With a design system, work on IT projects is **cheaper, quicker, and more cohesive, providing a better user experience.** 

Too many promises for one article? We don't think so. 

To prove a point, we have gathered information on the design systems, examples of companies that use them and their opinions. Let's dive in! 


A design system is a collection of tools and processes that facilitate designing, building, and developing digital products… Yes, it isn't straightforward.

Let us give you an example. 

Imagine you need a single button for your app. Preparing this simple element relates to making a few decisions: shape, fill, size, shadow, typeface to be used, margins, on-mouse-over, on-click effects, iconography, or the final code which will place it within the system. Let's add that such a button has to be coherent with other elements of the application, of which there are tens or even hundreds.

What is a design system?

Here's where a story begins, one which everyone, who has anything to do with software development, knows:

- The UX Designer doesn’t deal with most of the above characteristics of the button,
- The UI Designer designs a new look for every button for each of the created projects separately,
- The Front-end Developer writes code in a way that multiplies discrepancies by making further decisions of their own.

And this is just the beginning of all problems to come. Let's multiply those issues by the number of projects at the company and the number of people that work there, considering staff and team rotation, time, and budgetary pressures. Result?

The example above leads to unpleasant consequences: 

- **A waste of time and energy –** software development is limited by lengthy design and development procedures.

- **Weak UX** – users who use many different apps from the same company don’t feel they are dealing with a single ecosystem.

- **Lack of coherence** – every system of the same company works and looks different, even if it has similar elements at first sight. 

- High cost of development – the company bears the cost of creating the same elements repeatedly for different purposes.

What are the lack of a design system consequences? 

In practice, a design system is a library of components that combine design, code, and knowledge of how to use them. It is based on the simple idea – create once, use many times. 

 And no, a component library itself is not yet a design system. Design or code on their own does not comprise a design system. Knowledge itself is not a design system either. All those elements must be properly combined and created together as a process and the final source of truth for designers and developers alike.

Design system in practice 

Signals that you should develop a design system within your organisation can be combined into a few common characteristics: 

- If your company already has an extensive ecosystem of IT systems, which it intends to develop, you may need a design system.

- You may need a design system if your company plans to develop new IT systems.

- If teams of designers and developers at your company are facing communication issues and struggling to obtain coherent results, you may need a design system.

We use the word "may" deliberately because the discussion on design systems is much more complex. In our initial conversations with our clients, we closely examine their project portfolio, platforms, and the technologies used to build those platforms. We define the expected level of coherence between those platforms and systems and analyse the structure and competencies of their implementation teams.

 There is no single, universal way to build a design system. The plan depends on the ecosystem of IT projects within your company and the goals you want to achieve.

Who is a design system for?

The stakes are high indeed. A correctly implemented, used, and developed design system translates into tangible advantages for your business: 

1. You can use it to create new projects faster by increasing the productivity of your design and development teams.
2. You can save money on developing existing products because your code will be reusable, and prototyping will become simpler.
3. You can make your applications more coherent regarding how they look and feel, and work and turn them into a single ecosystem.
4. You can provide your users with a proper level of comfort by promoting good UX and reusable UX templates.

Benefits of a design system for your organisation

We asked Basilissa Albers, design system Product Owner @Adverity, what are the three most important benefits of implementing a design system in her organisation:

Take a look at the flagship solutions of IT giants. They have been providing proof for quite some time that a design system is a meaningful improvement of their development process:

- Shopify's Polaris design system: https://polaris.shopify.com/
- Salesforce's Lightning design system: https://www.lightningdesignsystem.com/
- IBM's Carbon design system: https://www.carbondesignsystem.com/
- Adobe's Spectrum design system: https://spectrum.adobe.com/ 
- Google's Material design system: https://material.io/design/ 


Design system examples 

We have been working together with [Wirtualna Polska Group](https://holding.wp.pl/en) for more than four years. They are one of the biggest media holdings in Central Europe and reach 22.1 million users every month. Over the 25 years, they have accumulated many different digital tools ( advertising, IT, and editorial, among others). Our job was to create a coherent back-office system (including a design system) . Set of solutions that support the growth of existing and development of new tools. If you want to learn more, check out our case study. 

Here’s what Aleksandra Rabenda, Head of Delivery Team @ WP says about design system:

Design System for online media industry

A design system is a collection of tools and processes that simplify digital product development, construction and design.
The decision to develop your design system must be preceded by a thorough analysis based on solid business grounds. It is the kind of conversation we would like to encourage. Are you ready to join it?

Conclusion

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Why should you invest in a design system when planning digital transformation?

There are many things to consider when designing an app that uses a map. How will the user interact with the map? What information should be displayed on the map? This blog post will discuss essential factors in designing a successful map for your app.

A mapplication, or map-based application, is a tool that uses maps and geographic information to help users achieve a specific goal. Mapplications are becoming increasingly popular as people rely more on GPS to get around. 

Mapplications are especially useful when used with other data sources, such as weather reports or real-time traffic information. By combining different data types, mapplications can provide a more comprehensive picture of an area and help users make more informed decisions. Mapplications are also constantly evolving, with new features and capabilities being added all the time.

