Sasha Martynchuk - Senior Product Designer

GLOBALTRACK

GlobalTrack designs and manufactures innovative solutions for pipeline pig tracking and passage detection across onshore, offshore, and subsea environments in the oil & gas industry.

In this case study you will read about 0→1 design journeyю

MY ROLE

Product Designer

TIMELINE

Nov 2020 – Feb 2021 (2 months)

TEAM

Product Manager, Software Engineer, Head of Product

Context

Challenge

Pipeline pig tracking was stuck in the past—managed through spreadsheets, paper logs, and disconnected tools. Delays were common. Data was inconsistent. And locating a pig after a passage event often meant guesswork, not precision.

The goal was clear: give technicians, survey teams, and operators a smarter, more reliable way to track and manage pigs—whether they’re in the field, offshore, or miles from a signal.

Solution

We designed a simple, powerful web platform that brings modern clarity to pig tracking. Built for field technicians, survey teams, and pipeline operators, the system combines GPS sync, predictive pig location, map-based surveys, and offline support to streamline work from start to finish.

No more second-guessing. Just accurate, real-time insight—delivered through an interface built to feel as dependable as the work it supports.

DESING PROCess

Discovery

Interviewed operators, survey teams, and technicians to map workflows and constraints.

Audited current tools (spreadsheets, paper logs) to find data gaps and pain points.
Worked with Head of Product and PM to define goals and success metrics.
Reviewed safety standards and regulations to guide compliant design.

Ideation

Partnered with Product Owner to shape feature set from business needs.

Ran sessions to turn requirements into user flows and interface ideas.
Created wireframes for GPS sync, status updates, and offline mode.
Focused on clarity and ease of use for field conditions and low training.

Final Solution

Pig Run

A quick overview for workplace teams to compare building performance, spot trends, and focus where it matters.

Pig run – Tracking sheet

The tracking sheets are at the heart of GlobalTrack. Tracking sheets contain the survey data points in GPS latitudes and longitudes, the estimated time of arrival (ETA) and estimated time en route (ETE) of the next location, accumulated passage times at each tracking point, and links to photographs of the work locations.

Pig run – AGM passage details

An above-ground marker (AGM) operating on the surface of a pipeline is often used to increase the distance-measuring accuracy of the tool inside the pipeline. The AGM does this through the clever—and some say non-intuitive—use of highly accurately known locations, often differentially located GPS points, and very accurate pig passage timing, typically GPS time.

Projects Dashboard

The dashboard overview gives a high-level view of the pipeline pig projects that are scheduled and ongoing, including a map that displays the projects, surveys, and runs.

Projects roadmap

New project flow – Create a route

A pipeline survey is an actual route that the pig will take. Typically, these routes are created beforehand by the pipeline operator and can be input into the web app. They typically consist of GPS longitudes and latitudes.

Custom reporting

All of the field activity of tracking AGMs worldwide results in a client deliverable that shows the work that has been performed. The tracking sheet data is often sent to clients, and a GlobalTrack user must be able to create and run reports for printing as PDF documents.

Takeaways

✅

Early collaboration with engineering ensured smoother handoff and fewer implementation surprises.

✅

Choosing simpler UI solutions over complex interactions saved significant design and development time without compromising usability.

✅

Starting with a clear list of business needs helped focus ideation but required extra effort to balance with user-centered design.

✅

Field users prioritize reliability and simplicity—every design decision had to support confident use under pressure.