Bradley UX Students Collaborate with Cat Digital UX Team on Real World Design

World Usability Day (WUD) will kick off with a UX (User Experience) Design Challenge that will be a collaboration between the Cat Digital UX team and students in the User Experience Design program at Bradley University.

Students will work alongside Caterpillar professionals in groups of three to four to solve UX design issues faced by Caterpillar. The design challenge will take place on Nov. 10, with the students presenting their ideas at the end of the challenge day for Caterpillar.

The issue that the students are exploring is improving the user experience for Cat customers by creating an intuitive pre-registration service site for its SOS fluid analysis program. “The goal is to convert an analog, labor-intensive process into a seamless digital experience for customers,” said Heather Ford, assistant professor, UI/UX Interactive Media.

Students have been working on their designs all semester based upon the research findings provided by Caterpillar. On Nov. 10, they be user testing the designs for Caterpillar’s UX testing division office and revise their designs for a final solution. The winning team will present to the Caterpillar UX Forum later in the month.

Teams will be judged based on five criteria: Problem Identification, Visuals, Clarity of Purpose, Technical Detail and Presentation Skills. “We are looking for a design that not only fits our brand visually but is also highly intuitive, usable and accessible,” stated Amanda Smith, UX Architect and Accessibility Specialist at Caterpillar.  

“This will provide the students an opportunity to work with a Fortune 500 company while still in school,” Ford said. “My expectation is that everyone grows and learns as designers and challenges themselves to improve their skillsets.”

— Emily Potts