Scope of the project
TechInsights specializes in reverse engineering and semiconductor analysis, breaking down complex technology products to provide valuable insights.
Their workflow starts with lab technicians conducting detailed teardowns of devices, capturing data like high-resolution images of components using advanced tools such as SEM.
This data is then processed, analyzed, and organized into a large library where teams can collaborate, annotate, and work with the assets.
Finally, all this information is used to generate comprehensive reports that offer in-depth technical and market insights to their clients.
Capture Process
The capture process begins with a product teardown, where every stage is photographed and cataloged. The internal tool used for this process handles vast amounts of data, requiring efficient metatagging for organization and future searchability. The goal was to make handling this detailed data intuitive and efficient.
Solution
I focused on a solution that minimised repetitive tasks and allowed intuitive way to tag a large amount of assets at once. Smart tag suggestions speed up the workflow considerably. Selective tagging allows working with selected assets only. Grid view with varying zoom levels and a list view allows the user to switch the workspace view that fits their task better.
Annotation Tools
After the initial capture and organization of data, the next step involves advanced analysis. For chips undergoing reverse engineering, each layer is captured in ultra-high resolution using electron microscopes, creating detailed circuit maps. This data is then inspected at an atomic level by technicians who compare, annotate, and draw directly on the images, using specialized annotation tools.
Solution
It was clear that there's a need for a single specialised tool that's integrated in the platform to streamline the capture and annotation process with collaboration features, since it's an integral part of the report creation. We identified the most common used annotation features and what they're used for. The tool also required advanced comparison tools, where the user can compare two or more images side by side, overlay them, and manipulate them in different ways. I designed a powerful tool with simplicity at its core, focusing on the most used tools, ensuring that even users with minimal experience can easily navigate through its features.
I prioritized a clean layout with a well-organized toolbar that keeps the most commonly used annotation features front and center. Each tool is represented by clear icons and is accessible from a toolbar that adapts based on the user's current task, reducing clutter and cognitive load. The original tool was too complicated and most features were not used. I identified the main purpose of each tool in the annotation process and simplified it, making sure that advanced features are still accessible.
To better convey my ideas for the tool and ensure that everyone understood the vision, it was important to create an advanced prototype in Figma that demonstrated exactly how each feature worked.
Asset Library
After assets are annotated and analyzed, they enter a vast, interconnected asset library. Each asset is linked within a hierarchical structure of dies, components, and products, allowing users to trace how a specific component might be utilized across various products. The complex filtering system helps manage the enormous amount of data by allowing users to narrow down results and explore assets in detail.
Solution
There are many ways a user might utilize the asset library, both alone and collaborating with others. It was important to provide different ways to collect the assets depending on the task. We identified the main ways a user might want to work with assets - liking, saving for later, sending to mobile, and creating custom collections.
Genealogy View
The Genealogy View is a hierarchical visualization that displays how assets, such as products, components, and dies, are interconnected. It allows users to explore the entire structure of a product, showing each component's related assets, enabling users to trace components across multiple products. The interface is designed to provide a clear, visual representation of these complex relationships.
Collaboration Tools
Throughout every stage of the process, collaboration tools are integrated to streamline teamwork. Whether a user is working on an individual asset, curating a collection, or developing a comprehensive report, they can invite other users to annotate, edit, and organize together.
Report Creation
The final stage of the process is report creation, where all the captured, analyzed, and annotated data is compiled into detailed reports that cover every aspect of the reverse engineering process. I designed a custom report creation tool that streamlined this complex process, allowing users to pull in assets directly from the library, insert annotations, and create visualizations like intricate flowcharts, add comparisons, tables, and deep analysis infographics. The tool needed a standardized approach to ensure consistency across reports while maintaining clarity and engagement, making these extensive documents easier to digest and visually cohesive.
WYSIWYG Editor
A standardized report creation tool was essential to pull in content and data from the library, while maintaining creative flexibility within defined boundaries. Default visual styles were set for key components like chapters, sections, tables, charts, and infographics to ensure a consistent look across all reports. Previously limited to static PDFs, I explored options for interactive reports that provided contextual, linked information, offering deeper insights into specific products and components.
Customer Platform
Once the reports are finalized, they are distributed through a subscription-based platform, where customers can access reports specific to the industries they follow. Users can browse finished reports and track those in progress, with detailed information like roadmaps outlining upcoming analyses. Clients can also access related content such as articles, videos, and industry insights. This centralized hub allows subscribers to stay up-to-date with the latest reports in an engaging way.
Managing Subscriptions
Clear color coding was applied to all available subscriptions, ensuring users could easily differentiate between categories. For users subscribed to multiple categories, this system provided a visual distinction, making it easier to quickly identify and access relevant content.
Brand Refresh
The brand’s visual language and style had become outdated and no longer fully supported the complex nature of their platform. A complete rebrand wasn’t feasible, so my focus was on a strategic refresh. I aimed to modernize the brand by refining the visual language, updating typography, and introducing a cleaner, more streamlined design. The goal was to maintain brand recognition while pushing it toward a more modern and accessible direction.
The original logo only existed in a vertical format, which limited its versatility. I prioritized creating a simplified horizontal version that could be used in a wider range of contexts, without sacrificing its core identity.
Color Scheme
The brand's original color scheme was outdated and suffered from poor contrast and a lack of hierarchy. To address this, I modernized the color palette, enhancing contrast and ensuring accessibility. I expanded the scheme to include a full range of colors, tailored for different industry categories and general use, making sure it works well in both light and dark context. This update not only improved usability and visual coherence but also allowed for better differentiation across various applications.
Conclusion
The TechInsights redesign project was an effort to elevate the role of design within the company, making it a core focus rather than an afterthought. Although the designs were not implemented, the feedback from stakeholders and leadership was highly positive. For me, it was an invaluable learning experience. Working on such a complex platform pushed me to shift from a UI-first mindset to a UX-driven approach, teaching me how to tackle problems that I didn't fully understand yet. The comprehensive nature of this project, touching everything from internal tools to brand identity, allowed me to explore new challenges and grow as a designer.
