A ground up platform redesign of greenhouse lighting software.
Sollum Technologies wanted to rethink their software UX/UI and sales approach.
Client: Sollum Technologies
Hardware + Software Technology Startup, $25M in Series B Funding*
Services Provided:
-
Qualitative and Quantitative UX Research
-
UX/UI Design and Prototyping
-
Usability Testing and Feedback Sessions
-
Design System Creation
-
Team Training on UX/UI principles and user research
Context
Sollum Technologies provides cutting-edge LED lighting solutions for the agriculture industry. Their SUN as a Service® (SUNaaS) platform allows greenhouse operators to manage lighting conditions in real time, enhancing productivity. They serve over 40 clients across North America and Europe, with a focus on markets in Quebec, Ontario, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Objective
Rethink the first version of their software platform with improved functionality, usability, and a look and feel better aligned with the Sollum Technologies brand. The key challenges were to improve user experience across the platform, establish a consistent design system, and train their team to manage future iterations of the software.
Approach
Sollum Technologies provides cutting-edge LED lighting solutions for the agriculture industry. Their SUN as a Service® (SUNaaS) platform allows greenhouse operators to manage lighting conditions in real time, enhancing productivity. They serve over 40 clients across North America and Europe, with a focus on markets in Quebec, Ontario, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Execution:
-
Research: Conducted detailed interviews with Sollum’s customers to understand their challenges with the Recipe Manager and Main Dashboard. This involved synthesizing data to uncover pain points and opportunities for improvement.
-
Design & Prototyping: Created wireframes and interactive prototypes for the Recipe Manager, which were tested with users. Iterative feedback was collected and used to refine the designs. The same process was followed for the Main Dashboard and Greenhouse Manager sections.
-
Testing & Feedback: Conducted multiple rounds of usability testing with Sollum’s customers to ensure the designs met their needs. This feedback directly informed the final high-fidelity UI designs.
-
Design System: Developed a comprehensive design system that unified the look and feel across all sections of the platform, ensuring scalability and consistency.
-
Training Workshops: Delivered workshops on UX/UI principles and user research techniques to Sollum’s team, equipping them to independently drive future improvements.
Results:
The redesigned platform vastly improved user satisfaction, reducing friction in the use of complex features like the Recipe Manager. Sollum’s clients reported greater ease in managing lighting configurations and navigating the platform. Additionally, the internal team felt more confident using the new design system and conducting UX research, leading to smoother development of future features.
"Hybrid's UX and UI expertise has been instrumental in transforming our software platform and customer experience.
Their insights and designs improved brand identity and usability across our multiple platforms, and his training workshop helped get my whole team aligned around the same important design principles. I’d be eager to work with him again."
Marc - CPO Sollum Technologies