Conduct usability testing with structural engineers, including Chris, to gather feedback on the concept's usability and effectiveness in addressing their needs.
Collect qualitative feedback on user satisfaction, ease of use, and any potential pain points.
Usability testing & user qualitative feedback
Incorporate user feedback into the prototype and make necessary improvement.
Continue iterating until the solution aligns with user expectations and effectively addresses their pain
points.
Iterate and Refine
Time Efficiency:
Measure the time taken to generate shop drawings manually vs. using AutoDoc Generator. Aim for a significant reduction in the time spent, focusing on achieving the goal of accelerating the design-to-fabrication process.
Error Reduction:
Evaluate the number of errors in the manually created drawings compared to those generated by AutoDoc Generator. The goal is to minimize errors and ensure accurate documentation.
User Satisfaction:
Gather feedback from structural engineers, like Chris, on the usability and efficiency of AutoDoc Generator. Identify pain points and areas for improvement based on user experience.
Change Management Efficiency:
Measure the time taken to update drawings after a model change to ensure efficiency in the design-to-fabrication workflow.
Metrics/Criteria for Design Decisions
Percentage Time Reduction:
A successful implementation should result in a significant reduction in the time spent generating shop drawings, aiming for at least a 40% decrease.
Error Rate Improvement:
Success is achieved when the error rate in shop drawings is substantially lower with AutoDoc Generator compared to manual creation.
Positive User Feedback:
Success is reflected in positive feedback from users, particularly Chris, expressing satisfaction with the tool's performance, usability, and impact on his daily tasks.
Success Measurement
Change Detection Auto-Update
Low-fi Prototype
Generate specific 2D documentation
I don’t like when changes happen in the model, and I must modify the 3D model and the 2D documentation.
Sometime is hard to understand what changed and what needs to get updated without a deep investigation and identification of the right 2D shop drawing to redo so I just redo every 2D outputs to make sure there are no errors.
I use a template 2D shop drawing that contains all the defaults set for annotation styles and visualization.
I need to handle lots of repeating tasks and adding multiple views on a shop drawing to create the right output.
Managing current workflow is such a tedious and long process that I dread this moment while working on a project.
Chris’s pain points
How might we creat 2D shop drawings from 3d model without redoing them each time?
How might we streamline the workflow while working on a project?
How might we reduce repetitive work when creating 2D shop drawings from 3D model?
“HOW MIGHT WE” questions
Key Features
Change Detection & Auto-Update:
The AI detects any modifications in the 3D model and automatically updates the corresponding 2D documentation.
It highlights areas of change, helping users quickly identify and review updates.
Generate specific 2D documentation:
Allows users to generate specific 2D documentation (general arrangements, assembly drawings, single part drawings).
User Experience & Interaction
Simple and Intuitive UI:
The interface is designed to be straightforward, with clear options for initiating the "AutoDoc Generator" process and customizing settings.
Real-Time Preview:
Users can see a real-time preview of the 2D documentation as it's being generated, with options to preview specific shop drawing and make adjustments on the fly.
Challenge
Think of a solution that targets creating automatically 2D documentation outputs for steel projects.
Role
UX Designer
Category
Engineering,
Construction
When
Dec 2023
Background
Revit is a building information modeling software, empowering architects, MEP engineers, and structural engineers to design a building, its structure, its components in 3D and annotate the model to produce 2D documentation. Creating shop drawings for steel buildings is one of the most time-consuming processes
and is currently done manually in Revit by Structural Engineers. 2D documentation is needed for fabricators to create/make the parts in shop and assembly on site.
Desired Outcome:
Present a concept in a low fidelity mock-up (wireframes or paper prototypes). Consider the metrics and criteria necessary for making future design decisions, as well as those required to measure the success of this feature.
Structural Designer Persona:
Chris is a structural engineer for a large firm and is in charge beside creating the 3D model for structural discipline he is also creating shop drawings for almost 5 years now. He has developed shortcuts in Revit to help with generating sheets and add views with details needed but for a medium steel project he still spends 40% of his time generating shop drawings manually. He’s interested in being efficient and having a fast delivery for the fabrication documentation so that collaborators can review and approve faster and are able to start the construction process.
Business Goal:
Accelerate design to fabrication process.
Customer Quotes:
“I don’t like when changes happen in the model, and I must modify the 3D model and the 2D documentation.”
“Sometime is hard to understand what changed and what needs to get updated without a deep investigation and identification of the right 2D shop drawing to redo so I just redo every 2D outputs
to make sure there are no errors.”
“I use a template 2D shop drawing that contains all the defaults set for annotation styles and visualization.”
”I need to handle lots of repeating tasks and adding multiple views on a shop drawing to create the right output”
”Managing current workflow is such a tedious and long process that I dread this moment while working on a project.”
AutoDoc Generator is designed to automate the creation of 2D documentation from 3D models in Revit, specifically targeting the needs of structural engineers like Chris. This feature would leverage AI to streamline the process of generating shop drawings for steel projects.
AI-Enabled Feature in Revit “AutoDoc Generator”
Benefits of using AI over a scripted approach
ADAPTABILITY.
AI algorithms can learn and adapt over time, improving the accuracy and efficiency of the drawing generation process. This adaptability allows the feature to handle a wider range of scenarios and complexities in steel projects.
COMPLEX PATTERN RECOGNITION.
AI can analyze the 3D model and identify complex patterns and relationships that might be challenging for a scripted approach to handle effectively. This capability is particularly beneficial for tasks like recognizing different steel components and determining their appropriate representations in 2D drawings.
AUTOMATION OF DECISION MAKING.
AI can automate decision-making processes based on learned patterns and rules, reducing the need for manual intervention. This automation helps streamline the drawing generation process and minimizes the potential for human error.
SCALABILITY.
AI-powered features can scale effectively to handle large and complex projects without significant degradation in performance. As the size and complexity of steel projects increase, AI can continue to provide efficient and accurate drawing generation capabilities.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AI algorithms can continuously learn from user interactions and feedback, allowing the AutoDoc feature to improve over time. This iterative improvement process ensures that the feature remains relevant and effective in meeting users' evolving needs and requirements.
While a scripted approach might offer some level of automation, it may lack the adaptability, complexity handling capabilities, and scalability that AI provides. Additionally, scripted solutions often require extensive manual configuration and maintenance, whereas AI can automate many of these tasks, resulting in a more seamless and user-friendly experience for structural engineers like Chris. Therefore, leveraging AI for the AutoDoc feature would likely result in a more robust, efficient, and user-friendly solution overall.