BIM 360 Photo Library

CASE STUDY #2

INTRODUCTION

This feature was designed for inspectors working in the field, allows them to add individual photos as well as photo groups to their project.

In this case study, I will provide insights into my thought process, the methods and tools I used, and explain my reasoning and thoughts behind the decisions I made.

UX CHALLENGES

Creating a unified experience across platforms - iOS/Android/Web
Providing a central repository for all photos on a project
Easily capture, store, and share project photos
Connect other workflows in the app

MY ROLE IN THIS PROJECT

UX Design

Research

Visual Design

RESEARCH

I did some research to see how other products were tackling this issue. I also talked to BIM 360 users that have requested adding the photo module to our app. I’ve tried to understand how they are currently dealing with this issue and what are their needs.

INSIGHTS

Based on my research some of my key findings were:

Best practice for Photo Library is probably to keep native behaviour for both iOS and Android users
Since our app currently doesn’t offer an in-app Photos Module - some users using the Issue tab for taking and managing photos
Users currently using their built-in (native) phone camera for taking photos while on site. They will later share those via messaging apps

USER FLOW

Based on my research, I created a rough story-line:

WIREFRAMES - TRYING OUT DIFFERENT LAYOUTS

I started the design process with low fidelity wireframes.
I tried placing the photo gallery in different layouts, exploring ways of making the experience intuitive and clear.

WIREFRAME FLOW

After a couple of low fidelity iterations I had the general idea ready.
I laid out all of the pages so I could visualize how each piece related to one another and how a user would access each workflow.

UX SOLUTION

Considering the feedback on my prototypes , I made some final adjustments:

Top tabs for main menu - I added the “Albums” tab to the top menu, so I could use the same behaviour and assets from the app’s document tab
Using native behaviour - I decided to use the native behaviour, for both iOS and Android users. I did that in order to keep a familiar and easy workflow for our users
Filter & Sort - Following users’ feedback, I have added filtering/sorting for both Albums and Images
Working Offline Support - Photos will automatically sync back to account, and will be available to all team members