Altor Security
A collaborative project to design an app to pair with Altor's security system that helps prevent tool theft for tradies.
Overview
Altor is a technology start up specialising in security solutions for tradies and their vehicles. Altor has developed a hardware system that provides real-time tracking, remote control capabilities, and comprehensive monitoring for vehicles.
I was part of a team of six that worked to design a mobile application prototype to accompany their security device, over the course of 12 weeks.
Project Aims
Provide a seamless experience for the user in an application that still caters to the diverse functionality of Altor’s product.
Optimise the onboarding experience for the user, keeping it concise and explicit.
Construct a design that supports Altor’s future developments.
My Roles
Prototyping
Journey Mapping
User Research
The Problem
Theft of tools is a significant concern for tradies across Australia, directly impacting their livelihood and ability to work efficiently.
Typical factory security systems in vehicles don't cover external canopies, which are fitted after purchase - and for many tradies, this is where their livelihoods are housed.
Tool theft not only causes thousands of dollars in losses, but creates delays and lost income in the time it takes to replace them.
The CSA suggests that 17% of the increase of theft offenses is driven by cost-of-living pressures.
"Over $30M worth of hand and power tools have been stolen from Victorian tradies in 2023."
- Crime Statistics Agency
out of 181,665 total theft offences were motor vehicle related.
(in the 12 months prior to March 2024, Crime Statistics Agency)
Research Insights
Research consisted of gathering secondary online research, analysing competitor case studies, conducting interviews and focus groups and performing a thematic analysis to form key insights.
Case studies revealed that the market housed many security solutions, however, they tended to only focus on one key function. Apps such as Milwaukee One Key focused on solely tool inventory, whereas Geotab focused predominantly on vehicle monitoring and tracking, for fleet management purposes. It confirmed Altor's strength in their concept, and encouraged us to explore out-of-scope avenues such as adding a tool inventory functionality - simple to design for, but bringing immense value and solidifying Altor as a holistic security solution.
Focus groups were conducted with those who had already been using Altor's existing rudimentary app whilst interviews were conducted with other tradies from a different disciplines who had not been exposed to Altor's app to gain a broad range of perspectives.
The Importance of Detailed Reporting
Participants highly emphasised the need for detailed reports and comprehensive data collection to help prevent and manage theft. Critical data types included: tool inventory, location tracking, timestamps, and compatibility with police and insurance reporting.
Function Over Form
With the nature of trades work being dynamic and time-sensitive, it was imperative that users can do what they need to do without delay.
Team Access and Permissions
The collaborative nature of trades work, whether it be between a qualified tradie and their apprentice, or a site manager and their fleet, user permissions and flexibility is needed in this area.
Customisable Alerts & Settings
Various disciplines have different workflows, and combined with the modular nature of Altor's hardware, users need to make the app work for them. Moreover, alerts need to be effective, and thus personalised to what works best for the user.
The User Journey
Using research insights, we formed two personas that guided three scenarios that we based our journey mapping on: onboarding, general use, and what happens when there is a security breach.
DYLAN
Dylan has been working as a residential electrician for over 10 years, mainly on small-to-medium residential projects. He works with a small team of 3-5 electricians, and each of them drives their own Ute, fully equipped with tools. Recently, Dylan has experienced both onsite and at-home tool theft, which makes him more cautious about securing his gear. Tool theft has been a big concern for Dylan, so he’s eager for an effective solution.
DAVID
David has been working in construction for over 25 years and manages large commercial sites with around 50 tradies, including electricians, plumbers, and builders. He’s had issues with tool theft on some sites and needs a better way to manage security for multiple vehicles and tools across different job sites
Prototyping
As a group, we each created our own high fidelity wireframes to generate a variety of different approaches we could then draw from later. We then combined our favourite elements together to form the general style and functionality we were all happy with. The final application had five key elements, and I was responsible for designing the UI and UX for the 'History' section of the application.
The goal was to include all the relevant details that a user would need, not only in the event of a security breach, but also information that would be handy to them during day-to-day operations. The second priority was to be able to filter this information, in order to generate reports that could be exported and used outside of the app.
I took this opportunity to delve into the world of variables and teach myself how to make this feature work for the final prototype.
Final Solution
Once all the screens had been finalised, my role was to move the account, map and history screens over to our final document, to ensure that layout, style and function was consistent throughout the application.
The Rundown
The design solution is rooted in bridging comprehensive functionality with simplicity.
The application is centred around four core features, which work in tandem to provide the relevant information and control that suits tradies’ day-to-day needs. These are easily navigated between during any point in the application, via the navigation bar.
Vehicle Control:
The home screen is the hub of vehicle control, featuring quick access to the fundamental arming/disarming functionality. The design is cognizant of accessibility constraints such as the lighting and dexterity conditions of intended users. With work that often relies on collaboration and dynamic conditions, it facilitates seamless transitions between vehicles, thereby saving valuable time and eliminating the need for physical device juggling for access.
Geolocation:
Vehicle location tracking offers critical information for addressing potential security breaches while also providing reassurance that vehicles are where they need to be.
History Logs & Reporting:
Real-time activity logs and historical data are essential for recovering lost assets or securing monetary compensation. To achieve this, various data types are collected to create comprehensive reports containing all relevant information. Customisable filters and report generation options allow for data refinement tailored to specific use cases.
Tool Inventory:
While vehicle security remains the integral purpose of the application, research has shown strong support for tool cataloguing. This feature not only helps users keep track of their tools but also aids in their retrieval in the event of a security breach. Though optional, it offers significant value to those who choose to use it.
