— PROJECT NAME
Fast Radius cloud
manufacturing software
— ROLE
UX Copy Director
— DATE
2022/23
The manufacturing industry is notoriously complex. Every step in the supply chain – designing, making, fulfilling – is disconnected. Fast Radius built one platform to simplify manufacturing so almost anyone can design, make and move their parts seamlessly.
I led the content strategy for the Fast Radius design system (how to write) and the execution of UX copy at every user level (what to write). Users included customers, partners and internal staff.
Onboarding
Customers signed up to our digital portal and were walked through the features and benefits. From there, they were free to upload a part file so our system could analyse it and suggest design improvements.
Uploading + configuring parts
Users could upload a part and choose a manufacturing process, like 3D Printing or Injection Moulding. Then they chose from 200+ materials, tweaked their cost projections and manufacturing specs – and placed their order.
Automated insights
We designed a system that compared materials, technologies, prices, lead times and DFM Checks (a way to identify manufacturing issues before they happen). It helped customers make more confident decisions.
Emails at every step
Traditionally, manufacturing is a “black box” process. It’s hard to know what’s happening to your part order – and when. Fast Radius transformed this way of thinking, making every order transparent and trackable. I wrote email updates for every step in the process, just like you’d expect from an e-comm experience.
Gearing up for SaaS
Fast Radius had plans to enter the SaaS space. We designed a tiered account system to let users upgrade and access advanced tools and features.
The Internal Experience
Many people at Fast Radius touched a part request, as it travelled from a Quote to an Order to a Shipment. The most complex step was the Estimation stage, when several engineers reviewed a part to estimate its cost and manufacturing needs. So we built a bespoke Estimation portal, fully integrated with Salesforce.
The Design System
We kept our design system documentation in Zeroheight. For every design pattern, I made sure there was a corresponding text pattern. All elements were defined, from notifications and errors to confirmations and empty states.
Voice + Tone for Product
Fast Radius had official brand guidelines, which included voice + tone. But these gave no advice on how to thread the brand voice through our product. I created frameworks to help us extend our voice across our software. The result was a consistent verbal identity in an industry that often lacks it.
(Scroll right, below).
Writing with Emotional Intelligence
This matrix model helped us put users first by empathising on an emotional level. We asked ourselves: how is the user feeling at this moment in their product journey? From there, we wrote user copy that resonated.
