Alfredo Cisneros - Innovating in Graphic, Web, and UX/UI Design

CFETS 2.0

Empowering and revamping a Geospatial fire response platform used in all US territories.

· Improving efficiency and effectiveness in wildfire management operations.

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Introduction

CFETS Platform for Fire Management
CFETS Platform for Fire Management
CFETS is a web application that plays a crucial role in managing ongoing wildfire events and the assignment of radio frequencies within the Fire Enterprise Geospatial Portal (EGP). This portal is the authoritative source of standardized geospatial information for all wildfire activities, from response to planning, and covers areas across the entire US territory. As a vital tool for personnel involved in fire management operations, CFETS must be intuitive and user-friendly to enable efficient communication and coordination during critical situations. As the Lead UX/UI Designer and UX Researcher for Synergy BIS, I was tasked with evaluating and improving the UI and UX experience of the CFETS platform, a tool used by the National Interagency Fire Enterprise Geospatial Portal. The goal was to identify all the problems with the existing application and work with the product owner to document and address them, with the initial phase lasting three months.

Challenges

As the only UX/UI Designer and Researcher on the project team, I worked closely with the product owner, one product manager, one developer, and seven technicians. Despite the small team size, the project faced significant challenges due to the complex nature of the business, technical vocabulary, and organizational processes involved. Additionally, the project had a tight deadline of only three months due to budget constraints and a decision not to extend the timeline beyond that period. To overcome these challenges, I took the lead in conducting user interviews, wireframing, ideating, and prototyping the design proposals to gain valuable insights into user needs and preferences. Through effective collaboration and a data-driven approach, the team achieved positive outcomes and delivered a revamped UI/UX experience for CFETS.

Discovery Process

The initial discovery process was crucial to gaining a thorough understanding of the CFETS platform, its users’ needs, and the project’s goals. As the sole UX/UI Designer and Researcher on the project team, I took the lead in conducting user interviews with seven technicians to gather their insights and feedback on the existing application. The goal was to identify pain points and areas for improvement that would inform the redesign efforts. Through these interviews, we identified several critical challenges with the existing CFETS platform, including its complex navigation, unintuitive interface, and lack of user-centric design. Additionally, users expressed frustration with the platform’s slow response times, which hindered their ability to complete critical tasks quickly and efficiently. With these insights, I developed user personas and journeys to capture the needs and goals of different user groups within the CFETS platform. This information was then used to create wireframes and prototypes of the redesigned platform, which we tested with users to gather feedback and refine the design further. By taking a user-centric approach and leveraging data-driven insights, we created a more intuitive, streamlined, and responsive CFETS platform that better meets the needs of its users. The discovery process was critical to the project’s success, as it provided a solid foundation for the design and development efforts to follow. These were problems identified during the discovery process:
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Project Details

  • Client USDA - National Forest Service | Fire Enterprise Geospatial Portal (EGP)
  • Product EGP / CFETS
  • Industry Government
  • Category · Angular JS Web Application
    · Desktop only
  • Years 2022 - 2023