Summary
A user-friendly and affordable web app for embroidery businesses to easily view and edit designs. I led the design of WilcomWorkspace and Truesizer, created a new website focused on marketing, and developed a design system for a consistent user experience.
Duration
8 months
Team
+ Myself
+ Product Manager
+ 2 Development Managers
+ 5 Web developers
WilcomWorkspace Truesizer
Embroidery businesses face significant barriers in accessing effective software solutions due to the high costs, installation requirements, and necessary training associated with traditional digitizing software.
Users need practical, cost-effective, and flexible tools that simplify their workflows and minimize the complexities of software usage while still meeting their diverse needs for design and production.
Problem
Business objectives
- Create a new subscription revenue stream
- Attract new customers
- Solve key business-workflow pain points
- Enhance user experience
- Expand market presence
The project aimed to conceptualize WilcomWorkspace, a flexible platform offering powerful web applications for embroidery businesses, with tools like Truesizer, Estimator, Design Workflow and more – available individually through subscription.
During phase 1 of the project, I designed the WilcomWorkspace platform and the Truesizer app, enabling users to effortlessly view, resize, and recolor embroidery designs—eliminating the need for specialized software.
Solution
Within six months, Truesizer grew from 0 to over 1,000 paid subscribers, proving the demand for a user-friendly embroidery design tool. Since its debut, numerous improvements and features have been implemented, with more enhancements planned for the future.
Ideation kicked off with brainstorming a fresh suite of applications for WilcomWorkspace, coupled with on-site visits to embroidery businesses and engaging in user interviews. I created user personas to define the needs and goals.
User Research
Process
Journey Mapping
Through the development of personas and a comprehensive system analysis, I mapped the user journey and the full workflow of running an embroidery business.
At each stage, I identified key user needs and proposed various application solutions to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Ultimately, Truesizer was selected as the first application to be implemented from this suite of solutions.
Through testing and multiple iterations, I developed a user interface specifically tailored for simple embroidery design edits, with a focus on maintaining a minimalist and intuitive approach.
Sketches
Comprehensive user flows were developed to capture all possible scenarios and document the application's behavior, ensuring a thorough understanding of the user experience.
The initial ideation phase involved creating sketches and low-fidelity mockups, which played a crucial role in shaping the application and identifying the fundamental components of the interface.
Prototypes
Since Truesizer represented a completely new approach to the product, it provided an opportunity to establish modern design patterns that could be applied across other applications within WilcomWorkspace. I created a mood board and worked on a design system for WilcomWorkspace, ensuring consistency and scalability for all future applications within the platform.
Design System
Several changes were made based on the user feedback and observations made during testing. One major change was including the 'thread charts' as it was excluded from the designs. During user testing, this emerged as a significant issue. Users expressed that having a thread charts preview made them feel more comfortable, allowing them to browse the chart when uncertain about color choices. Updates were made based on the insights from the testing.
User testing
This project generated over 50K+ user interest and established a new product line for the company. Additionally, it marked the first instance of Wilcom offering subscriptions for their products.
One notable user comment highlighted the success of the interface design: “I had ES and WilcomWorkspace running on my computer and at one point didn’t realize I was in Workspace and not ES. The interface is so similar that it feels familiar.”
Project success
The features were tested with 10 users and received positive feedback. Users especially appreciated the ease of changing and managing threads within the design, noting that it was intuitive and streamlined their workflow.