Project to develop a high-visibility, glove-friendly agricultural display interface with night mode.
Zago S.p.A.
Role
Lead UI Designer
Key challenge: Designing a robust, legible, and responsive in-cab display for agricultural operators working under varied light, dust, moisture, and glove-wearing conditions.
An Interface That Defies Dust, Gloves, and Late-Night Fields
In 2024, Zago brought us on board to rethink the display for their self-propelled King Lion Avant mixer. The mission? Craft an interface that remains perfectly legible under the blazing sun, responds accurately through dirty work gloves, and operates at night without blinding the operator.
The Problem Under Scrutiny
Compromised visibility from glare and overly small text.
Inaccurate touch when hands or gloves are wet, dusty, or muddy.
Input errors caused by tiny, closely spaced buttons.
Journeying With the Users
Client Workshops to map out operational contexts and mechanical constraints.
Field Research with on-site observations and live feedback collection.
Iterative User Testing in Figma—prototypes trialed on running machinery, gloves on.
The Glove-Friendly Breakthrough
{IMG: UI_precedente}
Touch sensitivity tuned to register taps through various glove materials.
Software filters that ignore “noise” from dust, moisture, and accidental brushes.
Extreme Contrast & Night Mode
{IMG: UI_nuova_bianco}
High-contrast color palette to banish glare.
One-click text resizing from 12 pt up to 24 pt.
Night mode with soft backlighting for eye-friendly, low-glare operation.
Tactile Feedback & Error-Free Navigation
{IMG: animazione_caricamento_kmh}
Oversized buttons spaced at least 8 mm apart to prevent mis-taps.
Micro-vibrations on each press to confirm commands.
Streamlined flow: the “km/h” screen now loads in 200 ms vs. 500 ms previously.
From UI Framework to Final Mockup
{IMG: mokup} Every screen was rendered into high-fidelity Figma prototypes. I partnered closely with the developer to ensure each graphical detail could be faithfully executed on Zago’s hardware.
Takeaways & Next Steps
Designing for agricultural use requires an intense focus on visibility, simplicity, and physical interaction. Future iterations may explore remote diagnostics and voice-assisted control.
