Tilda Publishing
PROJECT ROLE: UX Design, UI Design, Interaction Design
RESPONSIBILITIES: Information Architecture, User Flows, Prototyping
Quectel Coverage Explorer: Mapping IOT Transparency - How we turned complexity into clarity
We built an interactive map-based tool that transformed how users explore Quectel’s global IoT deployments. By turning scattered PDFs and dense technical product specs into a clear, filterable interface, we cut research time by 85% and boosted engagement. The result? Faster decision-making, greater transparency, and a user experience built on trust.
As Quectel’s modules became embedded in devices around the world, visibility into where and how they were deployed remained opaque. Product data was fragmented across dense PDF datasheets, and there was no easy way for engineers, researchers, or journalists to explore regional compatibility or assess potential security implications. Teams spent hours cross-referencing specs, often without confidence in the results.
By late 2021, following a series of internal reviews and growing public scrutiny around IoT transparency, Quectel partnered with Oriel Digital Agency to explore ways of making their global footprint more accessible. The result was the approval of a new initiative: a public-facing, map-based discovery tool designed to transform static documentation into a transparent, filterable experience. This created an opportunity to design a radically more intuitive product interface—one that prioritised clarity, accountability, and trust.
By late 2021, following a series of internal reviews and growing public scrutiny around IoT transparency, Quectel partnered with Oriel Digital Agency to explore ways of making their global footprint more accessible. The result was the approval of a new initiative: a public-facing, map-based discovery tool designed to transform static documentation into a transparent, filterable experience. This created an opportunity to design a radically more intuitive product interface—one that prioritised clarity, accountability, and trust.
To identify key usability and access issues, the project drew on stakeholder interviews, product documentation analysis, and a survey of IoT developers, researchers, and policy professionals.
Our research revealed:
• Users struggled to understand where Quectel modules were compatible—most information was hidden in dense PDFs with no geographic context.
• 85% of technical users said they spent too much time manually cross-referencing datasheets and frequency bands, increasing the risk of selection errors.
• Non-technical users, such as journalists and policy researchers, found it nearly impossible to extract actionable insights from Quectel’s existing documentation.
• There was a strong desire from stakeholders for greater transparency and audibility, especially as scrutiny around IoT infrastructure increased globally.
Our research revealed:
• Users struggled to understand where Quectel modules were compatible—most information was hidden in dense PDFs with no geographic context.
• 85% of technical users said they spent too much time manually cross-referencing datasheets and frequency bands, increasing the risk of selection errors.
• Non-technical users, such as journalists and policy researchers, found it nearly impossible to extract actionable insights from Quectel’s existing documentation.
• There was a strong desire from stakeholders for greater transparency and audibility, especially as scrutiny around IoT infrastructure increased globally.
Research
Taking an iterative, user-centred approach, the team collaborated with Oriel Agency to design and deploy:
• An interactive, map-first interface that visualises Quectel module deployment by region—allowing users to explore coverage intuitively.
• A filter system tailored to technical and non-technical users, enabling discovery by network type (e.g. LTE, 5G, NB-IoT) with contextual definitions.
• On-click module panels that surface key specs, supported bands, and security notes—removing the need to dig through PDF datasheets.
• A CSV export function that allows users to download filtered data for offline analysis, reporting, or procurement documentation.
• Transparent sourcing and disclaimers, increasing trust and supporting responsible use by journalists, researchers, and policy teams.
• An interactive, map-first interface that visualises Quectel module deployment by region—allowing users to explore coverage intuitively.
• A filter system tailored to technical and non-technical users, enabling discovery by network type (e.g. LTE, 5G, NB-IoT) with contextual definitions.
• On-click module panels that surface key specs, supported bands, and security notes—removing the need to dig through PDF datasheets.
• A CSV export function that allows users to download filtered data for offline analysis, reporting, or procurement documentation.
• Transparent sourcing and disclaimers, increasing trust and supporting responsible use by journalists, researchers, and policy teams.
Design solution
High Fidelity
Wireframes
UI
Visual Designs
