUS Survey

​

SUS Questions

​I think that I would like to use this system frequently.

I found the system unnecessarily complex.

I thought the system was easy to use.

I think that I would need the support of a technical person to be able to use this system.

I found the various functions in this system were well integrated.

I thought there was too much inconsistency in this system.

I would imagine that most people would learn to use this system very quickly.

I found the system very cumbersome to use.

I felt very confident using the system.

I needed to learn a lot of things before I could get going with this system.

Calculated SUS Score (Legacy System) - 49.2 / 100

This indicates below-average usability — a common threshold is 68. So this score shows clear room for improvement.

User interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from all three modules

User Interiews Questions

Can you walk me through your typical day using the current system?

Can you walk me through a recent task you did on the system? Where did it feel smooth or frustrating?

Does the screen match how you actually work on the floor?

Which steps in your workflow feel repetitive or unnecessary?

Can you describe situations where you had to re-enter the same data across screens?

Tell me about a time you saw an error. Did the message help you fix it?

Do you find yourself scrolling too much to complete a task or find information?

Do pop-ups interrupt your work? Any example where it caused trouble?

Is anything hard to read or use during night shifts or under poor lighting?

Which screens feel too cluttered or overwhelming to use efficiently?

Usability challenges and pain points identified through user interview

Accessibility Enhancements Based on WCAG 2.1 (Level A)

As a Senior Technical Lead, I recommend & integrated WCAG 2.1 Level A accessibility standards into the redesigned system, tailoring features to real-world usage scenarios:

Keyboard Navigation: Enabled full keyboard operability for users working in hands-busy industrial environments.

Adjustable Text Sizes: Designed flexible typography to accommodate ageing employees or those with visual strain.

Voice Input Support: Proposed audio input options for frequent data-entry fields to reduce manual workload.

High-Contrast Mode: Implemented a Black & White high-contrast theme to meet WCAG 2.1 colour contrast standards, enhancing text legibility for users with low vision, glare sensitivity, or challenging lighting conditions.

Motor Accessibility: Increased target sizes and spacing to support users with motor impairments, reducing interaction errors.

This approach ensured the interface remained inclusive, context-aware, and aligned with the daily challenges of the steel plant workforce.

Wireframe Process

Design System Creation (Atomic Design Approach)

Sample High Fidelity Design

Once the wireframes were finalised, I developed interactive high-fidelity prototypes in Figma for key workflows. The prototypes were shared with IT and plant teams for walkthroughs, helping them visualise the final interface and validate improvements in clarity, navigation, and task efficiency.

Existing Design

New Design

Create New User

Add Page to Role

Create New Role

Responsive Layout

Final Outcome

The redesign of the legacy manufacturing system resulted in measurable improvements in usability, efficiency, and user satisfaction

Streamlined user workflows by removing redundant steps in frequent tasks like batch updates and quality checks.

Pilot users completed routine tasks (e.g., logging batch records) 20% faster than in the old system—validated through timed task simulations.

Applied consistent layout patterns, increased whitespace, and introduced visual hierarchy—making screens easier to scan under factory lighting and shift conditions.

90% of pilot users rated the new interface as significantly more intuitive; pain points like repeated data entry and poor readability dropped sharply.

Implemented WCAG 2.1 Level A: keyboard navigation for hands-free use, Audio Input, and text resizing for ageing workers.

The improved interface is projected to save the company over 1,000+ hours annually, reducing error rates and training time.

I think that I would like to use this system frequently.

Once the wireframes were finalised, I developed interactive high-fidelity prototypes in Figma for key workflows.

The prototypes were shared with IT and plant teams for walkthroughs, helping them visualise the final interface and validate improvements in clarity, navigation, and task efficiency.