1. What is a mapplication, and why are they useful?

When it comes to a map-based app design, there are a few key factors to keep in mind to create an effective and user-friendly experience:

- Mapplication design is all about creating an effective and user-friendly interface that helps users navigate their way around. It should be interactive, allowing users to zoom in and out as needed. The map should be clear and concise, with labels that are easy to read.
- The map should be integrated with other advanced app features, such as directions and search. This will allow users to find the information they need quickly.
- The app should have clear and concise icons and labels that users can easily identify. Use different colours to distinguish between different types of information. For example, using light blue for water bodies and green for land masses.
- Considering a base map layer is covered by several other pieces of data, a user would benefit from having a show/hide feature. These customisation options let him make his own set of visible layers according to his needs.
- The map should be regularly updated with new data and content to keep users engaged.
- Last but not least, you need to make sure that your mapplication provides significant value to users. That is, it should offer users something that they can't find anywhere else. This could be in the form of exclusive deals, customised content, or unique features.

2. How do you design a mapplication that is effective and user-friendly?

One of the most common mistakes made in mapplication design is making the interface too complicated. A mapplication should be easy to use and understand, with a simple interface. Users should be able to navigate their way around the map without any difficulty.

Another common mistake is not keeping the map up-to-date. It's important to regularly update the map with new data and content to ensure that users have the most accurate information possible.

Some mapplications fail to provide enough value to users.  As mentioned earlier, a mapplication needs to offer users something that they can't find anywhere else. Without this, users will quickly become bored and move on to another app.

It is important to test the mapplication on different devices to ensure that it works well on all of them. Some users prefer mobile apps, and some prefer desktop or web apps. It also depends on the type of work employees do. 

3. What are some common mistakes made in mapplication design?

In addition to the points mentioned above, there are a few other things to keep in mind when designing a maps-based app. First, it's important to think about how users will interact with the map itself. Will they need to zoom in and out often? What types of features will they need to be able to see? 


4. Are there any other things to consider when designing a maps-based app?

Second, it's also worth considering how the map will fit into the overall design of the app. 


Will it be the main focus, or will it be one element among many? Finally, it's important to keep in mind that mapplication development is a complex process, and several factors can impact the end result. As such, it's important to work with an experienced development team to ensure that your app meets your specific needs and expectations. Sometimes you have only one chance.

Mapplications are becoming increasingly popular as businesses look to create interactive and engaging experiences for their users. However, designing a map-based application can be a challenge. Mapplication design is a complex and ever-evolving field, and there are several things to consider when designing a maps-based app.

When it comes to design, the most important thing is to keep the user in mind. What features will they need? What type of device will they be using? It's important to think about how users will interact with the map and how the map will fit into the overall design of the app. In addition, it's important to keep in mind the latest trends in mapplication design to ensure that your app remains up-to-date and relevant. 

mapplication.png

Mapping Your Way to App Success: What You Need to Know About Mapplication Design

This year we were awarded first prize in the Develop & Deliver and People’s Choice categories at [DesignWays 2022](https://www.designways.io), one of Poland’s largest UX/UI designers conferences.  Winning the contest was the crowning achievement of the hard work we put into the [Wirtualna Polska](https://holding.wp.pl/en) project and validation of the values that guide us at Autentika.  


Wirtualna Polska is an online media giant.  Every month they reach 22,1 million real users. For the past twenty-five years, WP has been developing its own back-office systems (including IT, advertising, and editorial). As their ecosystem grew, they started to have issues with managing the software applications they acquired through other businesses. This made maintenance complicated and in some cases prevented further development.

Our task was to create a coherent ecosystem (including a design system). Set of solutions that support the growth of existing and development of new tools. We also dealt with building a positive user experience, i.e. editing dozens of portals.We questioned existing solutions, proposing a revolution. 

And it worked! Today WP owns one of the best editorial apps in the online media industry. 

About our project 

We were at a company meeting a week before the results were announced. Since we work online, we all gather once a year together to spend time and get to know each other better. It was nice to see those smiling faces, the excitement. We have to admit that we have quite a sense of humour! 

Sitting around the campfire, we talked about the contest, and many of us believed that the jury would appreciate our work. After all, we have been creating this project for four years!


What happened the week before the results were announced

Finally, Monday came, and the results were announced. Our intuition was not wrong. Ania, our HR lady, went to Cracow for the conference to represent us. We waited patiently online. Finally, we got a message from Ania: 

- Two first places!!! Not only in the Develop & Deliver category but also in People's Choice!

What was our joy!!! We felt like a soccer team that won the European championship! Winning in the Develop & Deliver category meant we were awarded among 25 other great projects at a really high level.

Announcement of results

The victory in both categories has shown us that the values we follow can bring tangible results. We are a diverse team of people in different age groups: from twenty-year-olds to programmers over 40. We have one thing in common: a passion for being authentic. 

