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Digital Workshop
01Arrival
Room 01: Arrival

DW-001

CounterWorks

I inherited a point-of-sale system that could keep only one customer order open at a time. Every interruption meant rebuilding context. Every new customer meant losing another one. The redesign wasn't about adding features. It was about allowing the software to work the way experienced parts specialists already did.

Industry
Automotive Retail
Client
O’Reilly Auto Parts
Product
Enterprise Point of Sale
Prototype
Available
FIG. 01The completed workspaceSix customer orders stay open at the same time. One order is active, another is waiting on parts, another is paused at the counter. Switching between them never interrupts work already in progress.
02The World
Room 02: The World

Before changing the interface, I spent time behind the counter watching parts specialists work. Orders rarely followed a straight line, conversations overlapped, interruptions were constant, and work was spread across memory, paper, handheld devices, and multiple terminals because the software couldn't keep pace with the job.

Orders — Open
FileEditView
  • 41028 · Devane, R.entering line 4
  • 41033 · Okafor, J.waiting parts
  • 41041 · Marchetti, L.at counter
  • 41044 · Santoro, P.holding
FIG. 02Open customer ordersEvery window represented a different customer. Some were waiting on parts. Others were mid-entry or sitting with the customer at the counter.
FIG. 03The CounterThe work happened here, not inside the application. Every interruption changed priorities, but customers still expected the conversation to continue exactly where it left off.
FIG. 04The Technician’s WorkstationThe workstation reflected the reality of the job: multiple systems, multiple conversations, and constant movement between tasks.
FIG. 05Handheld DevicesSeveral handheld scanners stayed within reach because switching devices was faster than forcing the software to fit the workflow.

The software treated interruptions as exceptions. Counter work depends on interruptions. Mechanics called back. Commercial customers placed multiple orders. Parts needed verification. The interface forced specialists to rebuild context every time work changed direction.

  1. Only one customer order could remain active at a time.

  2. Switching customers meant rebuilding context from memory.

  3. Catalog searches interrupted active work instead of supporting it.

03Evidence
Room 03: Evidence

How might the software preserve every active customer conversation instead of forcing specialists to start over whenever work changed direction?

Rather than redesign screens immediately, I focused on understanding how experienced parts specialists managed complexity throughout an ordinary day.

FIG. 06The original workspaceThe existing order screen centered on a single transaction even though the work rarely involved only one customer.
FIG. 07The legacy systemThe original catalog interrupted the workflow by forcing specialists away from the order they were actively managing.
Catalog
FileEditView
Group
Brakes
Line
Pads, front
Fits
1998–2004
  • BR-2208 · semi-metallic
  • BR-2211 · ceramic
  • BR-2216 · severe duty
FIG. 08CatalogEarly concepts explored different ways of preserving multiple active orders without increasing interface complexity.
FIG. 09The old catalog windowThe catalog became part of the existing workflow instead of replacing it.
FIG. 10The integrated catalogProduct details appeared without forcing specialists to leave the order they were already working on.
Product Detail
FileEditView
Part
BR-2211
On hand
6
Bin
A-12
Supersedes
BR-2190
FIG. 11Product detailThe redesign kept product information close to the work instead of sending specialists through additional screens.
FIG. 12Product detail, without leaving the listSupporting information remained available without interrupting the primary task.
Part Order — 41028
FileEditOrderParts
Customer
Devane, R.
Vehicle
’02 Ranger · 141,905
  • 1 · BR-2208 · Brake pads, front
  • 2 · RT-1140 · Rotor, pair
  • 3 · Labor · 1.4 hr
  • 4 ·
line 4 · half entered
FIG. 13Part order 41028Held orders became ongoing work rather than temporary screens that disappeared when attention shifted elsewhere.
FIG. 14A held orderSearching for existing work no longer required abandoning the customer’s current conversation.
FIG. 15Search OrdersFilters, saved quotes, and a selected order's detail, in one view.
04Insight
Room 04: Insight

Several concepts explored different ways of preserving context. The final direction emerged by removing unnecessary interaction instead of introducing more interface.

FIG. 16An earlier directionAn earlier concept explored a traditional navigation pattern before the redesign shifted toward preserving active work.
the product
FIG. 17Outside the applicationEvery order lived in its own window. To work on another customer, you left the current one behind.
the product
FIG. 18Inside the applicationEvery open order stayed inside the application. Switching customers no longer meant leaving your work behind.
FIG. 19One workspace. Multiple orders.The final navigation emphasized continuity instead of forcing specialists to restart their workflow.

  1. Keep every order open.

    The counter already worked this way. The software simply caught up. Every order stayed available without relying on the operating system to manage separate windows.

  2. Never lose your place.

    Switching customers shouldn’t reset your work. It should feel like turning your head and looking at another order that’s already waiting.

05Interactive Prototype
Room 05: Interactive Prototype

The redesign treated customer orders as ongoing work instead of temporary screens. Specialists could move between conversations naturally while the interface preserved context for them. Multiple customer orders remained active simultaneously, and specialists could move between customers without losing progress. Catalog searches became part of the workflow instead of interrupting it, and order history remained visible throughout the session. Context stayed with the work until the task was complete. The redesign changed more than the interface. It changed how specialists managed an entire day’s work. Conversations could pause, resume, and overlap naturally without the software becoming another problem to manage.

Open CounterWorks

Open several work orders.Watch how every order remembers its place.

06Reflection
Room 06: Reflection

Looking back, the redesign was never really about tabs or multiple orders. It was about respecting the reality that experienced people rarely work in straight lines. Good software shouldn’t force someone to remember where they left off. It should remember for them.

07Continue the Collection
Room 07: Continue the Collection

CounterWorks became one of the clearest reminders in my career that the interface is rarely the real problem. The deeper challenge is understanding how people keep work moving when the software no longer reflects reality. Once that becomes visible, the design usually becomes much simpler.

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