2025 - 2026
Designing for hands that can't stop moving
Product Designer leading a Junior Designer
Context
Valkimia created VKM, a handheld system used in warehouses and logistics centers.
The original goal was to bring structure to the operation, but in day-to-day use operators faced confusion, frequent errors, and a constant need to ask supervisors for help.
This slowed down workflows and undermined trust in the system.
Problem
During warehouse visits and stakeholder meetings, we identified recurring situations:
- Technical language and a lack of clear signals left operators unsure of what had happened or how to recover from an error
- Inconsistent visual patterns across screens broke task continuity, creating uncertainty about the next step
- No visibility into task progress, increasing anxiety and uncertainty
- Scanning errors led to rework, forcing operators to reorganize tasks
All of this not only negatively impacted the operator experience, but also slowed down warehouse workflows and increased operational costs.
Solution: Guiding decisions, reducing uncertainty, and preventing errors
- Redesigned UX copy and feedback system so operators could move through tasks without relying on a supervisor, reducing interruptions that slow down warehouse throughput.
- Restructured screen hierarchy to keep operator attention on the most critical action at every step, lowering the risk of mistakes in high-pressure environments.
- Introduced dark mode and landscape layout to reduce eye strain and adapt to operators who wear the device on their wrist.
- Added progress indicators and scan validations to help operators anticipate remaining effort and prevent errors before they happen.
- Documented all flows and built a design system to support team onboarding and lay the foundation for product scalability.
Operators became self-sufficient
Support requests dropped sharply with no blocking issues detected during testing.
Operations got faster
Flows required less time to complete, freeing operators to focus on what actually moves the warehouse forward.
The system stopped being a problem
Lower operational costs and a stronger value proposition for Valkimia's clients.
“Less stress on the floor, better numbers at the end of the day.”
Valkimia Client´s
Warehouse Operations Manager
Tomas Rioboo
I make complex products feel obvious.