It is worth mentioning here the story of Michal, the founder of our company. Authenticity and honesty flow in his blood. This reflects the name of our company- Autentika. He started the company 17 years ago as a self-taught freelancer. 

There was no UX / UI division back then, so he did both. He got many clients over a couple of years, and they were happy with the result. And so there was a need to hire people, have a company and a brand. People have always emphasised that working with him is concrete, reliable, timely, and honest. 

So when looking for a name, he focused on such values. And since these values are his authentic behaviour, nothing rehearsed or exaggerated; he has chosen Autentika. 


Our values 

The story above explains why the company has been attracting interesting characters from the very beginning. Personalities who can be sincere in giving feedback and also sometimes admit to being wrong. 

Being authentic works in every situation. When we talk to a client, we ensure that the entire process (into which large budgets are often put) is transparent. It allows the client to have peace of mind that the time and money invested will yield the expected results. 

Thanks to clear communication between team members, we can quickly locate potential problems and solve them. Besides, things are never boring on Slack. Honest conversations on various topics (from politics to hobbies) are a fantastic refresher during work. And fun! 

And all this happened in the Wirtualna Polska project. 

Therefore, we would like to thank the organisers, the jury of DesignWays and everyone involved in our success. We can't wait for the following challenging projects :)


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DesignWays - winning the UX/UI conference proved our team's values right

_The idea is a concept conceived by Autentika. We are UX-Driven Design & Development team that for 17 years has been building design systems and high-quality web, e-commerce, and mobile apps.  Feel free to use its elements in your own projects._

***

While more and more businesses can thrive no matter where they are located with the help of the Internet and courier delivery services, for many industries the three most important elements of their business are: **location, location, and once again, location.** The choice of location for your cafe, convenience store, or point of service is the critical element of planning the future of your business.

You have probably seen places where someone opens a third grocery store or sushi bar right in the same place. It happens all the time. We observed it in the vicinity of our office. Every time this happens we wonder - how is this even possible? Has the new owner not verified such basic information? How did they choose the location which did not save the previous entrepreneur’s business from failing?


Based on this information we are provided with a city plan, with colors to inform us about the best location for our business. We can further specify our expectations. The price range for our drinks? Our rent budget?



Using the cursor we can display detailed parameters of each location. We take into consideration tens of different factors, including customer affluence, the number of competing businesses in the area, footfall, and traffic, most frequented routes, rent levels, and even staff availability based on required qualifications.


The service gathers information from ad portals and presents locations available for rent. Perhaps this is the offer which suits us best? It also lists the pros and cons for the given area, so that we can make the right decision.

By zooming into the greener areas of the map we can find a location that suits our needs. 

This should be our “GoodPlace”.

Fantasy you say? Today, maybe it is. But the data is already widely available, what’s missing is the online system that would gather it all together in one place and apply artificial intelligence to analyze it thoroughly.

Large businesses have their consulting companies and specialized experts. GoodPlace would be the place to visit for all smaller cafes and convenience stores to gather crucial information for their business. Sooner or later, someone will make this connection. Perhaps they will even use our help to do it.

At Autentika we call ourselves a UX UI design & custom development team.  For nearly 17 years we have delivered web applications, online services, mobile applications, and e-commerce systems.

If you’re planning on creating a project for your company, learn about our competencies, or simply get in touch. 

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GoodPlace - we’ll find the best location for your business

You may have heard the saying, "necessity is the mother of invention." This couldn't be more true than when it comes to the digital media industry. In today's rapidly changing technology environment, media organizations are stretched to do more with less. Publishing companies, in particular, need specialized software that can help them publish and broadcast their content in a more streamlined and efficient manner.

We're a UX-driven design and development team that specializes in the creation of the back-office software ecosystems to derive revenue and increase media industry performance. We created this kind of set of solutions for one of the biggest internet publishers in Central Europe- [Wirtualna Polska Group.](https://holding.wp.pl) Every month they reach 22,1 million internet users! In this article, we'll outline the benefits of having custom software and the features it can contain. Enjoy your reading!

More time optimization, more revenue

Custom internet publishing and broadcasting software is software that is specifically designed for a particular media company with a specific interest. It allows for more detailed and customized editing of content than off-the-shelf software and can make the publishing and broadcasting process more efficient and streamlined. This industry does not include internet service providers or publishers of offline content. Major companies include AOL, Associated Press, HuffPost, Cable News Network (CNN) and other web sites.

What is internet publishing and broadcasting software, and why do you need it?

Internet publishing and broadcasting software help media companies improve the lives of many groups of people: 

Why do digital media companies need custom internet publishing and broadcasting software?

The dream of every IT director, innovation director, head of product, or project manager is to have a coherent software ecosystem. Companies using custom software are better able to optimize costs, and increase performance. Thanks to their rapid rise they become industry key players. Internet publishing and broadcasting software allow for better collection of industry data. 

Management staff

Custom internet publishing and broadcasting software can make the publishing process faster and easier for employees. Journalists, editors, and publishers will find all the necessary tools in one place, allowing them to focus on what matters most - the art of writing. 

