Make maintenance feel approachable
Lexmark set out to create its own A3-format device with an interface that could better support the people using and maintaining it.
Interviews revealed that users often avoided simple maintenance tasks, such as changing toner, because the work felt intimidating or unclear. This hesitation contributed to printer breakdowns, service visits, and costly downtime. The redesigned experience simplified instructions and helped users understand what they could safely handle themselves.
An end-to-end design process
I worked across research, definition, ideation, interface design, and evaluation. Each phase connected what users said with the constraints of a complex physical product.
Understand the full printer ecosystem
The experience had to work for end users, service technicians, support teams, and the people responsible for keeping devices available.
I mapped the research ecosystem to understand how information, maintenance responsibilities, device behavior, and support resources intersected.
Who uses a Lexmark A3 printer?
The research considered people with different goals and levels of technical confidence, from office workers completing everyday tasks to technicians diagnosing and repairing a device.
Learn from service technicians
I planned and conducted interviews with Lexmark service technicians across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. I documented their routines, resources, interactions, and pain points, then used affinity mapping to identify patterns.
- 01PlanDraft the interview script and define the areas of inquiry.
- 02ListenExplore daily routines, support systems, and recurring challenges.
- 03SynthesizeOrganize responses in Miro and surface themes through affinity mapping.
Two technician perspectives emerged
Differences between technicians in the United States and the United Kingdom led to two distinct personas.
- UK technicians described strong support from the Help Desk, while US technicians expressed significant frustration with it.
- UK technicians spent less time on the phone attempting remote fixes to avoid service visits.
- UK technicians leaned on teamwork, group chats, and internal specialists when resolving device issues.
Simplify what appears on the home screen
I compared Lexmark’s printer-panel architecture with Brother, Ricoh, HP, and Xerox. Lexmark displayed many features on the home screen, while competitors emphasized a smaller set of primary actions. This analysis supported a clearer hierarchy centered on Print, Scan, Copy, and Fax.
Separate approachable tasks from expert work
I defined printer-maintenance tasks and categorized them by complexity. The assessment considered the number of steps, clarity of the task name, learnability, interaction with printer parts, accessibility, and whether the end state was easy to recognize.
Actionable research insights
- Write clear, concise instructional messaging.
- Replace meaningless error codes with useful explanations.
- Tell users what they are responsible for.
- Empower people to complete approachable tasks.
- Leave complex maintenance to trained technicians.
Pair concise instructions with the physical task
Users reported streaks on printed pages caused by a dirty scanner glass. The interface needed to make the cause understandable and the remedy manageable.
I designed wireframes and prototypes in Adobe XD, including step-by-step video instructions for cleaning the scanner glass. The content broke maintenance into simple actions that corresponded directly with the device.
Test the interface and the device together
The team conducted moderated, in-person usability sessions with 10 participants in the Lexmark usability lab. Participants completed tasks involving paper jams, scanner-glass cleaning, printing, and copying, then shared feedback on their experience and pain points.
Evaluation criteria
- Could the participant complete the task correctly without moderator assistance?
- Could the participant finish within the expected time?
A clearer and more useful printer experience
Qualitative and quantitative findings were shared with executives and stakeholders to guide the team’s next steps. The final direction centered the four primary actions—Print, Scan, Copy, and Fax—and introduced clearer notifications, estimated time, task level, required parts, and instructional video.
- 01Focused home screenFour primary tasks create a clear starting point.
- 02Useful notificationsUsers can see estimated time, task level, and required parts.
- 03Empowering contentPlain-language guidance helps people complete routine maintenance.
- 04Physical + digital alignmentThe panel, instructions, and printer components work as one experience.