SYSLOG t-POINT (2002)

SYSLOG app software warehouse Logistics robotics GUI interface design UI/UX t-POINT

SYSLOG t-POINT

GUI for Warehouse Control Software (March 2003 – July 2004)

SYSLOG Systemtechnik GmbH (Graz/Austria) was the software house of the large international warehouse logistics and automation company KNAPP AG (Hart bei Graz/Austria). SYSLOG produced the warehouse control software for operating large warehouses. New software was constantly being developed to make warehouse management faster and more efficient and to be able to operate large warehouses fully automatically. SYSLOG t-POINT was another such new development.

SYSLOG t-POINT was an easy-to-use and efficient warehouse control and monitoring software that was visionarily designed for touch screens. For this purpose, the interface was equipped with particularly large screen widgets, just like on smartphones or tablets today. With t-Point, warehouse operators were able to precisely control their intralogistics solutions and log and archive everything. The multi-user administration enabled smooth operation, even during shift work. The t-POINT devices were mobile and did not require a static location.

I worked on the UI/UX between March 2003 and July 2004. The challenge in designing the program interface at that time was the very limited possibilities of the IDE that was used to develop the software. These limitations often had to be circumvented in a very complicated way in order to implement the advanced user interface. There were many obstacles in the way of our goal, but we were however able to overcome them. I show some selected prototypes here.

Together with the developers and management, I developed a reduced design language with the skeuomorphism that was common at the time and simplified, mostly monochrome icons. Sizes, spacing, fonts and colors were harmonized and many things were completely rethought. Unfortunately, the UX was largely determined by the limitations of the IDE.

SYSLOG Systemlogistik GmbH was acquired by KNAPP AG in March 2005, all employees were taken over and the location in Graz was given up in favor of the KNAPP headquarters. From then on, software development was carried out by KNAPP itself, whereby the software titles were retained for some time. Only gradually did the SYSLOG programs disappear and with them my interface design for t-POINT.

Please note: All following screenshots are taken from prototypes I designed for the project, filled with dummy data. These designs were not necessarily implemented exactly as they are shown here.