Dashboard Design for Airbus
Project Overview
January 2023 — April 2023
📍 Marseilles-based business | ✈️ Aircraft industry | 🖥️ Dashboard UX/UI Design
Mission:
Redesign the Airbus API Portal to enhance the user experience for operators involved in the helicopter assembly process. Make it responsive and easy to visualize and interact with. They use printed PDFs because they cannot read the API PDF version properly.
👉🏼 The Problem
Operators could not quickly and clearly visualise assembly information on-screen, forcing them to rely on printed PDFs and paper-based processes.
🎯 Objectives
💼 Business Objectives
Reduce production times, errors, and costs.
Eliminate paper consumption and transition to 100% tablet use.
🖥 UX Objectives
Design an intuitive, coherent, and useful dashboard.
Improve information readability and reduce cognitive load during assembly.
🏆 Success Metrics
100% elimination of paper consumption — full tablet adoption.
Reduction of assembly time from 1 week to 5 or 4 days.
The Process
🫶🏼 Meeting the users and their needs
🔧 Product assemblers
Operators responsible for following assembly instructions and performing precise mechanical tasks.
🧑💻 Engineers
Professionals in charge of controlling and validating the assembly process, ensuring quality and compliance at each step.
🧩 Unique Features
Multi-screen display: visualise up to 3 screens simultaneously to improve task efficiency and ergonomics.
3D and PDF viewer: access both 3D models and PDF documents within the same interface — no more printed sheets.
Barcode scanning: scan barcodes to easily identify and retrieve information about materials and parts.
Full information grid: display the complete set of relevant assembly data in a clear and accessible grid.
IoT device integration: connect and interact with IoT devices used in the assembly process.
Flexible user access (Login/Logout): allow quick login/logout to support shift work and temporary users (overload users).
🧑🏭 Use case
As a product assembler or engineer, I want to (action) so that I can (goal).
🖥️ I want to use the dashboard on a tablet
so that I can easily access the information during the assembly process without needing paper.
➡️ I want to navigate quickly between operation steps
so that I can follow the assembly flow without losing track.
📄 I want to access and view operation documents (PDF, 3D models)
so that I can visualize the assembly instructions clearly.
✅ I want to know when all required information has been completed
so that I can ensure the operation is ready for validation.
🏷️ I want to view the list of components and serial numbers
so that I can accurately assemble each part.
🎛️ I want to select parts of the component list and highlight them in the 3D view
so that I can better locate and identify components.
🔄 I want to switch between tasks or work orders
so that I can manage multiple assemblies more efficiently.
📊 I want to visualize the full grid of operation information
so that I can track progress and validate the process.
🔐 I want to login/logout securely as an overload user
so that I can manage user access on shared devices.
✏️ Sketch
💡 Wireframe
👩🏻💻 UX Process & Validation
As part of the project, I conducted an on-site visit to the assembly plant to observe real working conditions and gather first-hand insights.
During this immersion, I interviewed both operators and engineers to better understand their workflows, pain points, and expectations when using the tablets on the production floor.
The process was highly iterative and collaborative, with several rounds of testing and refinement based on user feedback.
During this phase, we focused on validating the following aspects:
Information hierarchy: optimized how critical data is displayed at each assembly step.
Navigation flow: tested and improved the stepper component to support intuitive navigation between tasks.
3D and PDF integration: validated how users switch between views and access documents.
Interaction design: fine-tuned interactions and readability for efficient use on tablets.
Ergonomics and usability: addressed issues with screen readability and reduced the need for paper-based instructions.
Iterative validation: incorporated feedback from operators and engineers across multiple testing sessions.
This user-centered validation ensured that the final dashboard met operational needs and significantly improved the assembly process.
🎨 UI Design Highlights
🚀 Final Implementation & Results
The final assembly dashboard was validated through on-site tests with operators and engineers, and fully implemented on tablets across the production floor.
The solution helped operators and engineers:
Clearly visualize 3D models and PDF documentation.
Navigate the entire assembly workflow with ease.
Eliminate paper-based processes and improve ergonomics.
Speed up assembly time and increase accuracy.
Following the implementation, the project delivered measurable impact:
80% of users regularly open the collapsible header to view all relevant information.
50% acceleration of the assembly process.
100% of users are able to successfully navigate and complete their tasks.
95% of users fully understand the color system used in the interface.
70% of users completely stopped using paper.
By placing the human at the center of the assembly experience, the dashboard significantly improved efficiency, accuracy, and the user experience on the assembly line.