Employees

Users use a significant portion of their time spent online reading the news, often on mobile devices.  When a company has a better handle on its content, it can provide a better experience for its online users. Custom internet publishing and broadcasting software can help media companies publish articles and video content more quickly and efficiently, providing a better experience for users. Additionally, this software can help media companies collect data about their industry that can be used to improve the experience for users.


Internet users

The features of custom internet publishing and broadcasting software

These days, content editing software has become an essential tool for every media organization. That's because journalists use this technology to create their articles. You may associate it with the popular CMS (Content Management System). But that's not what we have in mind. An innovative content editor supports the process of creating multimedia-rich content following all SEO best practices and making it accessible to the intended audience.

1. Content Editor

With this tool, editors can count the time from opening a page with a blank article until that article appears on the web sites.

2. TTP (Time to Publish)

Journalists love our tool because they can choose templates that adapt to the planned content from the very beginning and speed up the creative process.

3. Ready-to-go templates

With this feature, journalists can save draft versions of their work. The safety of data is enhanced by the use of local storage because it eliminates the danger of losing any work done.

4. Autosave feature

A rich multimedia component library is used to write an article. Editors can add pictures, video content, dynamic galleries, social media postings, citations, specification tables, stock and currency exchange quotations, e-commerce components, event timelines, pros and cons sections, reviews, industry data in pdf format, and many more. These are success factors that allow for the production of genuinely interesting content for today's readers!

5. Content Parts Library

The text may also be formatted more comfortably by utilizing the panel for formatting content.

6. Text formatting Panel

The text in the article is analyzed by the system (AI + Machine Learning) to suggest related images, links, tags, and categories. It all helps to boost visibility in the web search portals such as Google search engine and make the piece more appealing to the reader. 

7. Recommendations mechanisms

The content is evaluated to match the target audience's needs (sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and so on). It eliminates long sentences and phrases that no one understands which is a key driver affecting readability. You can read more [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunning_fog_index).

8. Readability score

We use validations to reveal errors and help users adopt best practices, as well as how to address any issues. We're performing the editors' function of testing the technical side of news for publication.

9. Smart validation

The design of the portal in which it will be published (including mockup views for mobile devices and advertising grid) includes a preview section that allows journalists to view the information as seen by the reader on the internet and mobile devices.

10. Article preview

Complete article content is just the beginning of the journey to capture the reader's attention.

Editorial process

The article on the home page and other web sites is shown by a news preview (news story). The seemingly basic and unimportant element, in reality, has a crucial function! Article popularity is determined by several parameters, including the title, picture, search engine requirements, and other settings.

11. News piece

Editors verify every news or broadcasting content item before it goes online. It may go through several rounds of editing on a kanban table until one of its versions is approved.

12. Selection

A news article is most read a few hours after publication. During that time, Big Data mechanisms examine the clickability findings. The editor can improve the results by pinning the preview in the desired location on the homepage. In Wirtualna Polska, we call it the Attention Command Center. 

13. Publishing

With 4 million articles, you'll need a solid understanding of how to review, create an easily searchable format, and filter content. The search engine offers a built-in command list, allowing to use of any applicable filters of general or specific interest.

14. Article list

The selection of photos has long been one of the most important problems in editing material. Every news story requires at least one image. Finding, selecting, and inserting pictures into articles was time-consuming.

A centralized repository that combines the resources of numerous organizations, categorizes metadata and manages multiple licenses has become a critical tool for journalists in their professional lives. Also, don't overlook the sophisticated cropping functionality, which eliminates the need to retouch photos with third-party software.

15. Photo Repository

A design system is a set of regulations, tools, and processes that streamline the creation of digital goods. You can read more about it [here](https://designsystem.pl/en).

The team we've assembled is in charge of developing a React.js component library as well as producing useful documentation. We save time by being able to reuse components, ensuring a coherent experience for our users.

Today, thanks to the Design System, we can develop new apps four times faster than before. DS also enhances the coherence between other ecosystem components.


16. Design system

Such a wide range of applications necessitates the use of a control unit that collects data and displays a "helicopter view" of the outcomes of our efforts. The Dashboard shows statistics and allows for data processing, examination of growth rates, and key sensitivities.

17. Dashboard

Changes also take place in the advertising space. Advertising is a major source of industry revenue. We support the advertising department by designing the WP Ads application, which advertisers can use to conduct campaigns on their own and measure their total digital advertising expenditure. This tool allows creating campaigns based on a product feed, integrations with e-commerce platforms, and email databases. Results of campaigns are presented in the WP Metrics analytics panel.

18. Ads

Although Wirtualna Polska does not offer subscription-based services, we know that in the US the broadcasting industry and Internet Publishing have grown significantly over the five years. This growth can be attributed to the pandemic, dramatic increases in the number of online users, internet access, time spent online, and mobile internet connections. These increases have paved the way for companies to earn more revenue through the industry's two main revenue streams: advertising and sales of subscription-based services. Mobile advertising accounts for a significant portion of total digital advertising expenditure.

19) Subscription-based services

Media publishing and broadcasting establishments are primarily engaged in publishing and/or broadcasting content on the Internet exclusively or operating web sites that use a search engine to generate and maintain extensive databases of Internet addresses and content in an easily searchable format (known as Web search portals). In addition to textual, audio, and/or video content, they provide additional internet services, such as e-mail, auctions, news, and other limited content.

In conclusion, in this competitive landscape, custom internet publishing and broadcasting software can help media companies in several ways. It can be designed to be more efficient and streamlined than off-the-shelf software, making the publishing and broadcasting process easier and faster. Additionally, this software can help media companies collect data about their industry that can be used to improve the lives of employees, management staff, and online users.

If you are a media company looking to improve the editing, publishing, and broadcasting processes consider investing in custom internet publishing and broadcasting software, **[please contact us](https://autentika.com/contact)**. We'd be delighted to talk with you about your specific requirements and how we can assist you.

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How custom internet publishing and broadcasting software can help your media company grow

Craig Stedman in [Techtarget:](https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-management)

What is UX data management? 

“ Data management is the process of ingesting, storing, organizing and maintaining the data created and collected by an organization. Effective data management is a crucial piece of deploying the IT systems that run business applications and provide analytical information to help drive operational decision-making and strategic planning by corporate executives, business managers and other end users.” 




From [Techjury](https://techjury.net/blog/big-data-statistics/#gref)

- 80-90% of the data we generate today is unstructured
- Poor data quality costs the US economy up to $3.1 trillion yearly
- 95% of businesses cite the need to manage unstructured data as a problem for their business
- Using big data, Netflix saves $1 billion per year on customer retention
- Today it would take a person approximately 181 million years to download all the data from the internet



Statistics on big data management

With the increasing amount of information, another challenge has arisen: **data visualization.** In the past, companies collected data in finance and accounting. It meant the need to analyze and present tables made up of numbers.

Today there are many more data types - structured data, unstructured data, different formats (images, video, audio, emails, etc.). The flood of data has made it harder and harder to deal with. Does it have to be this way? Of course not. Data management design is the answer.

Data management design is the answer

What is data management design?

There are many advanced data management tools on the market. However, only a few of them consider big data UX, which means ease of use.  The user interface is one of the essential features of an application or website. That is why we propose to their authors a strategy and research to make it as easy to use as possible. 
You can create the user interface design process in three steps: 


These are often highly specialized solutions aimed at the B2B market. You can't create a data presentation interface and search mechanisms well without a deep understanding of the industry. 


1. Get to know the client and his industry thoroughly

No one expects that you will be an expert in a specific client's industry - don't be afraid to ask even simple questions. It's nothing unusual that a client forgets about this fact and assumes you understand everything. From specialised terms used by other stakeholders to business characteristics and principles.  You don't understand? Ask a question. Think you understand? Rephrase it and check if the client thinks alike and operates within the exact definition.

Starting from analyzing all business/branch-related terms, abbreviations, or jargon - you have to know the specialized language used by our clients and their users. It will help build more natural messages, descriptions, and labels. 


Learn the language

Usually, the business's initial approach is to show everything. The more numbers in the charts, diagrams, and dashboards, the merrier… Well, not here. Suppose you're about to design something useful and valuable for end-users. In that case, you can't just throw all the numbers into the pot and expect the data to be readable. Make a data triage and determine which data is the most critical, high priority to be displayed. And which are only supportive ones that shouldn't shout to the user from the start. 


Make a choice

You have to understand your client's numbers - get familiar with every business-specific notation, check and learn them. The sooner you know the data, the better, especially since the beginning of the project is the perfect moment to ask many questions about them.


Understand

The next step after getting to know the industry - you need to find out the answers to questions such as: who is the user of the system, where will they use it (an office with a few dozen inch monitor or a laptop on a construction site, or maybe a smartphone), what are they looking for, what is their business problem, what is important to them, etc.). 


2. Analyze the user in detail

The holy grail here is to perform shadowing sessions with real users to see the user-product context, but it's not always possible… Conduct analysis based on the customer's vision. Try to reach the users at least with a survey or other less time-consuming (for the user, of course) techniques and get to know them better. 


Perform a session

Data management tools are pretty complex, and starting user research directly with the end-users won't help you focus on the most critical elements. A good practice is to know the business' user perception and create some assumptions and hypotheses that would be validated and challenged later with the users - so business first, users later. 

Create a hypothesis

If the project is about redesign - try not to reinvent the wheel. Reuse some interface elements that most of the users are familiar with. Working with highly specialized products, you will fight with users' habits sooner or later, so try not to fight fiercely over minor functions that everyone knows well and are comfortable with. 

Reuse

At the same time, try to find every pain point of the actual interface or the lack of one to fight most of the users' problems. Find one unified solution to avoid ending with high interface customizability. Most users will stay with the default rendered interface rather than fiddle with additional options and customizations. The better you understand your personas, the fewer options, versions, and settings you would need.

Find a solution

Check if the numbers and data created by the company are easily readable by their end-users. It happens that the company thinks that their data presentation is clear for their clients. In fact, they don't raise any tickets or suggestions on this matter. Clients often filter received data through their own-made excel sheets to get the easy-to-interpret information, where errors are included.  

