husqvarna

fleet services

for arborists and loggers

discover the project
research question
guiding the process
RQ:
What are the specific user requirements of arborists and loggers in a mobile user interface?
SubQ:
Which valuable features can increase the adoption of a mobile user interface for arborists and loggers?
This study in collaboration with Husqvarna Group aimed to explore the specific user needs of arborists and loggers, in an app designed to suit their workday. These needs served as the foundation for a specification of requirements and a design proposal for the application’s graphical user interface.
project team and report
my partner in crime for this project
target group
tree professionals: arborists & loggers
fleet services
the current version of Husqvarna Fleet Services
Husqvarna Fleet Services™, developed by Husqvarna Group, helps professional landscaping and ground care businesses manage their equipment. It is available via mobile, tablet, and web platforms. Tracking sensors, which can be mounted on any equipment, monitor usage such as engine hours, and enable maintenance scheduling to help prevent breakdowns.
design process
consisting of the four phase: discover, define, develop and deliver
The Double Diamond design process uses divergent and convergent thinking across four phases: discover, define, develop, and deliver. It emphasizes user involvement, iteration, and testing, allowing problems to be identified early, feedback to be gathered, and solutions to better align with user needs, making it suitable for this project.
methodology
all methods used in the process
The project used a comprehensive methodology, shown in the image below. Only the results of the most important methods are displayed here for brevity, but for a complete understanding, refer to the full master’s thesis linked above. The orange highlights indicate the requested deliverables and the primary study outcomes.
interviews and observations
collecting qualitative data and stories
Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted using a guide based on literature and Husqvarna insights. Topics covered work routines, equipment, communication, challenges, digital tools, and information needs. Interviews were held in person or online, and five individuals were also observed in the field.
Insigths:
Participants found little value in the system, wanted more relevant features, and shared work routines that can guide the process.
kj method
structuring and analyzing the data
Post-it notes from interviews and observations with arborists and loggers were clustered using the KJ method to identify key themes. Major domains included Digital services, Battery & charging, Communication, Planning, Fleet services, Risks & hazards, GPS tracking, Service & maintenance, and Chainsaws. Notes were color-coded by role, with multicolored labels for participants working part time as educators within the field.
To define needs, themes were prioritized: the most important, marked in orange, were Battery & charging, GPS, Spare parts identification/purchasing, and Theft prevention. These priorities were based on cluster size and participant emphasis, guiding the next steps with focus on the most urgent needs.
user requirement specification
structuring and analyzing the data
The specification consists of 54 user requirements organized into 15 groups. Of these, the majority are common between both arborist and loggers, while 10 were specific for arborists and only 2 were specific for loggers. All requirements were prioritized using the MoSCoW method, with most ranked as should have, some as could have, and the most critical ones defined as must have. The must haves were prioritized in the following ideation.
brainwriting
generating ideas
Brainwriting was used to generate ideas for each requirement group in three-minute sessions, passed among group members and discussed for additional input. After 15 sessions, the most promising ideas from seven requirement groups advanced to the next ideation method, while less relevant groups like Connectivity (R1) and Planning (R4) were eliminated.
crazy 8's
evolving the ideas
During Crazy 8’s, eight-minute sessions generated ideas for key requirement groups, resulting in 15 sheets of sketches. Ideas were prioritized for prototyping based on feasibility, project scope, and Husqvarna relevance, while logger-specific requirements (R15 Log Sales) were discarded as outside scope. Key user needs guided the selection process.
wireframing
quick layout guidelines
Quick wireframes guided high-fidelity prototyping and layout evaluation, expanding the navigation from three to five tabs for clarity. They established a product page with a large image, widgets for GPS, machine data, and service, and a card-based product list with a scrollable filter menu for easier navigation.
prototype
iteration 1 & 2
