GCT Case Study - User Interviews & Pain Points

User Interviews

Interview 1 – Site Foreman (Marko, 46)

Experience: 22 years on site

Tech level: Low–medium (WhatsApp power user, hates “apps”)

(sighs) Depends on the day. If it’s raining, everything already goes wrong before I even open anything. Usually I write things down during the day — concrete poured, deliveries, who didn’t show up. I keep a small notebook in my jacket. Sometimes it gets wet, sometimes I forget it in the van.

At the end of the day, they want it “digitally”. That’s the problem. I’m tired, cold, phone battery is dying, and now I have to remember everything again.

Interview 2 – Site Foreman (Alan, 32)

Experience: 8 years

Tech level: High (uses Excel, Google Drive, drone photos)

Honestly? I’ve hacked my own system because the official one is unusable. I take photos, voice notes, bullet points. At night I compile everything. Battery drain is insane. GPS always on, camera integration terrible. Connectivity is poor. I need speed and reliability.

Interview 3 – Site Foreman (Ivica, 55)

Experience: 30+ years

Tech level: Very low (barely uses smartphone)

Reporting is the worst part of the day. Before, we had paper — done. Now everything is passwords, updates, errors. Sometimes I think I sent the report, but the office calls: “We don’t see it.” Battery always kills it. Too many questions; construction is not a laboratory.

Interview 4 – Safety Officer (Jasmina, 39)

Experience: 12 years

Tech level: Medium (comfortable but critical)

Daily reports are often incomplete or rushed. Photos stored in five different places. Weather impacts safety but is often skipped. Poor UX leads to unsafe behavior. I need smart defaults, quick incident reporting, and offline-first support.

Interview 5 – Project Manager (Stefan, 44)

Experience: 18 years

Tech level: High (dashboard-focused)

Daily reports are inconsistent. Tools and fatigue are the main issues. Delayed reporting, missing data, duplication across apps and emails. Trust is low — painful tools are gamed. I want one source of truth, minimal typing, reality captured.

The Output: "Haris" – The Site Foreman

Below is the synthesized persona you would get. We will use Haris to make every design decision from now on.

Profile

Name: Haris (42)
Role: Lead Site Foreman, "Sarajevo City Center 2" Project.
Experience: 20 years in construction, 2 years using tablets.
Tech Literacy: Low-Mid. Can use WhatsApp and check weather, but hates "logging in" and typing on touchscreens.

Physical Context (Crucial for Design)

The Environment: He is outside 90% of the day. It’s either bright sunlight (glare), raining (wet screen), or dusty.
The Gear: He wears thick safety gloves. He cannot use fingerprint unlock. He rarely has two hands free (usually holding a radio or blueprints).
The Network: He works in the basement levels (parking garage) where 4G/5G signal is dead.

A Morning in the Life of Haris

06:45 AM: Arrives on site. It’s freezing. Needs to check if the concrete delivery is on time.
07:00 AM: Crew arrives. Needs to log attendance for 15 people quickly. Current Struggle: The old app asks for a password every morning, but his hands are cold and he forgets the capital letter.
08:30 AM: Safety Inspector arrives. Haris needs to pull up the "Safety Compliance PDF" on his tablet. Struggle: The file is buried in "Folder > 2024 > Docs > Safety," and he can't find it while the inspector watches.
09:15 AM: Basement Level 2. Needs to report a cracked pipe. He takes a photo, but the app freezes because there is no internet. He loses the photo.

Top 3 Frustrations (The Problem to Solve)

"Fat Finger" Syndrome: Buttons are too small. He tries to hit "Save" but hits "Cancel" by accident because he has big fingers/gloves.
The "Spinning Wheel of Death": Apps that don't work offline. If he can't save data in the basement, the app is useless to him.
Data Double-Entry: He writes things on paper because the app is too slow, then has to stay late to type it all in.

The Quote

"I don't care about your 'cloud dashboard.' I just want to click ONE button to say the cement truck is here, without taking off my gloves!"