Aptus Design System

Understanding the problem

The current Aptus design system is not scalable as a result of its complexity and its limitations due to being built on Microsoft Excel. The process of designing an Aptus building was known only by the business owner. In order for the business to scale, Aptus had to create a scalable solution that could be used by not only other stakeholders within the business but also by external organisations. The problem statement was addressed during a 3 week scope with a 12 week MVP proposed as the solution.

Ideation & research

One of the challenging parts of implementation was being able to integrate the engineering code written in python (by a third party) with the web application, built on Csharp and React. This was initially estimated as a two week task but with careful tech spikes, it was de-risked and able to be completed within a week.

When determining whether the project was successful we are measuring against our initial goal. Since developing the solution, the business owner (Steven) has not had to be a part of the design process. It could be understood and applied by other stakeholders within the organisation. It will soon be shared with external organisations, allowing the company to scale up faster.

The solution

WorkingMouse scoped out a solution which merged the existing 3 part process (comprising of 3 very large Excel spreadsheets and offline communication with an engineer) into a seamless design experience. It was built as a responsive web application targeted towards desktop users but mobile responsive for users wanting a quick preliminary design. One of the challenging parts of implementation was being able to integrate the engineering code written in python (by a third party) with the web application, built on Csharp and React. This was initially estimated as a two week task but with careful tech spikes, it was de-risked and able to be completed within a week. Steven Prowse is the Managing Director of Aptus Systems. After founding a successful precast company (Novus), Steven set out to improve the way precast concreting was done on large construction projects. The company has grown significantly since it was first founded and has been a part of some notable projects (Queens Wharf included). When determining whether the project was successful we are measuring against our initial goal. Since developing the solution, the business owner (Steven) has not had to be a part of the design process. It could be understood and applied by other stakeholders within the organisation. It will soon be shared with external organisations, allowing the company to scale up faster.