Boris Soliz
UI Designer
The GE Research and Design team sought the expertise of my team to revolutionize the cockpit experience for business airline jets. As the Main Senior Visual Designer, I played a pivotal role in this project. Collaborating closely with the product manager, an Interaction Designer, and the engineering team, I was involved from the project's early stages through development and pilot testing with actual pilots. Drawing on extensive research and rigorous testing, I spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive design system. This involved crafting a cohesive visual language and user interface guidelines tailored to the unique requirements of the cockpit environment. Leveraging virtual machines that replicated cockpit setups, we rigorously evaluated and refined the design system, ensuring it met the needs of pilots effectively. By seamlessly integrating research, testing, and a holistic design system, we aimed to redefine the future of cockpit design, enhancing safety, efficiency, and the overall flight experience for business airline jets.
Our primary focus was addressing the challenges associated with system failures on airplanes. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the pain points faced by pilots, we conducted two user-centered design sessions involving pilots and stakeholders. These sessions provided valuable insights into the specific challenges they encountered.Armed with these insights, I swiftly translated them into visual concepts by sketching out ideas for the redesigned systems. These sketches served as a rapid exploration of potential solutions, allowing us to iterate and refine our designs based on feedback from the pilots and stakeholders.By actively involving pilots and stakeholders in the design process and responding to their needs, we aimed to develop systems that would effectively address the pain points associated with system failures. Through this iterative approach, we strived to create intuitive and user-friendly solutions that would enhance the overall aircraft experience and promote safety.
We gained valuable insights from the pilots during the initial session, not only regarding their fuel systems but also the overall stress they experience during flight warnings. Based on this understanding, we designed future-looking cockpit screens to develop and test with the pilots. These screens aimed to provide a more intuitive and informative interface, empowering pilots to handle critical situations effectively. Through iterative design and testing, we refined the screens to meet pilots' needs, enhancing safety and the overall flight experience.
We recognized the limitations of the current paper-based solution used by pilots in handling critical situations, especially when time is of the essence. To address this, we designed a future-looking cockpit with intelligent warning systems, allowing pilots to take immediate action via the screen instead of relying on printed manuals or digital documents. Collaborating with the Interaction Designer, we explored various solutions for displaying warning signs, optimizing message placement, and introducing intuitive touch-based interactions. The resulting design system was thoroughly researched and tested on virtual cockpit replicas, ensuring its effectiveness and usability.
By digitizing the cockpit experience, we aimed to improve response times and reduce the stress associated with critical warnings. The comprehensive design system encompassed screen layouts, touch display interactions, and visual cues, providing pilots with a seamless and intuitive interface. Through this innovative approach, we enhanced safety and efficiency by streamlining information access and empowering pilots to make informed decisions swiftly, ultimately transforming the cockpit into a more efficient and intelligent environment.
After multiple iterations and thorough testing, we presented our findings and recommendations on the visual aesthetics to the pilots and stakeholders during a collaborative workout session. This evaluation aimed to assess whether our solution exceeded their needs. By actively involving them in the process and seeking their valuable feedback, we aimed to refine and optimize our design to ensure it aligned with their requirements and surpassed their expectations. Through this collaborative approach, we sought to create an exceptional solution that would , enhance safety, and improve efficiency in-flight operations.
The designs and system we developed successfully met the needs of the pilots, and we proceeded to refine and enhance the screens based on their constructive feedback. As the engineers began implementing the screens I created, we transitioned from virtual simulations to an actual demo-able simulator. This pivotal step allowed us to showcase the functionality and effectiveness of the cockpit interface in a realistic environment, providing pilots with hands-on experience and enabling further refinements based on their direct interaction with the system.
The client's response to our work was overwhelmingly positive, leaving them thrilled and impressed with the results we delivered. Notably, the entire team, including myself for my contributions to the designs, was awarded patents for the innovative system we developed. Furthermore, the design system I crafted for Purple Sky proved to be highly valuable, as it enabled one of my fellow co-designers to successfully design forward-thinking screens for a military client. This recognition and the ripple effect of our work further reinforced the impact and success of our design efforts.
Our designs and system effectively fulfilled the needs of the pilots, prompting us to proceed with further development of the screens based on their valuable feedback. As the engineers began implementing the screens I designed, a significant milestone was reached: the integration of these screens into an actual demo-able simulator. This marked a crucial step in the project, allowing pilots to experience and interact with the system in a realistic environment, providing invaluable insights and enabling us to refine the designs further.
