Refresh captures the latest thinking in user-focused design.
UL Solutions unveils a fresh new look for its sustainability reporting solution, UL 360 Sustainability Essentials, a widely used and award-winning environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting tool.
To provide the best user experience possible, the software went through a refresh to capture the latest thinking in user-focused design. UL 360 Sustainability Essentials has gained wide recognition for its functionality, including being named Top Product of the Year in the Environment+Energy Leader Awards 2021.
The user interface and user experience (UI/UX) team took the occasion of the company’s rebranding from UL to UL Solutions as an opportunity to upgrade the software’s look and feel to offer customers a cohesive experience across all software in the UL Solutions ecosystem. An equally important goal of the redesign included making sure the software meets the latest accessibility standards and is as user-friendly as possible for people of all abilities.
“Presenting our customers with a consistent experience goes beyond the UL Solutions rebrand — it’s also about using the universal principles of user design to create software that is more accessible,” said Tom Caldicott, product manager for UL 360 Sustainability Essentials.
To help 360 Sustainability Essentials become more accessible to those with visual disabilities, the UI/UX team paid close attention to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. WCAG is an international standard that helps make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Following WCAG guidelines, the team was able to make sure that design elements, such as color contrast and font size, were optimized to make the software accessible to users of varying visual abilities.
Consistent look and feel facilitates easier navigation
The team updated and consolidated over 500 icons, and individual function buttons were updated into toolbars, which makes the visual impact more consistent. The uniform placement of new dashboards and menus helps users navigate confidently from section to section.
“Because all the dashboards and menus use the same format, colors, positions and fonts, users can find what they’re looking for faster,” Caldicott added.
“Fresh, modern and user friendly”
The feedback from initial reviews about the 360 Sustainability Essentials refresh has been positive. “The three words we’re hearing a lot of is fresh, modern and user-friendly,” said Neil Metson, the UX designer on the project. “The hallmark of good user design is that it’s so intuitive that you don’t notice it,” Metson added. “My real win will be if users are able to navigate naturally because the software is accessible and easy to use.”
Companies looking for sustainability reporting software can be confident in UL 360 Sustainability Essentials. Users report that it’s easy to implement, with systems up and running in less than six weeks.
“We’re committed to delivering a consistent, intuitive user experience,” said John Genovesi, executive vice president and president, Enterprise and Advisory. “Our product team is invested in the continued usability and relevance of the software across all abilities and needs.”
Visit UL 360 Sustainability Essentials to see how you can produce accurate and automated ESG reporting in three steps.
N.B. The information contained in this entry is provided by the above supplier, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher
