Boris Soliz
UI Designer
GE Digital recognized the need for a centralized dashboard tool that would provide operational insights crucial to driving the success of the organization. To address this, a Command Center was created, serving as a single source of truth for all GE employees. This powerful tool offered valuable insights into critical business information, including the comparison of forecasted versus actual software orders and revenue, key metrics related to the flagship product Predix, technical and customer support metrics, progress updates on active software releases, and cloud usage insights for developers. By consolidating this information, the Command Center fostered collaboration and transparency within GE Digital, enabling employees to make data-driven decisions and work collectively towards organizational goals.
As a valuable contributor to the team, I played a key role in envisioning the design of the command center tool. By creating futuristic concepts for the command center wall, I helped inspire the visual design team and establish a clear direction for the project. These innovative concepts served as a visual representation of the envisioned tool, capturing the attention and interest of stakeholders. The compelling design concepts played a crucial role in securing funding for the project, as they effectively conveyed the potential value and impact of the command center tool. Through my contributions, I helped shape the vision for the tool and set the stage for its successful development and implementation.
After presenting the vision to the finance stakeholders, we received approval to proceed with the project, focusing on one outcome: A single source of truth for all metrics across GE.
To kickstart the project, I took the initiative to design a responsive look and feel for the product, leveraging the existing PREDIX brand colors as a foundation. I iterated on the designs, ensuring compatibility across desktop, mobile, and even wearable devices. This comprehensive approach allowed for a seamless user experience regardless of the device being used. By considering the unique design requirements and constraints of each platform, I aimed to create a cohesive and visually appealing interface that aligned with the PREDIX brand identity.
Recognizing the absence of internal best practices for displaying data effectively, I took it upon myself to fill this gap. Conducting extensive research, I compiled my findings into a comprehensive 50-page design guideline called "Data Visualization Best Practices." Drawing insights from field research, this guideline aimed to equip the GE design community with the necessary knowledge and tools to create impactful data visualizations for big data. By sharing this resource, I empowered the team and the wider GE community to leverage data as a powerful storytelling tool. The guideline served as a valuable resource in helping others understand how to effectively present and communicate insights derived from data, ensuring that data remained at the center of attention when making informed decisions.
Collaborating closely with my talented Senior Visual Designer, Justin Lancaster, we had the privilege of being featured in a video shared across GE. The video highlighted the value and significance of our expertise in designing for big data. Our contribution to the Command Center project, particularly in creating an impactful visual design, demonstrated the importance of effectively harnessing and visualizing large amounts of data. Being recognized and featured in this video allowed us to share our insights and showcase the value of our work in designing for big data, contributing to a broader understanding and appreciation for the field within the GE community.
I had the privilege of leading a talented Visual Design team in designing the Command Center product, which received high praise from senior management and the teams utilizing it. The tool continues to be utilized today for important decision-making processes, such as product releases. Its enduring use highlights the value it brings to senior management and the organization as a whole. I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to the success of the Command Center and am proud of the team's hard work and dedication in creating a valuable tool for the organization.
Not many people have the opportunity to report to a manager who is also a mentor as I did with Boris at GE Digital. I was always impressed by his empathy and desire to help others grow both professionally and personally. He also made sure we celebrated our wins and kept team moral up. I have no doubt Boris will be a great leader and manager in any organization he joins.