The design process began by translating sketches, wireframes, and ideas into a high-fidelity Figma prototype, leveraging Husqvarna Group’s existing design system. The first iteration featured five main navigation tabs: Dashboard, Products, Position, Service, and More. The dashboard allowed customizable widgets for quick access to equipment lists, battery levels, and high-priority service items. The Products tab displayed all connected products with filtering, searching, and detailed machine and battery information, including labels for easier identification. The Position tab offered a map view with product locations, addresses, coordinates, and lock/unlock options. The Service tab focused on maintenance, logging activities, and accessing spare parts via exploded views. The More tab included user profile, team info, settings, legal info, news, and logout.
The second iteration refined navigation, combined Products and Service tabs for clarity, updated widgets, replaced radio buttons with checkboxes for equipment lists, restructured the battery overview, and added a consumables tab to the spare parts page for easier access to frequently changed items.
user testing
testing with end-users and product specialists at Husqvarna
The user testing involved nine cooperative evaluations, each lasting about 45 minutes, using a mobile interactive prototype to perform a set of tasks. Tasks covered the Dashboard, Products, Position, and Profile tabs, and participants were asked to think aloud while performing them to provide a deeper understanding of their thoughts.
Participants valued real-time position tracking, reminders, theft prevention, spare parts details, battery status, and battery labeling, though some functions like lock/unlock and battery health details caused confusion. The SUS score averaged 85, indicating great usability. Overall, both tests confirmed the prototype’s relevance and usability for professional arborists and loggers.
prototype
iteration 3
The third iteration, based on user feedback, introduced minor changes and key improvements. The active products widget was made optional, and a checklist added to equipment lists for field use. The lock/unlock feature became a secure block/unblock function with a PIN. Sensor management and manual equipment entry were improved. Battery widgets now show age and health instead of exact charge, and serial numbers were added to ensure labels match the correct battery. Finally, the service & maintenance page gained access to the maintenance schedule to encourage regular upkeep and assist in troubleshooting errors.
final design
a comprehensive interactive prototype created in figma
The final design featured a user interface with four main tabs in the navigation bar. Using the prototype mode in Figma, the prototype was created to be interactive, thus it is possible to open the prototype on a mobile device to the best extent replicate an actual mobile user interface, which was especially useful for user testing purposes.
design system
The choice of color, typography, and general layout in the application is mainly basedon the Husqvarna design system. By using the design system, the brand is clearlycommunicated, which contributes to increased trust between the company and itsusers. Apart from colors and typefaces used from the design system, componentssuch as the navigation bar, buttons, and icons have been used to align the interfacewith other services by Husqvarna Group.
accessibility
The WCAG guidelines are met at level AA throughout the entire application. Thisis achieved through the use of high-contrast colors, appropriately sized typographytailored to readability, and a design approach that prioritizes cognitive accessibility.Clear and concise language is employed to enhance understanding, while predictablenavigation structures contribute to an intuitive user experience. The level AA isgood enough to reach a broad accessibility and improved user experience.
discussion
of the process and how it affected the outcome
The study used high-fidelity prototypes to evaluate the design through nine in-person user tests, including four arborists and five Husqvarna product specialists. Testing was limited by geography, and planned logger sessions could not be conducted, leaving their feedback absent. Participants’ prior experience with Husqvarna may have influenced responses, combining technical familiarity with cautious attitudes toward past applications. Testing provided insights on usability, feature relevance, and workflow, helping refine the prototype. Future work should expand testing with loggers and a more diverse user group to validate the design.
conclusion
the final words
This master’s thesis, in collaboration with Husqvarna Group, explored the user requirements of arborists and loggers for a mobile application. Requirements were identified through data collection and refined via iterative user testing, forming the basis for an interactive Figma prototype. User testing confirmed high perceived usability and highlighted key features to increase adoption, including real-time product tracking, reminders, theft prevention, spare part identification and purchasing, battery level and health display, and battery separation. The study demonstrates how a user-centered design approach can create a mobile interface that effectively supports arborists’ and loggers’ workdays.