Discovery
Research & Context Building
We partnered closely with customers and Burro’s field engineers and support team to observe real workflows, pinpoint where the legacy UI failed in the field, and iterate quickly based on direct feedback.
Discovery
The system had to scale & adapt to dynamic, real-world operations
As Burro expanded from row-based hauling into site-wide towing and transport, the operating environment changed fast. Routes were less predictable, destinations shifted day to day, and operators needed to make decisions in the moment. The legacy experience was powerful, but it assumed high-touch usage and consistent workflows.
We ran a focused discovery phase with engineering, support, and customers to understand where the existing system broke down and what the new use case demanded. Field feedback and workflow walkthroughs consistently pointed to the same reality: autonomy only scales when the experience stays simple and confidence-building under real conditions.
Legacy Use Case & Opeartion
Legacy Limitations
Customer Needs
One thing became especially clear during our discovery:
Key Insight
Design for real-world variability, not ideal & rigid workflows
Discovery showed the system couldn’t assume consistent routes, dedicated power users, or perfect conditions. To scale, the experience had to stay clear and confidence-building even when environments change, tasks shift, and a different person steps in mid-operation.
Solution
Final Designs, Deliverables, & Solutions
To address these limitations and needs, we rebuilt the experience from the ground up. The focus was a simple, operator-friendly workflow that reduced setup time, improved clarity in the field, and could scale into future task types and environments.
Key Improvements
Component Library
Color System
Solution
App Navigation & Structure
We rebuilt the app structure around clarity and speed: a single place to manage tasks, switch between modes of operation, and persistent system status so operators can act quickly and confidently.
Key Improvements
Legacy
Updated ✨
1
Task Action
Primary controls for managing the workflow. Create, edit, and start tasks from one consistent place.
2
Modes of Operation
Quick access to current mode, how the robot is being used, such as autonomy, follow, or manual.
3
System Status
The robot’s current state is always visible. This builds confidence and reduces guesswork during operation.
4
Secondary Status & Actions
Fast access to key info and support actions like battery, help, report issue, and settings.
5
Task List
The main workspace where tasks live. View, select, and manage destinations in the order work actually happens.
Impact
Value realized and measured
This work was especially rewarding because we could measure impact over time after launch. The initial release rolled out to a small set of already-sold robots, then expanded across the fleet as we iterated based on field feedback. The result was a more scalable on-robot workflow that increased product value, supported recurring software revenue, and became part of daily operations for hundreds of people.
Insights
Lessons learned and takeaways
Beyond the business return, this project shaped how I approach human-robot interaction. It reinforced that the best autonomy experiences are not just powerful. They are easy to understand, easy to trust, and easy to operate in real conditions.
Simplicity and clarity drive adoption & scale
When the technology is complex, the interface cannot be. Clear system feedback and obvious next steps are what turn capability into daily usage.
Next Steps
After the initial release, we continued iterating based on field feedback to improve reliability, expand capability, and refine the operator experience. The latest release is included here.