Check

Based on the previously collected information, create:

- method of data presentation, 
- search engine,
- filters, 
- forms of visualization (maps, charts, thumbnails). 

It isn't easy because, on the one hand, there is a lot of data in the system; on the other, showing too much data at once makes the image unreadable. On top of this, take care of the issue of speed of access to data, and in the case of applications using large data sets, the risk of a situation where the system gets slow is very high. 

Sounds simple? Not really, because these three points include several to a dozen or so weeks of hard work. But we know that it is worth investing this time to achieve great results and free up data in your organization. 


3. Data compilation for the end user

Why do companies need Big Data User Experience? 

The growing amount of data meant a need to generate more and more analyses and reports. Therefore, analysis departments have appeared in large organizations, staffed by people with considerable technical knowledge of software and analytical competencies - data managers and analysts. 

At the request of the business departments, the analysis staff generates reports answering the questions with the help of complex-to-use applications. The software is often unintuitive because teams of programmers developed it without user experience designers.

The developers often assume that business applications are used by professionals who can handle them, so there is no need for user experience design. They do not support the user in using data (e.g., they do not have a hint mechanism, they do not correct users' mistakes), and using them is practically impossible without proper training.

However, this solution has its limitations: business departments have to wait for their reports due to the workload of the analysis department. Information is not immediately available; sometimes, you have to wait for them even several days, depending on your workload.

If only big data analytics experts have access to the data, using it creatively diminishes dramatically. People working directly in marketing or production departments could generate reports independently and experiment with them - change the scope of analyzed data, look for new relationships, etc. They can read more from them than analysts. Some of the data may be needed immediately, directly in the production plant, on the construction site, or in any other place where business operations are conducted.



Examples from our work

We have had the opportunity to design interfaces for several digital projects in the consumer market.

Designing the way data is presented democratizes access to it within an organization. Analytics departments still have a lot of work to do, as they are responsible for the quality of the data collected, creating advanced reports and analyses. Still, they don't have to answer every user query, even the smallest ones.


Geospatial data management

One of our most exciting projects was designing and developing a method of data presentation in an application providing geospatial data. This data is needed to explore and identify attractive natural resource locations.

The software is a very advanced tool integrating structured and unstructured data needed in prospecting for raw materials. 

The application has great possibilities, and its recipients have been the only data managers who have been able to handle it. It has also been a challenge to present data from GIS (geographical information systems) with other data. Users struggled to find the optimum number of data to display on a single graph so that it was easy to read. 

The new interface has significantly simplified the use of the application. It has made it accessible to its target users, i.e., the geologists responsible for the project. They no longer have to wait for data managers to find time to prepare the necessary report. 

How to manage data on 150,000 items?

Another project we have completed is an after-sales system for an international factory equipment supplier. The advanced equipment it supplies consists of thousands of parts and, during intensive operation, requires servicing and replacement of worn-out components.

An advanced system that helps navigate through information on 150,000 components. It allows the collection and synchronization of data from multiple sources. The search engine allows both simple and more advanced searching and filtering results. Essential is the suggestion system, which recommends additional items that may fit the order.

The application in its original form was complicated to use, which meant that customers had to contact company representatives to place an order. We designed the application to make it available to customers so that they could place orders on their own. 

Our experience building e-commerce sites came in handy, but this type of B2B project has its characteristics. Few people will browse through all the resources in a given category in the same way as consumers browse through the content of online shops. The critical information for each part they are looking for will be whether it fits a specific model. 

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What You Should Know About Big Data Management User Experience 

Warehouse management systems (WMS) are integral to the success of logistics companies. They help businesses with inventory management, optimize warehouse space, and improve overall efficiency. However, as businesses grow, your WMS might need change and innovation.

That's where Autentika comes in - we're a UX-driven design and development team that specializes in creating new interfaces for existing WMS systems. We understand the challenges that come with managing a warehouse and strive to create easy-to-use dashboard designs for WMS that make the process as streamlined as possible. In this blog, we'll outline 8 benefits of the new WMS dashboard design and how it can help grow your business. Thanks for reading!


Warehouse management systems are to increase efficiency within a warehouse setting. By having a clear and concise interface, users can find the information they need quickly and easily. This can help to reduce the amount of time spent searching for items, thus increasing efficiency overall. In addition, features such as automated labeling can also help to speed up the process by reducing the need for manual input.

[Navigal](https://navigal.eu/en/smart-way-forward-en/) is a logistics company for which we designed the WMS interface for their custom application. We made it possible to develop the application with new functions in the future using design system elements.


1. Increased Efficiency 

A new user interface will also result in an improved user experience for warehouse workers. A well-designed dashboard will be easy to navigate and understand, making it simpler to find the information they need. This can help to reduce frustration and confusion and make the overall experience more enjoyable. In addition, an improved user interface can also make it easier to train new employees, as they will be able to understand the system more quickly.


