Sealing Machine・UI Design・User Research
Y-Fang Sealing Machine ltd.｜Digital Transformation
Redesigned the interface and workflows of a traditional sealing machine to enable smooth digital adoption, reduce operational errors, and improve efficiency.
Role
Product Designer
Product Designer
Team
Lina Cheng
Shuting Chen
Ethan Chen
Lina Cheng
Shuting Chen
Ethan Chen
Client
Y-Fang Sealing Machine ltd.
Y-Fang Sealing Machine ltd.
Overview
As part of a design team, I contributed to the digital transformation of Y-Fang’s sealing machine and focused on user research, interaction logic, and UI design.
By bridging mechanical habits with intuitive touch-based interactions, we built a solution that significantly improved productivity and reduced errors, while opening up opportunities for better data management and maintenance efficiency.
Background
As the beverage industry grows, traditional sealing machines face increasing pressure to modernize. Analog interfaces often lead to operational errors, inefficient training for new staff, and a lack of data visibility for managers and technicians.
This project aimed to deliver a user-friendly digital interface that meets the needs of both operators and manufacturers.
As the beverage industry grows, traditional sealing machines face increasing pressure to modernize. Analog interfaces often lead to operational errors, inefficient training for new staff, and a lack of data visibility for managers and technicians.
This project aimed to deliver a user-friendly digital interface that meets the needs of both operators and manufacturers.
Research
We conducted on-site visits to beverage stores and manufacturing partners, directly operating the machines to understand existing workflows. Interviews with store managers, staff, and technicians revealed key pain points:
New staff often struggled with training, forgetting maintenance tasks or misconfiguring parameters.
Experienced staff required shortcuts to maintain speed during peak hours.
Technicians lacked access to machine fault history, making repairs time-consuming.
These insights informed a restructured information architecture and interaction logic that balanced learnability for beginners with efficiency for experts.
We conducted on-site visits to beverage stores and manufacturing partners, directly operating the machines to understand existing workflows. Interviews with store managers, staff, and technicians revealed key pain points:
New staff often struggled with training, forgetting maintenance tasks or misconfiguring parameters.
Experienced staff required shortcuts to maintain speed during peak hours.
Technicians lacked access to machine fault history, making repairs time-consuming.
These insights informed a restructured information architecture and interaction logic that balanced learnability for beginners with efficiency for experts.
Goals
01
Enable users accustomed to mechanical controls to transition smoothly to a digital interface.
Enable users accustomed to mechanical controls to transition smoothly to a digital interface.
02
Improve operational efficiency and reduce errors while supporting both novice and expert users.
Improve operational efficiency and reduce errors while supporting both novice and expert users.
Outcomes
Seamless Digital Transition
Preserved familiar mechanical workflows while adding real-time feedback and error prompts, reducing friction in adopting the touchscreen interface.
Clear Information Hierarchy
Consolidated multiple machine settings into a well-structured interface with visual layers and tabs, reducing cognitive load and minimizing misoperations.
Efficiency & Learnability Balance
Designed layouts aligned with common digital software patterns: main operations on the right, menus on the left, critical shortcuts at the bottom-right. This ensured quick learning for new users while retaining shortcuts for experienced staff during peak hours.
Maintenance & Repair Support
Introduced features for technicians and managers, such as scheduled maintenance reminders and access to fault history, enabling preventive care and faster troubleshooting.
Seamless Digital Transition
Preserved familiar mechanical workflows while adding real-time feedback and error prompts, reducing friction in adopting the touchscreen interface.
Clear Information Hierarchy
Consolidated multiple machine settings into a well-structured interface with visual layers and tabs, reducing cognitive load and minimizing misoperations.
Efficiency & Learnability Balance
Designed layouts aligned with common digital software patterns: main operations on the right, menus on the left, critical shortcuts at the bottom-right. This ensured quick learning for new users while retaining shortcuts for experienced staff during peak hours.
Maintenance & Repair Support
Introduced features for technicians and managers, such as scheduled maintenance reminders and access to fault history, enabling preventive care and faster troubleshooting.
Seamless Digital Transition
Preserved familiar mechanical workflows while adding real-time feedback and error prompts, reducing friction in adopting the touchscreen interface.
Clear Information Hierarchy
Consolidated multiple machine settings into a well-structured interface with visual layers and tabs, reducing cognitive load and minimizing misoperations.
Efficiency & Learnability Balance
Designed layouts aligned with common digital software patterns: main operations on the right, menus on the left, critical shortcuts at the bottom-right. This ensured quick learning for new users while retaining shortcuts for experienced staff during peak hours.
Maintenance & Repair Support
Introduced features for technicians and managers, such as scheduled maintenance reminders and access to fault history, enabling preventive care and faster troubleshooting.
Impact
01
Improved staff efficiency and reduced operational errors.
Improved staff efficiency and reduced operational errors.
02
Provided managers and technicians with better data management tools.
Provided managers and technicians with better data management tools.
03
Attracted significant attention at the 2025 Taipei International Packaging Industry Expo, validating the potential of digital transformation in beverage equipment.
Attracted significant attention at the 2025 Taipei International Packaging Industry Expo, validating the potential of digital transformation in beverage equipment.
Key Learnings
Working with a product design team to digitize a physical machine interface was a first for me. I learned how to adapt to mechanical workflows, coordinate with a traditional manufacturer less familiar with digital practices, and contribute to a design system that balances immediate usability with long-term scalability.
