In today's industry, success is determined not only by technology, but also by the ability to design systems that are efficient, consistent and people-centred. Digital platforms, HMIs and apps must therefore not only function, but also optimise processes, support users and flexibly accommodate change – especially in mechanical engineering, manufacturing and medical technology.
Audi's dpa (Digital Planning Assistant) provides digital support for assembly and production planning in highly automated vehicle manufacturing. In this project, we worked with Audi on the UX concept and interface design to make planning processes clear, intuitive and task-oriented.
The application enables production planners to translate complexity into intuitively usable tasks, highlight bottlenecks and control capacity utilisation, material availability and worker deployment directly on a tablet. Despite the high density of information, the design ensures maximum readability and structure by clearly visualising relevant process steps and supporting operation directly on the line. The result is a practical assistance tool that increases planning efficiency and puts the user at the centre – and has won several prestigious design awards.
Example: MindSphere – Cloud-based industrial software
In the MindSphere project, Siemens' cloud-based IoT platform, we helped design the user interface for the operating system and selected services. The goal was to create a consistent, user-centred UX concept within a huge, distributed system – from system icons and workflow concepts to prototypes and screen designs. At the same time, a comprehensive public design system was developed to help developers use consistent UI components and operating patterns across many applications. This structured design aid ensures that developers and UX teams have a common understanding of operating logic and interaction, and supports the efficiency, maintainability and usability of complex IIoT services.
Efficiency does not begin with individual machines or apps, but with clear, well-thought-out systems. We focus on solutions that simplify processes, make workflows transparent and are scalable in the long term – from digital production platforms and service apps to IIoT applications.
Efficiency in industry is not achieved through individual tools, but through clear, well-designed digital systems that support users in their workflows. As UX designers for industry, we develop:
With this approach, we create measurable added value: processes become more transparent, systems easier to use, training costs are reduced – and digital transformation becomes noticeably more efficient in practice.
Many organisations still operate without consistent design principles. This leads to redundancies, inconsistencies and increased maintenance costs.
With structured design systems, we create:
Design systems are also a prerequisite for generative AI or other AI solutions to be able to efficiently co-design interfaces.
In industry, technology alone does not determine success – people do. Production managers, machine operators and engineers make decisions, control processes and ensure quality. Our human-centred approaches ensure that digital systems actively support the working environment rather than overwhelming it.
We design AI-supported applications to:
This creates a true symbiosis between humans and machines: technology becomes a reliable tool that increases productivity, quality and user satisfaction – even in highly complex production or medical technology environments.
With over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering, automotive and production, we combine:
Conclusion: Efficient digitalisation only works with clear structures, consistent systems and human-centred design. This results in solutions that are sustainable and truly usable in the long term.
The Uhlmann Pexcite software platform is the basis for the intelligent linking of data. We designed the user interface components and documented them for the software developers. We also maximized the software ergonomics with the help of usability reviews and created icons and illustrations.
In future, Audi's digital planning assistant will support production line planners in their daily work. The focus of our project with Audi was the development of a task-oriented usability and user experience concept and a CI-compliant design.
Together with Siemens, we developed a design system for MindSphere with a constantly growing set of rules for operating patterns and UI components as well as an accompanying Systemicon library with a focus on usability.