Widget builder and dashboard publisher for Honeywell Forge Building Automation.
Screen Designs
Personas
Delivery Phases
Executive Summary
Insight Builder reframes the legacy dashboard applet as a governed operational insight composer for smart building portfolios: unifying telemetry, assets, spaces, KPIs, energy, workorders, alarms, and service cases in a single authoring experience.
Unified
One authoring experience for every signal.
Governed
Publish validation and RBAC built in.
Actionable
Turn insights into service actions fast.
The Problem: Fragmented by Design
Building operations teams manage growing volumes of telemetry, asset, service, spatial, and energy data: but authoring tools have not kept pace. The result is low self-serve confidence, engineering dependency, dashboard sprawl, and eroded trust in operational data.
No Schema Preview
Gap before Widget causes uncertainty
No Widget Guidance
Gap before Dashboard increases errors
No Validation
Gap before Publish leads to failures
No Governance
Gap after Publish risks drift
Legacy Issues
- Poor information architecture
- Unclear widget creation flow
- Weak data to dashboard connection
Business Impact
- Engineering dependency for every change
- Dashboard sprawl across teams
- No governance, no templates, no versioning
Design Goal
"Enable building operations users to create trusted, reusable, actionable dashboards without needing engineering support."
Building-Aware Semantics
Semantics over raw SQL: users navigate building concepts, not database schemas.
Guided Authoring
Templates and recommendations eliminate blank page anxiety for non technical users.
Governed Self-Service
Publish validation and RBAC prevent dashboard sprawl without blocking productivity.
Action-Oriented
Service cases, asset drilldowns, and alarm acknowledgment: dashboards that do, not just display.
Reusable Templates
Variables and certified templates replace duplicated, divergent dashboards across sites.
Accessible and Responsive
WCAG aligned, keyboard navigable, reduced motion aware: inclusive from the ground up.
Who We're Designing For
Building Portfolio Manager
Portfolio health, energy, cost, carbon, site comparison, executive summaries.
Facility Operator
Live telemetry, alarms, asset drilldowns, service-case creation, real-time clarity.
Energy Manager
Consumption, demand, meter hierarchy, baselines, carbon, normalized KPIs.
Service Lead
Backlog, SLA risk, asset issues, technician workload, priority triage.
Advanced Analyst
Calculated fields, transformations, variables, JSON import/export, reusable widgets.
Admin / Governance Owner
RBAC, publishing lifecycle, templates, audit trail, access control.
Personas
Operator Types
Analyst Types
Persona Detail: Operators & Managers
Three primary operational personas, each with distinct dashboard needs, pain points, and success criteria for portfolio oversight, facility operations, and energy management.
Portfolio Manager
Health, cost, carbon, sites
Facility Operator
Live telemetry, comfort, alarms
Energy Manager
Consumption, demand, baselines, carbon
Persona Detail: Analysts and Admins
Three advanced personas at the intersection of data depth, service operations, and platform governance: each needs specialist tooling within the Insight Builder surface.
Service Lead
Backlog, SLA risk, load
Advanced Analyst
Calculated fields, variables, export
Admin / Gov. Owner
RBAC, publishing, audit trail
Competitive Landscape
The market is crowded, but only Insight Builder brings building semantics, governed dashboard authoring, and portfolio scale together.
Building Automation
- Siemens
- JCI
- Schneider
BI / Dashboard
- Power BI
- Tableau
- Looker Studio
IoT Dashboard
- ThingsBoard
- Azure IoT Central
- AWS SiteWise
Energy / FM
- Facilio
- Enertiv
- BrainBox AI
Where Insight Builder Wins
No competitor combines Forge native data access with governed widget authoring. Insight Builder occupies the uncontested intersection of building awareness and dashboard authoring power.
Building Semantics + Authoring
Forge native data with governed building widgets
Unified Data Model
Telemetry, assets, spaces, workorders, KPIs, energy, alarms
Governed Publishing
Validation, RBAC, versioning, audit trail
Operational Action
Create cases, open assets, acknowledge alarms
Unified Platform
Data Domains
Competitors Match
Product Positioning
"Insight Builder is the Forge-native operational insight composer for smart building portfolios."
What Insight Builder Is Not
- Not generic BI: Built for building data and operational workflows
- Not traditional BMS graphics: Portfolio scale, governed, reusable
- Not just IoT charts: Covers assets, spaces, service cases, KPIs, alarms, energy, and publishing
- Not static dashboards: Enables action from insights: service cases, asset navigation, alarm acknowledgment
UX Strategy: The Core Mental Model
A simple path powers the entire experience: connect, configure, compose, publish, and act.
Five stages form the end to end authoring and consumption journey. Every design decision in Insight Builder maps back to one of these nodes: ensuring the product feels coherent from first data connection to operational action in the viewer.
