SANJ. Ai
Client
Project for Indian army by Dvizira Pvt.Ltd
Sector
Research and Development for Defense tech
My Role
Solo Designer and Researcher accompanied by engineering team
Project timeline
6 - 9 months
My contribution
User Research, Modification of workflow, Wireframes, usability testing and master screen mockup
MASTER SCREEN DESIGN
Designing a cloud-based coordination system for responder training
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Dvizira is an R&D firm that develops technology for defense and military training for active simulated training for soldiers in the Indian Army
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I overhauled the planning and training experience for soldiers by designing a comprehensive master screen that reorganized their task process
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Laid the foundation for style guide and design principles for future project development.
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Used the master screen to gain funding.
The problem we are trying to solve:
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How can we design a system where training officers can Draft, Monitor, and Analyze responder training in a single-screen
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The design solution​
01 Draft
The central workspace, akin to a CAD drawing with infinite zoom, displays live responder data.
The user can draft the plan for the indoor training layout and also switch to the "live mode" to monitor the responder movement on the drafted file
The top bar offers simplified drafting elements and action buttons. Features are categorized into
1. Planning: Situation and construction elements for building planning.
2. GIS: Coordination with immediate context data.
3. Analysis: Different aspects are analyzed based on component use.
The layer tab on the left can be accessed to filter the information when required by the officers.
All analyses and drawings are organized into layers, each toggleable during live tasks and planning. Click the soldier button to view on-site soldiers and access their details on the dashboard.
02 Monitor
The GIS API with real-time satellite and terrain data
The user can monitor the live movement of soldiers with various styles, and GIS data like terrain contour coordinates can be instantly downloaded for analysis. This is integrated with the drafted drawing
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03 Analyze
Click the trainee icon for a dashboard overview of personal info and mission details.
Dashboard info includes:
1. Personal info and history
2. Live stats: Time on task, tasks completed, and objective rate
3. AI suggestions and on-site action analysis, like recommending the nearest exit based on soldier and location.
How did we get here?
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I used User Interviews, Diary studies, and Focused group activities to get insights from army officers and the engineering team
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Interviews (n= 8)
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE PRODUCT?
I interviewed the office team and users to discern expectations and company capacity, revealing the need for a "vision" rather than a full product design for funding presentations and ongoing project support.
Diary studies ( n = 5 )
WHAT IS YOUR WORKFLOW AND PROCESS WHILE TRAINING?
We conducted a diary study since we were not allowed on-site due to security reasons. Through this, we understood and built a timeline of the user task.
Focus group ( n=5 )
HOW WILL THE PRODUCT HELP IN YOUR PROCESS?
I conducted a group activity with the R&D engineering team and users, using the product prototype on-site to identify problems and discuss solutions with the engineering team.
THE PROBLEM
From the research I gathered they face the following challenges
Operational complexities due to reliance on multiple separate vendor applications.
Constrained by rudimentary methods like online forms, written timers, and manual map movements.
Lack of streamlined procedure for recording soldiers' movement paths and task completion times.
Inefficient workflow made it difficult for officers to analyze the trainee's optimal task-solving methods.
THE USER
The trainee and the commanding officer ​
The primary user has a system in which the planning of the tasks are done and seen through CCTV
The secondary user stands on-site during the training to observe the tasks being executed by the trainee soldiers and to note their actions.
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There are two ways of training Indoor tactical training and Outdoor.
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The primary user is the officer who plans the layout of the indoor space or gathers data on the outdoor environment where training can take place
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The primary user drafts the plan and defines the task in collaboration with other officers based on previous tasks conducted
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The secondary user is the manager who oversees the activities during the training like movement, and time, and records their details for future analysis
THE CHORE CHART
Below is the workflow of a task planner officer before UX changes and highlighted are the most common external vendor software used
START THE DESIGN
From the research I understood the product can help in the following three categories
Drafting
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Streamlined surveying, GIS analysis, and internal plan layout drafting.
Monitoring
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The live OPS integrated with drafting workflow monitored soldier movements live.
Analyzing
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Dashboard for monitoring individuals and request AI-driven movement suggestions.
Then I built user flows for each category....
By doing this, I could cut down on certain manual tasks like recording, and surveying into the system to build a new workflow
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Here's the revised workflow: It reflects UX changes and emphasizes a streamlined process through system automation and app integration. Data can generate reports and AI suggestions.
In conclusion, I understood that approximately 65% of time goes into planning, only 5% goes into actual training, and 30% in analysis.
With these clues, I built a timeline of their tasks and wireframes​
WIREFRAMES AND ITERATIONS
Wireframes were designed and each wireframe was internally tested among the PM and robotics team...
Then, we developed the initial wireframe design for the project, incorporating key features identified during the interview phase. Here is the evolution of the wireframe as the design progressed, shaped by feedback received from the team.
Wireframe iteration 01
Key improvement feedback from the users
1. Tools lack grouping or categorization.
2. Soldier on site isn't clearly distinguished.
3. Main screen lacks data on the soldier.
4. UI scale and proportion need improvement.
Wireframe iteration 02
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Changes made in iteration 02
1. Grouped top bar tools into proper categories based on Information architecture.
2. Enhanced expressiveness by changing icons.
3. Made the chat box a movable tab, capable of being pinned.
4. Refined the screen layout.
Wireframe iteration 03
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Changes made in iteration 03
1. Expanded the chat box to serve as the AI suggestion box.
2. Marked safe and danger areas, with detailed explanations in the chat box.
Wireframe iteration 04
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Changes made in iteration 04
1. Layout split to multitask based on user needs.
2. Linked Google Maps and Q-GIS for enhanced planning information.
3. System prompted for dark mode considering working conditions.
4. Proposed a dashboard framework.
Final wireframe iteration
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Changes made in final iteration
1. The UI was made to look like one comprehensive software
2. The dashboard information was curated and designed to show the immediate necessary information
3. One design system was built for the screen and further expansion of software
TESTIMONY INSIGHTS AND LEARNINGS
The screen design was utilized in the company's funding pitch presentation, successfully securing Phase 01 funding for the project.