2. Improved User Experience

WMS interface redesign can help to reduce costs in several ways. First, by increasing efficiency, a new dashboard can help to reduce the amount of time and resources that are needed to complete tasks. This can lead to significant savings for businesses. In addition, it can also help to optimize warehouse space and improve accuracy, which results in avoiding overstocking or losing items. By streamlining the process and reducing the need for manual input, businesses can save on labor costs.

3. Reduced Costs

- shorter onboarding of customers
- fewer calls to customer service
- cheaper system development using reusable components
- faster implementation of new programmers to create new functionalities
- clear documentation


For companies developing WMS systems, the benefits are as follows: 

One of the key benefits of warehouse management systems interface redesign is that it can provide greater visibility into inventory and storage space. This can be incredibly useful for businesses as it can help to avoid stock-outs and ensure that items are available when needed.  With a clear and concise interface, businesses can get a better understanding of how their warehouse is functioning. This can help to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. Greater visibility can also help businesses make better decisions about inventory management, as they will have a better understanding of what items are selling and which ones are not. This gives WMS creators more room to analyze user behavior and better plan product development.

4. Greater Visibility

Another benefit of WMS interface redesign is that it can help to enhance accuracy.  With a clear and easy-to-use interface, businesses can reduce the number of mistakes that are made in the warehouse. This can help to improve inventory accuracy and ensure that items are properly accounted for. In addition, automated systems can help to further improve accuracy by reducing the amount of human error. And as we know, happy customers pay more!

5. Enhanced Accuracy

The new design of the warehouse management system interface can lead to greater customer satisfaction. With improved accuracy and efficiency, businesses can ensure that customers receive their orders on time and without errors. In addition, a well-designed warehouse management system dashboard can help to improve customer service by providing faster response times and more accurate information.


6.  Greater Customer Satisfaction

Nowadays, it is extremely important to create mobile versions of warehouse management systems for warehouse workers. Older versions are often not adapted to be displayed correctly on mobile devices. A modern warehouse management system interface design should take into account the possibility of displaying on terminals and, for example, glove operation. WMS functionality supporting order picking has a great impact on the speed of logistic processes.


7.  Modernized functionality

Businesses of all sizes face unique challenges and needs. That's why it's important to have a custom solution that is tailored specifically to your company's requirements. When it comes to warehouse management systems, a custom solution for your interface design can make all the difference. It is important to understand unique challenges and needs and create a solution that is specifically tailored to business.


8. Customized solutions

One of the most interesting projects we recently worked on was an online store [Cleant](https://cleant.it/en), which offers very high-quality clothing in small editions. Our task was to integrate various elements of the logistic processes: 
- e-store application
- warehouse software
- invoicing software 
- label printer 

We have made the order completion process as simple as possible thanks to its... inversion. In the traditional approach, the customer's order enters the warehouse and employees collect the goods for shipment.

In the Cleant store, the opposite is true: the person responsible for shipping scans the code on the packaging with a barcode scanner. If the box contains, for example, a gray men's sweatshirt in size L, the system searches for the appropriate order on the customer side and automatically prints the bill of lading, downloading the recipient's address details. Work, and therefore the risk of mistakes, is reduced to a minimum.



How did we create a digital project for an online store? 

Proper design of the Warehouse Management System (WMS) interface is integral to the success of logistics companies. It helps businesses keep tracking inventory, customize workflow and improve overall efficiency. It is important that the user-friendly interface is modern, makes people's work easier, and optimizes company costs.  

Thanks for reading! We hope this article has helped to show the benefits of Warehouse Management System interface redesign. If you're interested in learning more, please contact us. We'd be happy to chat with you about your specific needs and how we can help.


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8 Benefits of Warehouse Management System (WMS) Interface Redesign

One of the branches of data management is GIS or Geographic Information System. It is a system that combines geographic data with other types of data. It’s often presented in the form of a map. GIS helps solve many problems worldwide, but how to deliver the collected information clearly so that users and scientists can understand it accurately? The solution is UX design or user experience design. 

Are you familiar with the standard web map user interface? They tend to have lots of tools in the same place, multiple layers, and no legend. This makes them difficult to use: 

1. What is UX Design in GIS? 

Software tends to be unintuitive when development teams create it, with no consultations from user experience designers. 

The UX/UI designer's job is to design the interface to make it as understandable as possible to the user or customer. UX/UI designers also take care of the attractive design and select the most relevant features. The designer should have experience in user testing and knowledge of design principles to do that. 

The best work is usually done in teams to take care of every little detail. Every element matters and can determine the success of a project. One of the most popular map applications with excellent UX / UI is Google Maps. The intuitive interface makes the application very easy to use by people all over the world: 


Geospatial design and user experience can reduce the time to science. With advanced technology, scientists save time in many ways:

- data processing takes much less time
- the process goes much smoother
- the waiting time for data download is significantly reduced. We know cases where scientists sometimes had to wait several days to collect all the data.

This translates into getting better results and, in the bigger picture, helping the world more. The biggest giants have already understood this. After a pandemic, where much of our lives have shifted to the online world, understanding the user seems more critical than ever. 