Data
Connect Forge sources: telemetry, assets, spaces, workorders, KPIs, energy, alarms
Widget
Configure visualization, field mappings, thresholds, rules, and interactions
Dashboard
Compose, filter, arrange, and preview on a responsive grid canvas
Publish
Validate, govern, version, and share with scoped audiences
Act
Drill down, create service case, open asset, acknowledge alarm
Mental Model: Stage Detail
Each stage in the Data to Widget to Dashboard to Publish to Act flow has a clear job. Strong boundaries keep the experience focused, usable, and easy to scale.
Data
Connect and inspect Forge sources: telemetry, asset model, spatial model, workorders, KPI catalog, energy meters, alarms and events. Schema browser shows field types, units, and samples.
Widget
Choose the visualization, bind data, shape transforms, set calculated fields, define thresholds, and control viewer interactions. Widget Inspector keeps setup structured.
Dashboard
Arrange widgets on a responsive 12 column canvas. Use variables, filters, global scope selectors, and layout variants. Preview breakpoints before publishing.
Publish
Validate, set audience and scope with RBAC, add version notes, confirm, and generate a Viewer Mode link. Audit trail is captured automatically.
Act
From Dashboard Viewer: drill into floor or asset, open Service Case Drawer, visit the asset record, or acknowledge and comment on alarms. Close the loop.
Information Architecture
Insight Builder's IA is organized into five primary surface areas, each with a focused scope. The tree below maps every leaf node to its parent: a structural blueprint for navigation design, wayfinding, and feature scoping.
Dashboard Library
- Published
- Drafts
- Templates
- Shared
- Archived
Dashboard Builder
- Widget Library
- Data Sources
- Variables
- Outline
- Canvas
- Inspector
Data Source Manager
- Telemetry
- Assets
- Spaces
- Workorders
- KPIs
- Energy
- Alarms
- Weather
- Occupancy
Publish Center
- Validation
- Audience
- Scope
- Version Notes
- Confirmation
Viewer Mode
- Filters
- Drilldowns
- Actions
- Share
- Export
IA Node Reference
Dashboard Library
- Published : Drafts : Templates : Shared : Archived
Dashboard Builder
- Widget Library : Data Sources : Variables : Outline : Canvas : Inspector
Data Source Manager
- Telemetry : Asset Model : Spatial Model : Workorders : KPI Catalog : Energy Meters : Alarms & Events : Weather : Occupancy
Publish Center
- Publish Validation : Audience : Scope : Version Notes : Confirmation
Viewer Mode
- Filters : Drilldowns : Operational Actions : Share : Export
Key Task Flows
Five critical flows cover the breadth of authoring journeys: from template guided creation to governed publishing, and from viewer interaction to advanced calculated field authoring.
Flow A: Create from Template
Library to Template Gallery to Scope to Builder to Preview to Publish
Flow B: Add Telemetry Widget
Builder to Widget Gallery to Time Series to Source to Asset to Canvas
Flow C: Publish Governed Dashboard
Builder to Publish to Validation to Audience to Notes to Confirm
Flow D: Act on Insight
Viewer to Exception to Drilldown to Case Drawer to Link Case
Flow E: Calculated Field
Inspector to Data to Formula to Map to Preview to Save
Screen 1: Dashboard Library
Tab Views
Card States
View Modes
Surface Structure
- Header: Wordmark, search, avatar, alerts
- Tabs: All, Published, Drafts, Templates, Shared, Archived, counts
- Cards: Thumbnail, badge, owner, scope, tags, domains, update, widgets
CTAs
- CTAs: Create Dashboard, Use Template, view toggle
State Coverage
- Loading: Skeleton grid with shimmer
- Empty: Zero state with quick-start CTA
- Error: Inline banner with retry link
Status Badge System
- ■ Published: Green, active, discoverable
- ■ Draft: Amber, in progress, unvalidated
- ■ Archived: Gray, read-only, historical
Screen 2: Template Gallery
Start faster with ready-made templates, clear filters, and a smart first choice for every persona.
Template Gallery cuts time to first dashboard from hours to minutes. Filters by persona and data domain help users find the right starting point. Each template card shows setup time, widget count, and required data domains up front.
Portfolio Overview
Energy Performance
Comfort Operations
Service Backlog
Alarm Command Center
Asset Health
Meter Analytics
Sustainability Summary
Screen 3: Dashboard Builder Workbench
Col Grid
Rail Tabs
Inspector Tabs
Command Bar
- Inline dashboard name
- Auto-save status
- Undo and redo
- Preview toggle and Publish CTA
- Settings, export, archive
Left Rail Tabs
- Widgets, Data, Templates, Outline, Variables
Central Canvas
- 12-column snap grid
- Drag, resize, multi-select
- Alignment guides, distribution controls
Right Inspector
- Updates with selection
- Data, Visual, Rules, Interactions, Style, Accessibility
Status Bar
- Auto-save, validation count, widget count, zoom
Screen 4: Widget Gallery
The Widget Gallery organizes all visualization types by category. Smart sections surface Recently Used and Recommended widgets based on the active data source, reducing decision fatigue and accelerating widget composition.
