Mr. D
Document Group
Group and reopen multiple CAD files as one seamless working session.
Saved SOLIDWORKS users 15+ minutes/day by eliminating repetitive file management.
See Process
Summary
Problem
SOLIDWORKS users wasted 10-15 minutes daily reopening previous work sessions
Solution
Document Group feature to save/restore file sessions with one click
Result
85% time reduction in reopening workflows, exceptional user
feedback
My Role
Solo UX designer with 7-week timeline, cross- functional collaboration
The Problem
Engineers working with SOLIDWORKS often handle multiple interconnected parts, assemblies, and drawings. A single design task could involve 10–15 files open at once.
But the problem? SOLIDWORKS didn’t offer a way to save these files as a working session. Every time users reopened the software, they had to manually re-open each file.
Users reported:
• Spending 10-15 minutes reopening files at the start of each day
• Losing context when reopening complex assembly relationships
• Creating manual workarounds (text files with lists, screenshots)
• Users were frustrated that SOLIDWORKS didn’t offer a way to restore previous file sessions
Key Insight:
Designers and engineers needed a way to seamlessly restore their entire workspace context without manual intervention.
My Role & Team
I was the sole UX designer leading this project end-to-end — from research and ideation to design and developer handoff — over a 7-week collaboration with product and engineering teams.
My Role
• Led UX strategy, research, and design execution
• Conducted in-depth user and stakeholder interviews
• Created wireframes, prototypes, and handoff-ready specs
• Collaborated with devs on technical feasibility and workflows
Team Structure
• 1 UX Designer (me)
• 2 Software Engineers
• 1 QA Engineer
• 1 Technical Writer (User Assistance)
Project Timeline
Weeks 1-2
Research
User & stakeholder interviews, benchmarking
Weeks 2-3
Ideation
Sketching concepts, exploring solutions, defining UX goals
Weeks 3-5
Design
Wireframing, prototyping,
internal reviews, refinement
Weeks 5-7
Implementation
Development handoff, technical collaboration, testing
User Research & Discovery
We conducted in-depth interviews and contextual inquiries with SOLIDWORKS users to uncover pain points, workarounds, and unmet needs — which directly shaped the UX direction.
Every morning, I waste 15 minutes reopening the same files. It's a huge time sink.
Design Engineer
SOLIDWORKS user for 8 years
I literally keep a Word doc of all the file names — just to not forget what I need.
Product Designer
SOLIDWORKS user for 5 years
If SOLIDWORKS crashes, I take a screenshot so I can reopen stuff later.
Mechanical Engineer
SOLIDWORKS user for 3 years
Key Research Findings
Time Waste
Users spent an average of 12.5 minutes daily reopening previous work sessions.
85% of users reported this problem
Impact Analysis
That’s 42.5 hours of annual time saved — per user. Across large teams, the gains scale exponentially.
Average daily time wasted:
12.5 minutes
Work days per year:
240
Time wasted per user yearly:
50 hours
Potential yearly time savings:
42.5 hours/user
User Needs Analysis
Need to restore exact workspace state
Users want to pick up exactly where they left off
Need for minimal effort
Solution must require fewer steps than manual reopening
Need for customization
Ability to manage multiple saved workspaces
Need for familiarity
Solution must fit existing SOLIDWORKS UI patterns
.
UX Goals
We translated user insights into focused design principles that shaped the experience end-to-end.
How Might We...
"How might we help SOLIDWORKS users restore their complete work context without manual effort, using a
solution that feels like a natural extension of the software?"
Invisible UX
The solution should blend into the existing SOLIDWORKS interface, requiring zero learning curve.
One-click Restoration
Users should be able to restore full work sessions with a single interaction.
Flexible Management
Enable saving and switching between multiple named file groups for different projects.
Success Criteria
Time Reduction
Cut reopening time by at least 80%
User Adoption
At least 50% of users try the feature within the first month
Feature Satisfaction
Achieve 80%+ satisfaction in post-launch feedback
Technical Feasibility
Fits into existing SOLIDWORKS architecture
UX Process
I followed an iterative UX process grounded in real-world usage patterns — starting with flow mapping and low-fidelity concepts, then refining based on team feedback and usability alignment with SOLIDWORKS patterns.
