V-A Express is an HVAC software that speeds up the quoting, configuring and ordering process for vibration isolation, restraint systems, and noise control products. As a hybrid Designer and Customer Experience Manager, I had the privilege of shaping this product's overall experience and visual design. After a year of development, V-A Express was launched in 2020, delighting customers with its user-friendly features.

Designer / Customer Experience Manager
Digital product, UX + UI, Visual system
2019-2020
— Background

The HVAC industry has slowly embraced digital transformation, relying on outdated practices such as time-consuming phone calls, lengthy email exchanges, and manually faxed forms. Recognizing this challenge, the product development team at Vibro-Acoustics sought to overhaul its tools and software to cater to the growing demands of customers.

— Challenges
  1. Outdated tools: Obsolete software hindered operations, leaving customers with legacy issues.
  2. Lack of customer-centricity: Prioritization skewed towards sales and production, overlooking the significance of customer experience and digital transformation.
  3. Absence of documentation: Insufficient documentation and standardization complicated the understanding of the customer journey.
Flow map of existing journey
— Goals

Journey mapping emerged as a crucial step in ensuring success. Collaborating with subject matter experts, I visualized the order fulfillment process for three distinct business lines. The resulting journey maps provided an end-to-end perspective, uncovering the software's friction points, opportunities, and goals.

  1. Embrace modern technology: Create best-in-class software utilizing cutting-edge technology, ensuring seamless integration, scalability, and easy maintenance.
  2. Prioritize customer experience: Focus on the most meaningful interactions that support customers at every step of their journey.
  3. Foster continuous improvement: Maintain a repository of processes and journey maps to facilitate ongoing refinement and enhancement.
01

Building the visual system

A cohesive visual system encompassing iconography and UI elements created a consistent and visually appealing user experience across the platform.

V-A Express logo in colourV-A Express logo and icon within a gridV-A Epxress icon logo in white and colourV-A Express typographyV-A Express primary colour paletteV-A Express icon library
02

Organizing complex quotes with tags

Customizable tags enabled the grouping of products and their components. This feature prevented disorganization and simplified project management, especially for large-scale projects with intricate HVAC systems like condominiums and hospitals.

Adding a tag user flow
03

Working flexibly

Realizing the dynamic nature of projects, we empowered users to quickly work on multiple drafts and create variations of quotes at any given time. This level of flexibility and control translated into smoother operations, allowing users to create, edit, and share quotes easily.

V-A Express user flows
— Results

V-A Express debuted successfully in 2020, captivating customers with its simple and feature-rich customer experience. Shortly after the launch, I transitioned to a new role outside the organization and regretfully couldn't participate in measuring the product's impact. However, I am honoured to have participated in this remarkable digital transformation journey.

Tiffany Chan — Designer
Email / LinkedIn
© Tiffany Chan 2023