KPIs
KPI Card — Metric, delta, target
Trends
Time Series — Time indexed telemetry or energy
Comparisons
Bar or Column — Category and numeric
Tables
Data Table — Rows and actions
Building Ops
Comfort Heatmap — Zone temp, humidity, CO₂, spatial
Energy
Energy Waterfall — kWh by category and time
Alarms
Alarm Feed — Events, severity, state
Layout
Divider or Text Block — None
Screen 5: Data Source Manager
Data Sources
Health States
Schema Fields
Source Catalog
- Forge Telemetry, Asset Model, Spatial Model
- Workorders, KPI Catalog, Energy Meters
- Alarms and Events, Weather, Occupancy
Health Indicators
- ● Connected: live
- ● Warning: delayed
- ● Stale: no update
- ● Permission Required: blocked
Schema Preview Panel
- Field name, type, unit, semantic type
- Sample value, null rate, cardinality
Actions
- Inspect Schema, Preview Data, Bind to Widget, Test Connection
The schema preview removes blind binding: users see exactly what a field contains before mapping it to a widget visualization.
Screen 6: Query Builder
No-Code Interface
Build queries with simple selectors and form controls.
Live Preview
See a sample result table and estimate instantly.
Advanced JSON Mode
Edit the generated query JSON for full control.
Validation Panel
Catch missing fields, type issues, and access gaps.
No-Code Query Form
- Source selector: Entity selector
- Time range picker
- Field multi-select
- Aggregation options
- Group by settings
- Filters: comparison, in-set, null check
- Sort order and row limit
Preview & Validation
- Live result preview: 5-row sample with column types
- Row count estimate and execution time
Validation Panel
- Inline warnings: missing fields, type mismatches, empty results, permission gaps
Advanced Mode
- Generated query JSON: visible and editable
- Transform pipeline: rename, cast, format
Screen 7: Widget Inspector
Data Tab
Source, query, field mappings, calculated fields, transform pipeline, live preview.
Visual Tab
Chart type, axes, legend, tooltips, units, color palette.
Rules Tab
Thresholds, status mapping, conditional colors, health indicators.
Interactions Tab
Drilldown, filtering, service case actions, asset navigation.
Style Tab
Title, card style, density, padding, layout variant.
Accessibility Tab
Alt summary, long description, table fallback, contrast checks.
Screen 8: Publish Flow
5-Step Wizard
Overview
Name, description, preview
Validation
Checklist with fix actions
Audience & Scope
Roles, site scope, expiry
Version Notes
Changelog and version tag
Confirm
Review and publish link
Validation Checks
- Missing title
- Empty widgets
- Broken data bindings
- Scope mismatch
- Stale data source
- Missing alt summaries
- Contrast failures
- Unsupported widget
Governance Outputs
Viewer Link
Version Tag
Audit Entry
RBAC Scope
Expiry Date
Screen 9: Dashboard Viewer
Action Drawers
Read-Only Default
RBAC Governed
Top Filter Bar
- Time range: relative or custom
- Scope: site or portfolio
- Refresh interval
- Share, export, edit if allowed
Widget Interactions
- Click for drilldown
- Hover for tooltip context
- Right click for filter, drill, action
Operational Action Drawers
- Asset Drawer: Details, history, maintenance
- Alarm Drawer: Acknowledge, comment, escalate, link workorder
- Service Case Drawer: Create, prioritize, link asset, assign technician
Viewer Governance
- Read only by default: edit access follows publish permissions
- Viewer Mode respects RBAC: users see only permitted data
Screen 10: Version History & JSON Export
Version Timeline
- Chronological history: author avatar, timestamp, version tag, change notes
- Semantic versioning at publish: major, minor, patch
Per Version Actions
- Preview: read only snapshot
- Restore: roll back to this version
- Diff: side by side widget comparison
- Export JSON: download the full dashboard definition
JSON Export Structure
- Includes widgets, queries, layout, variables, and permissions
- Portable across Forge environments for migration and backup
Import Validation
- Schema compatibility check on import
- Warning on version mismatch or deprecated widget types
- Conflict resolution for duplicate IDs
Design System Direction
Foundation Principles
- Forge native enterprise SaaS baseline
- Light neutral surfaces with crisp card elevation
- Subtle shadow hierarchy: functional, not decorative
- Clear focus rings for keyboard navigation
- Data dense layout with room to breathe
Color System
- Green for connected or ok, amber for warning, red for error, grey for inactive
- Honeywell Forge brand accent for primary actions and emphasis
- WCAG AA plus contrast for all text and backgrounds
Typography Scale
- Display: Executive headlines and hero KPI values
- Heading 1 to 3: Surface titles, section headers, card titles
- Body: Inspector fields, descriptions, help text
- Label: Tabs, badges, field names, status indicators
- Caption: Axis labels, footnotes, timestamps, hints
Component Standards
- Use icon and label pairs throughout
- Use building specific cues: floor plans, meters, asset chips
- Use data tables with inline row actions
- No decorative visuals: every element must earn space
Data Visualization Direction
Each visualization in Insight Builder is purpose built for building operations data, with encoding, thresholds, and interactions shaped by real operational needs.
