About the Client
A leading government research institution focused on advancing science and technology to support national security initiatives. The organization conducts cutting-edge research in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced materials, and human performance to develop innovative solutions that enhance operational capabilities and support personnel on the ground.
About the Project
The Soldier Engagement Platform (SEP) was created to collect feedback from soldiers testing weaponry in the field and is part of a suite of integrated tools designed to support the life cycle of Army R&D and acquisition processes.
While the SEP effectively gathered data, the platform lacked response visualizations, making it challenging for users to interpret survey results in a timely and actionable manner.
To address this challenge, I was the lead UX designer of a Responses Page, which focused on creating a comprehensive visualization of survey results.
My Role:
UX Designer
Year:
2024
Service Provided:
UX Design, User Interface
Process
Every successful design project is rooted in a well-structured and iterative process. For Soldier Engagement, my approach was centered around collaboration, feedback loops, and constant refinements to ensure we met both business goals and user needs.
Information Gathering in FigJam
Initiating any design project requires a comprehensive understanding of the product's objectives, user needs, and potential challenges. During interactive workshops, I utilized FigJam to collaboratively brainstorm, gather insights, and map out initial user journeys.
Defining Success
Defining success for this project required close collaboration with Product Strategy and our Product Manager. Through discussions, we established key objectives, outlined design requirements, and aligned on measurable outcomes to guide the design process.
Market Research & Competitive Analysis
To inform our design decisions, I conducted thorough market research and competitive analysis, examining industry trends, user expectations, and best practices to remain externally consistent.
Wireframe Sketching
With a foundational understanding in place, I transitioned to sketching out wireframes. This step was crucial in visualizing the flow and layout of the responses page, allowing stakeholders to get a tangible sense of the proposed design direction.
Data Viz Library Research
To streamline both engineering and design efforts, I worked closely with our engineering team to identify the most effective data visualization library, ultimately selecting Visx for its flexibility and performance.
Prototyping
Transforming static wireframes into clickable prototypes helped in assessing the usability and functionality of the designs. Utilizing tools Figma’s prototyping capabilities, I crafted interactive models of the responses page for testing and feedback.
Feedback Sessions
Feedback sessions were conducted in a series of meetings to gather opinions, address concerns, and iterate on the designs, ensuring all decisions were data-informed.
High-Fidelity Design
Post feedback incorporation, I refined the wireframes into high-fidelity designs, detailing out the visual aesthetics, animations, and micro-interactions for a polished user experience.
Feedback Sessions cont.
Handoff to Developers
Ensuring a seamless transition from design to development was key. I have provided the dev team with assets, style guides, and interaction details, ensuring the envisioned designs were brought to life accurately.
Post-Launch Evaluations
After the page’s release, ongoing engagement with end users and continuous monitoring of user behavior were essential. Regular feedback allowed us to identify usability issues early, ensuring iterative improvements based on real-world usage and user needs
Key Features
Interactive Wordcloud
An interactive word cloud highlights commonly used terms, allowing users to filter responses by selecting meaningful words—revealing underlying themes with a single click. Pairing this with specific quotes from Soldiers adds powerful, human-centered insight, turning data into a compelling narrative that leaders can act on.
Problem Statement
Easily navigate to meaningful insights from Soldiers.
Solution
Interactive word cloud that filters responses by selecting meaningful word within cloud.
Exporting Key Survey Assets
Within the Army, reports are essential deliverables, particularly in the innovation space. To enhance Soldier Engagement’s utility, we focused on enabling Officers to efficiently export survey summary graphs in a format that best suits their needs, ensuring seamless integration into their reporting workflows.
Problem Statement
Users needed the ability to easily export survey results containing only the information they needed.
Solution
Integrated a customizable export capability on all survey question results.
Summary
The Soldier Engagement Responses page took the platform from MVP to delivering actionable insights for use. Key achievements include increasing user confidence in our platform, designing for a more secure platform and giving users a rapid and actionable view in the data they are collecting.
Key Contributions
Led workshops to gather information using FigJam
Advocated for accessibility and made sure our process was user-centric
Worked with users to understand and solve their problems
Designed comprehensive design system compenents for consistent visuals