Intellibridge

Intellibridge

Intellibridge

Air Force Scheduling: Mobile Redesign

Air Force Scheduling: Mobile Redesign

Air Force Scheduling: Mobile Redesign

Role

Role

Role

UI/UX Designer

Length

2 weeks

Team

Individual

Year

2024

📝 Overview

📝 Overview

📝 Overview

The U.S. Air Force flies missions to respond quickly to threats, support ground forces, and carry out important tasks like rescue operations. Squadrons have tedious, manual processes to schedule missions, involving referencing whiteboards, physical papers, and multiple outdated websites. More time spent scheduling means less time in the skies. Puckboard is a 6,000+ monthly user digital platform that mitigates aircrew frustrations with one simple and intuitive experience so they can focus on flying.


Aircrew members are always on the go, so optimizing for a familiar, easy-to-use mobile version was crucial. This specific project aimed to deliver a cohesive and user-friendly experience across the platform, ensuring all users could efficiently navigate and leverage the scheduling features.

The Problem

Product Comparison

Research & Discovery

US Air Force users dealt with busy schedules
and a difficult interface

The complexity of the product
steered users away

Several US Air Force squadrons were interviewed through online calls and they shared similar insights and frustrations with the mobile experience. I also drew conclusions of their pain points from a design perspective:

Building on these insights, I embarked on a comprehensive redesign process to address user pain points and create an intuitive, user-friendly experience.

UX Redesign

Creating a more modern, cohesive experience

The original Puckboard scheduling mobile experience was difficult to navigate and unclear on what actions could be taken, leading to friction in the user experience. Some of these issues included:


  • The most important actions for schedulers aren't shown at a glance

  • Information is displayed in confusing patterns that aren't familiar to users

  • Brand and feel of the mobile product didn't align with the desktop

  • It's not intuitive on how to navigate between pages

User Flows

I created a user flow to map out the steps users would take to navigate pages based on their role as an aircrew member (pilots, loadmasters) or mission scheduler. Defaulting to the member view instead of scheduler allows squadron members to carry out their main tasks more quickly on the go as schedulers use desktop to plan out missions.

I made changes from an older hi-fi iteration in order to make better use of vertical space and to categorize sections of information better.

Mission Details

Balancing all important information needed to fly missions while keeping a simple experience that wasn't too overwhelming was challenging for me. User insights and design feedback allowed me to hone in on my visual design skills to ensure better display of information.



Product Showcase

Schedulers

Schedulers can view missions that are filled or have empty seats and view requests to approve or deny.

Aircrew

Aircrew members can view their upcoming events, AI-recommended events, pending requests and can request for events.

Feedback & Results

Big impact on usability and user engagement

Good design sets up the product for
the future

This mobile experience redesign has been released to users and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive! Schedulers and crew members are able to complete important tasks like view upcoming events, request for roles, and approve and deny members from events more efficiently. Users who have hesitated using the old mobile experience are open to the new and improved product. We are in the process of continuously monitoring user feedback moving forward.

The power of a design system.


The creation and implementation of a robust design

system can lead to consistency, scalability, and

improved efficiency in product design and development.

This experience has reinforced my belief in the

fundamental role of design systems in elevating the

craft of design.


It's important to prioritize scalability early.


The redesign not only improves the current state of the product but

also sets the stage for future growth and development. A

well-designed system is adaptable and efficient.

Users have expressed their satisfaction

"The difference is like night and day."


-A US Air Force Scheduler

"There are no complaints on the message channels from the haters; it's been silent!"


-A US Air Force Scheduler

Learnings & Reflection

Designers read in between the lines from users

Good design sets up the product for
the future

Be intentional with each design decision.


Making sure each change in a design is thoughtful with the user problem in mind instead of focusing too much on the aesthetic. The balance between visuals and practical design makes the design more cohesive.


User preferences doesn't always mean it's the best way to design a feature.


Users often express what they think they want, but it's up to the designer to make decisions that truly improve their experience by addressing their underlying needs.

The power of a design system.


The creation and implementation of a robust design

system can lead to consistency, scalability, and

improved efficiency in product design and development.

This experience has reinforced my belief in the

fundamental role of design systems in elevating the

craft of design.


It's important to prioritize scalability early.


The redesign not only improves the current state of the product but

also sets the stage for future growth and development. A

well-designed system is adaptable and efficient.

Let's Connect! ☺️

Feel free to send a message, I'd love to chat about my projects, interests, design, or anything else!

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