Dassault Systèmes • SOLIDWORKS CAD software
Boosting Productivity for Millions
CHALLENGE
"Every click counts" is a core SOLIDWORKS design principle. Yet, every day, users would have to dig through menus, open side panels, and fish around in toolbars simply to start their work.
​
GOALS
Improve time-to-productivity and consolidate disparate support & assistance content
​
MY ROLES
Designer, Researcher, Product Owner
The SOLIDWORKS Welcome experience in Dark theme
What matters to users?
The SOLIDWORKS user base is over 7 million strong, so I relied on surveys, usage metrics, and continuous feedback from customer-facing colleagues (Customer Success, Technical Sales, Partners) to help identify and prioritize content and features.
Results from a survey I conducted to understand user needs and expectations
Inspiration from comparative solutions
I examined welcome experiences from similar sovereign* content creation applications to get ideas for layout, presentation, content, and interaction.
​
​* Alan Cooper's term for an application primarily used at full-screen (from About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, 1995)
Comparative content creation app welcome experiences
Rapid, iterative prototyping & testing
I made many simple, quick prototypes to facilitate rapid feedback. Each variant had an objective, such as optimizing content placement or determining how best to prioritize actions.
​
I evaluated different versions with users to learn their needs, wants, and expectations.
Low-fidelity mockups facilitated rapid feedback
Ongoing feedback drives evolution
Since its introduction, direct user feedback (via usability testing, Beta programs, and user forums) has drive the Welcome experience to evolve.
​
For example, in a subsequent release, I updated the design to accommodate up to 100 recent documents by adding 'Quick Filters' and search, enabling users to quickly find content within a larger collection.
More recent files meant being able to filter by type and keyword
Final design
This brief partner video highlights the SOLIDWORKS Welcome experience
Impact
-
Over 75% of users begin each SOLIDWORKS session with the Welcome experience (source: usage metrics).
-
When unveiled at the SOLIDWORKS World user conference, the Welcome experience got a spontaneous round of applause from attendees...an honor only a few features receive.
-
Earned me my first Customer Satisfaction award, given annually to a select few employees.
Customer Testimonials
"...without doubt one of the most sensible additions I’ve seen to any user interface. For many years now I have customized my interface...to minimize my mouse movement away from the center of my screen. This simple addition certainly fits in with my workflow."
​
"The very first thing all users will notice is the new Welcome screen. I’m thankful for this convenient window, mainly because no matter what my intentions are when opening a new session of SOLIDWORKS, I have a direct path to that goal waiting for me."