AR FOR E L E C T R I C I A N S
Supporting electricians by bringing information directly into their environment through augmented reality.
Role: Interaction Designer
Context: University Project
Duration: 5 Weeks
Tools: Figma, UI Design, User Testing
This project explored how augmented reality could act as an assistant for electricians, helping them navigate documentation, tools, and safety checks on-site.
THE GOAL
To explore how AR could help electricians stay safer while navigating the hazards of their high-risk work.
RESEARCH QUESTION
How might we explore a system that would assist electricians in improving safety by creating an AR checklist?
To explore this question I followed an iterative design process. The work moved through discovery, defining the opportunity, developing concepts, and delivering a final AR assistant concept.
Design Process
Discover
Define
Develop
Deliver
Through interviews and observation, I noticed issues around power status communication, missing documentation, and the risks of working in energized environments.
From this, the focus shifted from safety alone to exploring how an AR assistant could support electricians directly in their workflow.
I explored ideas ranging from checklist structures to step-by-step AR guidance, testing them through Wizard-of-Oz simulations.
The final concept became an AR assistant that could support electricians through interactive checklists, environment scanning, measurement tools, and collaboration features.
Early Concepts
Through research and brainstorming, I explored how AR could help prevent hazardous situations by making invisible risks visible, like highlighting live cables and guiding safety procedures in the environment.
Icon and Text Ideation
Communicating Live Environments Ideas
To test this, I created a simple prototype and evaluated it with electricians using Wizard-of-Oz techniques.
Simulating AR cues in the environment
Testing how information is perceived in context
“We already have strict procedures bound by law for safety, that’s not the problem.”
I initially focused on safety, assuming AR could help electricians prevent hazards. But conversations with electricians revealed a different reality; safety checks were already part of their workflow. What they needed instead was support in understanding information, troubleshooting issues, and navigating complex documentation. The focus shifted from preventing risk to supporting their workflow in real time.
From Feedback to System
Based on the feedback from electricians, I translated their needs into a set of core features, focusing on how AR could support their workflow.
Mapping tasks and tools into AR interactions
Simulating contextual guidance and troubleshooting
Refining the Concept
The updated concept was tested to understand how well it supported electricians’ workflow and how the system was perceived in practice.
“If a system tells me what to do, then what do I need my experience for?”
Electricians pointed out how important it was to maintaining control over their work. Rather than being guided step-by-step, they preferred flexible systems that supported their decision-making without replacing their expertise.