The Challenge

Weir Group’s extensive suite of digital products, developed by decentralised teams worldwide, faced challenges in maintaining consistency, efficiency, and accessibility. These products are used in demanding industrial environments, where workers often wear restrictive PPE, making usability a critical factor.

• Inconsistent User Experience – Diverse development practices led to fragmented interfaces, affecting usability.

• Redundant Effort – The absence of a unified design approach resulted in teams duplicating work.

• Environmental Constraints – Users required interfaces designed for heavy PPE, prioritising clarity, simplicity, and accessibility.

The Approach

To address these challenges, we led the creation of the Weir Design Language System (DLS), focusing on:

• Collaboration Across Global Teams – Gathering insights to ensure the DLS met a wide range of user needs.

• User-Centred Design – Prioritising simplicity and accessibility for those working in harsh industrial conditions.

• Scalability & Flexibility – Ensuring components were adaptable across different products and platforms.

The Solution

The Weir DLS was designed as a comprehensive framework to improve efficiency and user experience, featuring:

• Standardised UI Components – A library of reusable elements to create a consistent, high-quality digital experience.

• Accessibility Best Practices – Ensuring all components meet stringent accessibility standards, making them easy to use even with PPE.

• Centralised Documentation – A single source of truth for design and development, enabling seamless collaboration across teams.

The Impact

• Enhanced Consistency – A unified design system has led to greater usability across all digital products.

• Increased Efficiency – Development times have decreased, as teams now leverage pre-built components instead of starting from scratch.

• Improved Usability – Designs tailored for real-world industrial environments have significantly improved user satisfaction and productivity.

By implementing the Weir DLS, we have empowered Weir’s decentralised teams to build consistent, high-quality, and accessible digital products, reinforcing the company’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence.