This design research project proposes a new and improved touch
screen graphical user interface (GUI) for Gallagher’s on farm animal
management product - the “TSi”. The re-design concept aims
to develop appropriate design aesthetic treatments, as a
foundation for a more attractive, intuitive, easy to use graphical
user interface. The intention is to encourage farmers and farm
workers to readily engage and exploit the full performance
capability of the TSi and to reduce the perceived stigmatism of
learning specialist software that requires adopting to new
technologies. The design research propose that a GUI enhances the
end user experience to create a more desirable and usable product
by introducing User Interface (UI) elements and utilising common
user scenarios. The research has incorporated end user feedback
and co-creative development process with the Gallagher product
development and marketing team.
The TSi is a revolutionary weigh scale device that allows users to
instantly record and access data on individual animals and groups
of animals. This allows farmer’s to critically assess livestock
performance and enable strategic farm management decisions - in
the office, in the yard or elsewhere on the farm. The redesign begins
with a thorough critical analysis of the TSi’s existing GUI,
identifying issues involved with information and visual hierarchy of
elements such as navigation, buttons, text and graphical icons.
The methods and processes used include user observation, rapid
prototyping and mind-mapping user journeys through a series of
workshops done at Gallagher headquarters (Hamilton) and
Massey University (Wellington). These are tested methods and
processes used within the field of Human Computer Interaction
and User Experience design advocated by academics and theorists
such as Don Norman, Jakob Nielsen, Jesse James Garrett and
Bill Moggridge.