Task Flow Exploration
I mapped the existing file reopening process and identified key optimization points. The goal was to reduce a multi-step process to a single action while maintaining flexibility for power users.
Key Design Decisions
Menu Placement
Placed under ‘Window’ menu for visibility and pattern consistency
Why this works:
Users already look in Windows menu for window
management features
Group Naming
Simple modal to name/save groups. Existing groups can be replaced.
Why this works:
Minimal friction while providing important
organizational capability
Restoring Session
Integration into Welcome dialog at startup offering to restore previous session or last saved group.
Why this works:
Addresses the most common use case directly
without requiring navigation
Design Evolution
Document Group Dialog UI
Core interface for saving and managing document groups — minimal yet informative.
Welcome Dialog – Recents Tab
Quick access to restore previous sessions or saved groups directly from the launch screen.
Menu Entry UI (Windows > Create Document Group)
Entry point under familiar Windows menu for discoverability and consistency with other view controls.
Final Solution
Document Group was designed as a lightweight, no-learning-curve feature to help SOLIDWORKS users save, restore, and manage their working sessions — all while blending seamlessly into existing workflows.
Key Features
Create Document Group
Save your current workspace — including all open CAD files — as a reusable group under a custom name. Perfect for recurring projects or multi-file workflows.
Restore Document Group
Quickly reopen a previously saved group in its exact original state — in one click from the Welcome dialog.
Update Document Group
Add or remove files from an existing group to keep it current. Ideal for evolving design sessions.
Implementation Details
Technical Features
• Group Save:
Stores all active files as one session-based unit
• Manage Documents:
Rename, update, or delete files in a group
• Smart Startup:
Users see group restore options on launch
User Workflow
1
Open working files
Open files needed for the session
2
Save session as Document Group:
Windows > Create Document Group > Name it
3
Close SOLIDWORKS
Close SOLIDWORKS as usual
4
Reopen all files in 1 click
Open SOLIDWORKS > Welcome Dialog > Recent Document Groups
User Interface Access
1. Menu Location:
Windows > Create Document Group
2. Available Actions:
Create, Restore, Update
3. Quick Access:
Welcome Dialog > Recents tab
Measurable Impact
Productivity Gains
85% Time Reduction
Based on post-release user studies
Before Document Group
12.5 min
After Document Group
1.8 min
Key Learnings
What Worked Well
✓ Minimal UI:
Almost no learning curve — UI felt native”
✓ Menu placement:
Users easily found it under ‘Window’
✓ Ease of Restoring:
Users could quickly resume their previous
by restoring from recent document groups during application launch.
Challenges & Improvements
• Large assemblies:
Some performance issues with extremely
complex files
• File locations:
Initial challenges with network file
paths and permissions
• Feature discovery:
Some users didn’t immediately
discover the feature on first use
Personal UX Takeaways
Less is more with mature software
Users appreciated a feature that felt like it had always existed.
Time waste is quantifiable
Tracking measurable UX friction helped drive urgency and feature buy-in.
Workarounds signal opportunity
Observing how users solved problems without a feature guided our solution design.
Impact & Learnings
The Document Group feature led to an 85% reduction in reopening time and was widely adopted with strong user satisfaction — validating our focus on invisible, seamless UX.
What People Are Saying
The Document Group feature was enthusiastically received by the SOLIDWORKS community.
Community Feedback
This is the feature I've been waiting for since 2010. I can't believe how much time I wasted reopening files every morning.
John M.
SOLIDWORKS Forum
The Document Group feature is a game changer for those of us working on complex assemblies with many components.
Sarah T.
LinkedIn Post
I've started using Document Groups to maintain different configurations for different clients. Brilliant feature.
Michael K.
YouTube Comment
Such a simple feature, but it saves me at least 10 minutes every day. That adds up fast!
Rebecca W.
