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Voith Paper

Partner since 2017

The future of human-machine interaction

Woman interacting with a futuristic digital interface displaying industrial data and workflow management.

AI advisory

Product vision & innovation

The paper industry faces immense pressure due to resource scarcity, technological changes, data proliferation, and shifting demographics. To address these challenges, a new concept for paper production is needed. Voith Paper’s innovative approach aims to harness the potential of digitalisation and automation, inspiring new possibilities and ensuring practical feasibility.

Need

Digitally enhanced paper manufacturing processes and machine handling.

Result

A guiding star for product development, closely aligning with Voith’s autonomous papermaking strategy.

Impact

A joint vision that inspires new possibilities while ensuring practical feasibility.

The co-creative approach of Ray Sono and their unwavering customer-centric focus have supported us in translating the specific processes of the paper industry into clear requirements and addressing the challenges of the sector effectively. With profound expertise in user experience and change management, combined with a keen understanding of our target audiences, Ray Sono has provided valuable, practical insights that have directly influenced the development of our vision for the future. Through functional prototypes that place customer benefits at the forefront, they have impressively demonstrated technical feasibility. This has not only built trust in the vision but also significantly strengthened its credibility both internally and with our customers.

Ulf Grohmann

Director Product Management Autonomous Mill

Voith

Futuristic visualization of a brain with interconnected concepts of mixed reality, digital, and physical worlds.

What we did

Vision

The co-created vision is grounded in intensive on-site user research at paper factories, uncovering crucial operational insights. In an industry that has mostly maxed out machine component optimisation, this vision emerges as a crucial response to the persistent challenges that remain despite these advancements. It’s not just about refining machines further but about revolutionising the interaction between humans and machines (HMI) to unlock new levels of automation.

This vision serves as a guiding star for further product development, closely aligning with Voith’s autonomous papermaking strategy. By reimagining the foundations of human-machine interaction, we pave the way for breakthroughs that pure machine optimisation alone can no longer achieve. All facets of our future vision are encapsulated in an animated video, making it accessible and compelling for stakeholders across the organisation.

Factory workers using smart headsets and tablets, interacting with augmented reality notifications in an industrial environment.

UX concept and guidelines

Through continuous collaboration with Voith’s automation experts, we refined and validated our human-machine interaction (HMI) vision, translating ideas into mock-ups that blend inspiration with practical expertise, perfectly complementing Voith’s autonomous papermaking strategy. Using these as a basis, we’ve crafted comprehensive HMI guidelines and UX concepts. These serve as a definitive reference for Voith’s automation engineers, ensuring consistent and effective implementation aligned with our innovative goals.

Factory worker wearing a smart helmet and headset, interacting with holographic industrial data and control interfaces.

Prototypes

We’ve translated key elements of our future vision into functional prototypes with finalised UX designs, accelerating the path to implementation. With the help of AI tools, we were able to bring our designs and vision to life faster and more tangibly, quickly turning a theoretical idea into a resilient, workable UX/UI concept, which was explained in detail in an animated video. To demonstrate technical feasibility, we built a “smart button” as a proof of concept. This tangible prototype showcased the seamless integration of our designs into real-world systems, validating functionality and reliability. At the same time, it built organisational confidence and laid the foundation for smooth implementation.

Person using a VR headset for an interactive digital training session with real-time progress tracking.

How we did it

A structured, impact-driven approach

Integrated strategic alignment: By closely aligning our concept with Voith’s autonomous papermaking strategy, the project ensures that every development step is strategically coherent and relevant. This integrated approach not only fosters consistency across initiatives but also maximises the impact of our efforts by directly supporting long-term business goals.
Phased development: A clear three-stage roadmap guides the transformation from current operations to the envisioned future. This structured approach not only reduces risk and leads to measurable progress but also breaks fundamental change into bite-sized chunks, which motivates the workforce and enables a smooth transition under industry pressure.
Proven feasibility: Functional prototypes demonstrate the viability of our vision. These tangible proofs accelerate adoption, mitigate risks, and build trust in the implementation, ensuring readiness for market deployment.

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Manufacturing & Industrial Services