The chart below shows the enormous increase in popularity and relevance of UX/UI researchers in developing digital products. 


2. Why is User Experience in GIS important? 

A significant number of Geographic Information System app users primarily use it on mobile devices. They are helpful for couriers, farmers, geologists, and field workers in the energy, resource extraction, and utility sectors. 

A well-thought-out GIS UX design should consider the limitations of mobile devices - lower resolution and poorer color reproduction. An important consideration is that users often use it while on the move or wearing gloves. 

Additional challenges are the various limitations of users - some people do not distinguish colors correctly, and users with poor eyesight may overlook the nuances of the displayed image.

An important issue is to design the legend so that the symbols used are as clear and understandable as possible, preferably without an additional manual. 

The speed of the application is also essential. The mobile version should support employees while moving around the warehouse or on the road, where Internet access may be limited. 

Quick response to an inquiry is not only a matter of convenience but also work safety. Too much time focused on the smartphone causes the employee not to control the environment around him. 

An application designed with user experience should not interfere with work but smoothly support its execution. 

3. Mobile User Experience in GIS Matters 

We have many years of experience in designing GIS user interfaces. We work with companies that already have softwares, but they are outdated and need a new interface design or website version. 

We also design new applications, connecting them with older software in the company. If someone has an e-commerce platform with limited functions, we add there, for example, a tablet application that facilitates work in the warehouse. And this app connects with the old software and exchanges data.


4. Examples from our work

For one of the largest delivery companies in Poland, we have designed an application for couriers. Every day it facilitates the flow of several thousand deliveries. After collecting the shipments from the warehouse, the application determines the optimal delivery route and displays it on the map. Specialists developed the application engine in logistics solutions. We made sure that the interface used by the delivery person is helpful and not an obstacle in work. 


A mobile app for daily delivery operations

We worked on the interface design for a project for a software supplier for geological data analysis. The data is necessary for searching and identifying attractive locations of natural resources. The advanced application integrates structured and unstructured data needed in the exploration process. This data is presented using maps to indicate the optimal exploration location. 

Until now, only data managers could use the software. The new interface was designed so that geologists could also use it. It significantly speeds up the pace of work, as the intended users of the data do not have to wait for help from data managers but generate the necessary reports themselves.

Helping geologists

Bidroom is a booking.com-style app, but with a different business model. It's a club membership subscription that gives tangible benefits to travelers. You pay an annual fee and enjoy discounts on hotels and other travel-related services. 

Our team was responsible for both design and front-end development based on the API provided by the client. The biggest challenge was a map view (Google Maps implementation).

The map is the focal point of data visualization. It is the hotel room offerings. In this context, the map view is as important as the data itself because we often choose a hotel in terms of the area, access, stores, and attractions nearby.


Booking system app

The GIS industry is strongly connected to the world of design. In many cases, maps are themselves the interface. The choice and presentation of the data determine the success of either the software or the application. 

User experience (UX) design is the process design teams use to create digital products that provide relevant and meaningful experiences to users.  [Contact us ](lhttps://autentika.com/contact)if you plan to develop new software or application in your company or refresh the look of an existing one. 

We have over 17 years of design experience and would love to hear about your project. 



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4 things you should know about User Experience in GIS

WellCommerce is a solution which is a comprehensive response to the requirements of B2B sales platforms. The conversation below between Konrad Hildebrand of Autentika and Adam Piotrowski from WellCommerce addresses the challenges in creating such platforms.

**Adam Piotrowski:** For one of the leading distributors in the office supply industry, we have created a complex B2B platform, which supports more than a dozen stores. The system works as follows: the main store run by the mother company is connected to satellite stores, which are run by completely separate entities. The product offer is automatically downloaded along with pricing information (which differs depending on different branches), discounts, other issues related to storage and product availability for particular locations, etc. 

This solution is more reminiscent of an actual e-commerce platform or a franchise than a simple system to support wholesale outlets. From the perspective of our technology, you can say that this is an extremely complex multi-store system. Integration takes place through the use of .xml files, and import is automated for all information that is located in the client’s sales system, starting from products, through rebates, availability, product images, and categories.


Konrad Hildebrand: Can you tell us about the largest B2B implementation you carried out to date using the WellCommerce platform?

That’s exactly how it works. In practice, stores connected to the platform don’t have their own warehouses. It is a unique variant of dropshipping. The merchandise leaves the central storage and is dispatched through a particular point of sale. In reality, the satellite stores gather orders. They have their distinguished looks, payment forms, delivery methods, and dynamically calculated prices, but in the end, the order lands in the central store, and that’s where it is completed.

For another client, this time in the textile industry, WellCommerce is a type of overlay on Comarch Optima. The system has been optimised to allow for quick placement of orders for different variants of products. With all colour and size combinations at peak times, it supported 11 thousand combinations of pattern/colour/size.


Is WellCommerce used to control the central warehouse in this case? If I'm the franchisee, I take inventory from the HQ and join the platform to download all the information.

Design and technology insights for enterprise & startups