The partnership. My team and I partnered with GravityDrive through Purdue’s UX Design Experience Studio.
The focus. A centralized platform for crew leads, building on research from the previous semester.
The challenge
Fragmented tools. Paper-heavy processes make coordination and reporting harder.
Competing demands. Crew leads balance fieldwork with scheduling, equipment tracking, and administration.
The design goal
Design a centralized platform that enables landcare teams, especially crew leads, to efficiently manage operations, track resources, and make informed decisions in real time.
Milestone 01 · Research
Understand the work behind the workflow.
Building on prior research and listening to crew leads to define a grounded direction for the platform.
Set research priorities. Used recurring themes to challenge assumptions and guide design.
Primary Research
02
Secondary Research
Reviewed industry research. Explored technology adoption, environmental factors, and workforce productivity.
Connected evidence. Compared literature findings with interview insights.
Secondary Research
03
Past Work Review
Built on prior work. Reviewed the previous semester’s research and documentation.
Identified gaps. Refocused the project around crew leads’ needs.
Past Work Review
04
Image Board
Explored visual direction. Gathered branding and layout references.
Aligned the interface. Used the board to guide hierarchy and visual consistency.
Image Board
05
Competitive Analysis
Compared landcare tools. Reviewed features, strengths, and usability weaknesses.
Found opportunities. Used the comparison to inform the platform’s direction.
Competitive Analysis
06
Site Map
Organized the system. Mapped features, navigation, and relationships.
Established a foundation. Clarified user pathways before wireframing.
Site Map · Details blurred for confidentiality
07
Crazy 8’s Sketching
Generated alternatives. Used rapid sketches to explore multiple layouts.
Refined together. Compared ideas before selecting a shared direction.
Crazy 8’s Sketching · Details blurred for confidentiality
Milestone 02 · Concepts
Turn field insights into structure.
Sketching, prioritizing, and testing concepts before refining the platform’s information architecture.
08
Group Sketching
Combined our ideas. My team and I brought our Crazy 8’s concepts into a unified design.
Aligned on workflows. We resolved layout and structure decisions before wireframing.
Group Sketching · Details blurred for confidentiality
09
Second Round Interviews
Tested ideas in context. Used virtual interviews and field research to evaluate sketches.
Checked workflow fit. Identified where concepts needed refinement.
Second Round Interviews
10
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Defined core screens. Translated sketches into digital layouts and user flows.
Prioritized structure. Evaluated navigation before adding visual detail.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes · Details blurred for confidentiality
11
Priority Matrix
Ranked features. Considered importance and usability for crew leads.
Narrowed the scope. Focused effort on the most relevant components.
Priority Matrix
12
Concept Testing
Gathered direct feedback. Tested concepts with crew leads and managers.
Refined the direction. Reviewed clarity, usefulness, and missing functionality.
Concept Testing
13
Refined Site Map
Updated the architecture. Revised the site map after concept testing.
Aligned features and flows. Incorporated feedback into the navigation structure.
Refined Site Map · Details blurred for confidentiality
14
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Added interaction detail. Refined layouts, hierarchy, and workflows.
Prepared for high fidelity. Resolved structural questions before final visuals.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes · Details blurred for confidentiality
Milestone 03 · Refinement
Make the system ready for what’s next.
Refining workflows through iteration and usability testing, then preparing the high-fidelity prototype for handoff.
15
Design Iterations
Iterated from evidence. Combined concept feedback, priorities, and usability findings.
Improved clarity. Refined workflows around crew leads’ needs.
Design Iterations · Details blurred for confidentiality
16
Usability Testing
Evaluated usability together. My team and I used task-based, think-aloud sessions to evaluate the prototype.
Identified friction. We observed confusing navigation and interactions to guide our revisions.
Usability Testing
17
High-Fidelity Prototype
Built the final prototype. Integrated feedback into a consistent, interactive experience.
Prepared for handoff. Documented recommendations for future expansion and implementation.
High-Fidelity Prototype · Details blurred for confidentiality
The outcome
A foundation for connected operations.
Delivered a prototype. Brought scheduling, equipment tracking, project progress, and resources into one central experience.
Supported next steps. Prepared developer handoff recommendations for further development.
Final prototype overview · Screens blurred in the original imageReflection · My growth as a designer
What I learned. What I carry forward.
Understand the work before designing the tool.
What I learned. Crew leads balance field responsibilities with scheduling, equipment, and reporting. A screen has to support that context.
How I grew. I learned to connect interface decisions to real tasks instead of starting with features or visual inspiration.
Prioritize with a reason.
What I learned. The priority matrix helped narrow a complex platform to the components most relevant to crew leads.
How I grew. I became more comfortable making tradeoffs and explaining what belongs in scope, rather than trying to include everything.
Match the feedback to the question.
What I learned. Crew lead feedback helped us assess workflow fit, while our usability testing helped us identify friction in the prototype. I learned that these methods answer different questions.
How I grew. I learned to be clearer about what testing supports and what still needs validation with the people who will use the product.