KPI Cards
Value, unit, delta, target, sparkline. Fast status with threshold colors and trend context.
Time-Series Charts
Clear axes, crosshair tooltip, threshold bands, zoom, pan. Built for telemetry and meter data.
Energy Charts
kWh, kW, cost, carbon. Stacked area, waterfall, bar, and peak markers.
Alarm Charts
Severity feeds, state timelines, inline acknowledge. Less switching, more action.
Comfort Charts
Temperature, humidity, CO2, occupancy. Spatial heatmap with trend overlay.
Data Tables
Sortable, filterable, inline row actions. Accessible fallback for every chart.
Motion Design Direction
"Motion serves function, not aesthetics. No infinite decorative animation. Every transition earns its timing."
Core Principles
- Purposeful: animation communicates state change or system response
- Fast: micro interactions at 200ms or less, surface transitions at 400ms or less
- Subtle: never distracting; users should feel the product, not watch it
- Accessible: respects prefers reduced motion at the OS level
Motion Patterns
- Card entrance: fade and translate in staggered sequence
- Drag/drop: lift on drag, spring settle on drop
- Inspector: slides in from right in 300ms; tabs cross fade in 150ms
- Validation error: one short shake, no repeat
- KPI update: subtle pulse on live refresh
- Publish success: smooth celebratory transition, used sparingly
Timing Reference
- Micro interactions 200ms
- Surface transitions 400ms
- Inspector slide 300ms
- Tab crossfade 150ms
- Reduced motion: off
Realistic Synthetic Data Strategy
Illustrative synthetic data is generated at realistic operational scale to validate widget performance, stress test the canvas, and support credible demo reviews. All numbers are placeholders.
Telemetry Points
Assets
Workorders
Alarms
UX Outcomes
Insight Builder delivers measurable value across six dimensions: faster setup, higher trust, less sprawl, stronger governance, more action, and better accessibility.
Faster Creation
Templates and Query Builder cut time to first dashboard from hours to minutes.
Higher Trust
Schema preview and Publish Validation boost confidence before go live.
Less Sprawl
Variables and certified templates reduce duplicates and keep one source of truth.
Better Governance
Publishing lifecycle and Version History make dashboards easy to manage and audit.
More Action
Service Case and asset actions turn charts into operational tools.
Better Accessibility
Alt summaries, table fallback, and WCAG contrast support every user.
To first dashboard
Publish pass rate
Reuse increase
Measurement Plan
Nine success metrics cover usability, governance, engagement, and accessibility: a balanced signal set for iterative improvement.
Less than 15 min first dashboard
Greater than 85% publish pass rate
4.2 out of 5 confidence score
Risks & Mitigations
Seven risks cover data complexity, governance, security, usability, accessibility, performance, and motion. Each one has a built in mitigation.
4 risks
2 risks
1 risk
Phased Delivery Roadmap
Five phases move from foundation to data, governance, lifecycle, and intelligence. Each phase builds on the one before it.
Phase 1: Foundation
Dashboard Library, Builder Shell, Basic Widgets, Mock Data. Builds the core workbench and validates authoring patterns.
Phase 2: Data Layer
Data Source Manager, Query Builder, Widget Inspector. Connects telemetry, asset, spatial, workorder, and meter data.
Phase 3: Governance
Publish Flow, Viewer Mode, Variables, Templates. Adds publishing, RBAC, and certified templates.
Phase 4: Lifecycle
Version History, JSON Import and Export, Service Case Actions. Enables operational management and reuse.
Phase 5: Intelligence
Advanced Analytics, AI Recommendations, Formula Editor, Governance Center. Turns Insight Builder into an intelligent platform.
"Insight Builder turns building data into operational dashboards teams can trust, share, and act on."
Compose Insights
Turn Forge data into guided dashboards and reusable templates.
Govern Dashboards
Publish with validation, RBAC, version history, and audit trails.
Act Faster
Move from insight to service cases, navigation, and alarm response.