MOBILE X ENTERPRISE

MobileX goes beyond basic mobile optimization, offering the full CAD experience with responsive design to both Android and iOS platforms. Get a powerful way to use phones and tablets in the field without giving up functionality.

Research - 01

Identifying existing product features

In the user research phase, a combination of interviews, usability testing, and ride-alongs provided valuable insights into the needs and experiences of law enforcement officers utilizing the existing Mobile enterprise software.

Some of my responsibilities during this phase included:

• Preparing design files and mockups for usability testing

• Observe how first responders use our products through user interviews in the office and in the field

• Gather feedback by taking notes and observing how users interact with new features and prototypes during usability tests

Additionally, we engaged in meetings with key stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of the product's context and requirements. Key findings from this comprehensive approach revealed several critical points:

Key insights:

Interface pain points - Through observations and interviews, officers reported difficulties with small buttons, font size, and navigation issues hindering their ability to efficiently access critical information during operations.  If officers had gloves on, it made it even more difficult to touch smaller buttons.

Contextual Insights - Ride-alongs offered contextual insights into officers’ workflows and operational environments. Gaining insights by closely observing how diverse users engage with our product across various situations.

Feature Prioritization - During conversations with officers about their workflow and challenges, it became essential that they have the ability to swiftly access vital information precisely in the most critical of situations.

Define - 02

Opportunity for improvement

Technical Constraints

• Accessibility - Meeting ADA standards to make sure that we think about all users. This was particularly important for users who preferred a darker interface or those who predominantly worked during nighttime hours. 

• Device compatibility - Designing for both large form factor and small form factor and taking into account the information that needed to be displayed for both devices.

• Technical feasibility - We were constrained to design with the existing information because of the current development of both mobile devices. Being able to unplug from one device and continue where you left off on the other.

Business needs and why this mattered

• This cost reduction enables agencies to allocate more resources to meet the demands of their challenging responsibilities.

• Technology plays a big role by providing first responders with more information, automation, and error-proofing their jobs.

To synthesize the insights from user research provided a fresh perspective on the situations and environments faced by first responders across various use cases. For example, a police officer responding to a traffic stop vs. a burglary or robbery call.

We compiled all the information and realized there are several areas for improvement in the current Mobile Enterprise product. We identified users’ needs and identified how we might approach resolving these needs.

Needs

• Users need to be able to quickly scan and get the information that they need when it matters most

• Users need to have the ability to safely and efficiently access this information in the most critical situations

• The need for a dark mode that reduces eye strain and elevates the overall visual appeal and usability

How might we design a user interface solution that maintains existing information while reducing the number of clicks, providing access to key safety information, and enhancing situation awareness for first responders before they arrive on scene.

Opportunities for improvement

• Redesign the existing interface

• Revamp the current dark mode, which led to the creation of a new stealth mode

Ideate - 03

Design

We came up with a wide range of various ideas and iterations to tackle this problem. We started by looking at the screen as a whole and then breaking down each section into smaller pieces with revisions.

We started by identifying the amount of 'white space' available in the caller details section, which we pinpointed two areas for exploration:

• Could we increase the font size without losing information

• Can we reduce the size of the data fields to conserve space and potentially explore alternative design

Wireframes

We began with quick and fast iterations by color blocking in low fidelity to explore multiple ideas. We began by focusing on the caller details, as shown above. We intentionally separated this section from the tabs because the tabs were not directly related to call details; being that the tabs were configurable. Through various iterations, we knew we could maintain the relevant information users needed with a larger font for each of the different sections we identified.

We examined the current design and identified ways to group closely related information. As a result, we divided it into the following sections:

1. Main navigation - favorite buttons (configurable by users, navigates to the corresponding action.

2. Caller details

3. Tabs & table

4. Comments (ability to filter, minimize, and expand)

5. Secondary navigation