US Air Force
UX Research
Interface Design
Prototyping
Client Enablement
My responsibility as a product designer was to find a way to improve efficiency and quality for maintainers working on the F-15, F-16, and A-10 aircrafts. I spent countless hours engaging with maintainers and observing them work on jets. I also coached and mentored a group Airmen selected to become UX designers.
Flightline efficiency
By eliminating paper forms used to log aircraft maintenance we aimed to:
Observing aircraft maintenance on the flightline.
Building Empathy
User Interviews
We interviewed maintenance crews from Air Force bases across the country to understand their needs and painpoints when documenting work.
Observations
We spent many hours on the flightline observing the maintenance process first hand. We used this experience to understand the responsibilities of each crew and conditions in which they work.
Time Studies
We timed how long maintenance crews spent documenting maintence from flightline to desktop workstation. This information allowed us to quantify the positive impact our product would have on the documentation process.
Card Sorting
In order to prioritize our work, we used card sorting exercises to see what outcomes mattered most to expeditors.
What we discovered
Facilitating a design sketching session with the Airforce.
Initial prototype design.
Evaluative Research
During prototype tests we uncovered several insights including:
Day and night modes.
Choosing a shift allowed users to load their jobs for that day.
An expeditor occasioinally needs to create a new job on the fly. (Pun intended)
An expeditor can add previously scheduled jobs that are not assigned to her shift.
An expeditor is required to leave "Shift Notes" so that the incoming expeditor has enough information.
Erick Arias
erick@erickarias.com
© 2023 Erick Arias