The Problem

Wind turbine operations across multiple sites generated significant data, but that data lived in fragmented systems with no standardised structure. Operators struggled to get a clear picture of turbine status, site availability, and emerging failure risks across their portfolio. By the time a problem was visible, it was often already costly. The need was for a tool that surfaced the right information, at the right level of detail, at the right moment, to support faster and more accurate operational decisions.

The Solution

I designed a mobile-only application that centralised wind turbine data across portfolio, site, and individual turbine levels, incorporating a standardised data structure that made cross-site analysis possible for the first time. The app provided real-time monitoring and early warning indicators for potential failures, giving operators visibility before problems became critical.

To validate the design I conducted over 20 user testing sessions using eye-tracking software, an approach that was relatively uncommon at the time and gave us precise, objective data on where attention actually landed versus where we assumed it would. The findings directly shaped the information hierarchy. The name and energy output of each turbine emerged as the primary data points operators needed to assess at a glance, and the layout was restructured accordingly.

This project set the foundation for how I think about designing for expert users in data-intensive environments. The lesson was simple but lasting: when users are professionals under operational pressure, every element on screen has to earn its place.