Dashboard & Digital Transformation
GoSeattleFire
A rapid design challenge to create a digital platform that streamlines emergency response, resource allocation, and data-driven decision-making for the Seattle Fire Department.
Duration
Collaborators
Tools
1 week | May 2024 - Design Hackathon
Figma, Miro, Lucidchart
Researchers, Designers, Developers
Project overview
This project focused on designing a digital platform to help the Seattle Fire Department manage emergency incidents more efficiently. The goal was to streamline resource allocation, improve communication, and leverage data-driven insights to enhance operational decision-making.
Problem
01
02
03
Unfamiliar Workflows
Complex Information Hierarchy
The medical device market is dominated by wholesalers and distributors, leading to inflated costs and slow, inefficient supply chains.
The current system is time-consuming and overly complex, delaying quick access to needed products.
Manufacturers and sales representatives struggle to directly reach medical businesses, limiting their ability to market and sell products.
Multiple Stakeholders
Problem statement and prompt
Problem Statement
The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) has been facing an increasing call load, with a record-setting 111,319 emergency responses in 2023—a nearly five percent increase from the previous year. The rise in incidents, including vacant building fires, automatic fire alarms, suspected overdoses, and cardiac arrests, has highlighted inefficiencies in their current emergency response and resource management systems.
The department seeks a digital solution to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness by streamlining communication, optimizing resource allocation, and improving data-driven decision-making.
Solution Overview
To address these challenges, I designed a comprehensive digital platform tailored to the unique needs of the Seattle Fire Department. This platform enables Seattle fire department to:
Efficiently manage incidents: A centralized system to log, track, and assign resources to emergency calls in real-time.
Enhance resource allocation: Smart dispatching based on availability, proximity, and urgency to ensure optimal response times.
Improve reporting and data analysis: Generate reports based on historical data to identify trends, optimize resource planning, and improve future responses.
Solution
Reflection
This design challenge was a great exercise in working under tight deadlines—I had only two days to go from problem to solution. Unlike actual UX work, where there’s more time for research and iteration, this required making quick decisions and trusting my instincts. One key lesson was not to overthink and checking the data, defining the core needs, and diving into design early helped streamline the process.
Designing for emergency services also meant tackling complex workflows and ensuring the interface was clear, efficient, and actionable. Working on the dashboard and resource allocation flows reinforced how important it is to balance simplicity with functionality. Ultimately, this experience highlighted how quick iteration and focusing on core user needs can lead to an effective solution, even under constraints.
