ProjectsA SCADA platform redesign for Italy's integrated water cycle management
Improving operational efficiency and user experience
How can we redesign the SCADA Platform interface for water systems management to make it more accessible and intuitive?
How can we enable control room operators, field operators and analysts to work more efficiently and improve their work-flows through the redesign?
We approached the project with an iterative process grounded in user research and close collaboration with IDEA. It began with a research sprint to understand different user groups, their needs, and work environments. Insights from this phase helped prioritize the most valuable improvements and define an MVP, which was developed over three sprints and validated through user testing.
The project delivered an intuitive interface that enhances operations in critical infrastructure management. Improved readability and simplified graphics reduce cognitive load during daily operations, while new features—such as integrated contact details, alarm snooze, and maintenance scheduling—streamline communication between control room and field personnel.
The IDEA - AQUANEXA SCADA platform is a crucial software system dedicated to managing integrated water cycle plants across Italy. It allows the remote management and monitoring of complex plants with over 150 installations throughout Italy.
The existing platform featured an outdated interface shaped by years of incremental feature additions, resulting in inconsistent navigation patterns and readability issues. The most critical pain point was the alarm management page, where operators had to handle extremely high volumes of incoming alerts—sometimes up to 500 new entries per minute. Many of these were false alarms triggered by routine fluctuations in pressure or water levels, making it vital for control room staff to quickly identify and act on the truly critical events.
Operator workflows were also evolving with the shift to an on-call maintenance model, that was replacing the previous setup where staff were permanently stationed at each plant.
This change affected how field issues were reported and contributed to the high volume of false alarms, exposing gaps in how different teams coordinated their work. We used a strategic and iterative approach centered on understanding end-users and the realities of their day-to-day work.
The first research phase involved site visits to several partner companies, including A2A and CAP in Milan, where the team conducted in-depth interviews and field observations with both control room staff and technicians in the field. This hands-on immersion was essential, especially given the operational complexity and how unfamiliar these contexts are to everyone outside of people working in the field. In parallel, the team reviewed the existing application manual to map out current workflows and uncover pain points built into the system over time. Insights from this research were used to map user scenarios, outlining key steps in daily operations. This helped clarify the distinct needs of different roles and how they vary across environments. We were then able to prioritize which areas to redesign.
We then set-up the design phase tackling each main area over a series of design sprints. We began with foundational aspects like the information architecture, navigation structure, and core graphic components designed to ensure consistency and scalability across the platform. We designed the final solution with regular check-ins with IDEA developers and domain experts.
This approach enabled us to balance usability with technical feasibility. The redesign introduced a cleaner, more accessible interface with improved readability, significantly reducing cognitive load for operators in high-pressure situations.
The project’s most impactful changes was the overhaul of alarm management. By integrating categorization features directly into the system, the need for manual workarounds was eliminated. Previously scattered information—like contact details for specific plant sections or responsible personnel—is now embedded in the platform, improving response times and reducing reliance on external sources.
The initial research into operator workflows and context, combined with close collaboration with ID&A developers, was key to designing a solution that not only improved the graphical interface but also introduced new features that streamline and support day-to-day operations.
