UX / PRODUCT DESIGN · NAVIGATE360
Enhancing Emergency Management Systems
Redesigning a high-stakes K–12 emergency platform so teachers, administrators, and first responders can act without hesitation when every second counts.
ROLE
Director of UX
COMPANY
Navigate360
METHODS
Research · A/B Testing · Design System · Usability Studies
OUTCOME
Emergency Management Suite redesign — Roll Call, Reunification, Alarm Setup
THE PROBLEM
A system that fails at the worst possible moment.
Navigate360's Emergency Management Suite was functional — but plagued by confusing navigation, excessive clicks, and an interface that hadn't kept pace with modern expectations. Teachers couldn't remember how to use it in a crisis. First responders struggled to log in under pressure. Administrators had no clear view across their buildings.
As Director of UX, I led a full redesign from research through final delivery. The mandate was clear: make this platform fast, clear, and trustworthy in the moments that matter most.
The system before redesign — functional, but navigating it during an active emergency required too many steps and too much prior knowledge
2.25/5
How first responders rated the current login process for intuitiveness and efficiency
2.75/5
Overall EMS interface usability rating during live emergencies and drills
4
Direct competitors analyzed — Raptor Technologies, CrisisGo, SafeSchools, Rave Mobile Safety
KEY CHALLENGES
Three forces driving the need for change.
Complex Interfaces
The system required too many clicks to activate an alarm — a dangerous friction point during high-stress, fast-moving emergencies. Users needed to remember what to do rather than have it be obvious.
Communication Gaps
Behavior, safety, attendance, and well-being cannot be understood in isolation. Districts need a single place where these signals blend into a complete picture — allowing consistent, proactive response before issues escalate.
Outdated Design
The EMS had fallen behind modern UI standards, making it harder to win new accounts against well-funded competitors like Raptor — preferred by prospects for its cleaner, more modern interface.
PROCESS
Research-led. Test-validated. Iterated with real users.
A five-stage design process grounded in real user behavior. Every decision was informed by research and stress-tested through multiple rounds of usability testing with the people who would use this product in a crisis.
01
Research
User interviews, surveys, competitive analysis, focus groups, data analytics
02
Empathize
Persona development, journey mapping, one-day UX workshop with affinity diagramming
03
Create
Sketching, wireframing, prototyping, unified design system development
04
Test
Two rounds of A/B usability testing — focus groups, coffee chats, scenario-based sessions
05
Develop
Track metrics, review adoption, inform next iteration roadmap
Early wireframes: Roll Call list view, Alarm Setup Wizard step-by-step flow, and Mobile Alarm Activation screens tested across device types
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
Data that shaped every design decision.
Comprehensive research with teachers, administrators, and first responders uncovered patterns that directly drove UX decisions — from device-responsive design to role-specific entry points and workflow priorities.
PERSONAlS
Three users. One platform. Very different needs.
The UX team ran a full-day workshop using affinity diagramming, customer journey mapping, and the Disney Creative Strategy to surface pain points and needs for each user type. We developed rich personas that kept design decisions grounded in reality.
Teacher
PAIN
"I need to remember how to use this product during an event" — limited training, maximum stress
GOAL
Keep students safe with minimal steps and zero cognitive overhead in an active emergency
School Administrator
PAIN
Staff reluctance to use personal devices; needs information transparency across buildings simultaneously
GOAL
Coordinate drills, maintain safety plans, and communicate with guardians across the district
First Responder
PAIN
Login process rated 2.25/5 — operates across multiple school districts using varying devices in the field
GOAL
Instant situational access with minimum friction the moment they arrive on scene
DESIGN EXPLORATION
Testing two fundamentally different mental models.
Round 1 testing pitted two design directions against each other for the Roll Call and Reunification features. The question was whether emergency accountability should feel like a checklist or a status board — each with distinct cognitive trade-offs.
Option A — Linear list view with per-student status dropdowns
Option B — Kanban board with drag-and-drop status columns
OPTION A — LINEAR LIST VIEW
TEACHER-PREFERRED
-
Sortable table with per-student status dropdowns and color-coded accountability states
-
Praised for visual clarity, mobile responsiveness, and efficient single-list format
-
Color coding made data easy to interpret quickly under pressure
-
Friction point: small font sizes, cumbersome bulk status updates
OPTION B — KANBAN COLUMN VIEW
ADMIN-PREFERRED
-
Card-based drag-and-drop interface grouped by accountability status columns
-
Administrators preferred for at-a-glance status counts and cross-building coordination
-
Intuitive columnar layout with easy filtering by class or status group
-
Friction point: overwhelming on mobile, missing notes and reunification features
"I love that a bunch of different data points will come together in one place so we can actually make heads or tails of it."
Dr. Brandon Pardoe, Director of Student Services, Williamsport Area School District
FINAL DESIGN
Roll Call & Reunification — built for the moment.
Round 2 testing validated a unified system with role-differentiated views. The final design merged the best of both directions — a single cohesive platform where teachers, administrators, and first responders each see exactly what they need, when they need it.
Final Roll Call design — alarm timeline, class-first navigation, tap-and-check status marking, and real-time chat bar
Final Reunification design — guardian check-in, color-coded status chips, and multi-student family grouping
-
Alarm timeline — a simple progress indicator showing exactly which phase of the emergency protocol users are in, eliminating confusion about next steps
-
Class-first navigation — teacher's assigned classes front and center with quick submission timestamps, so the most critical information is always visible first
-
Tap-and-check accountability — one-touch status marking designed for phone use in a live emergency, replacing multi-step dropdown interactions
-
Reunification view — guardian check-in button, color-coded status chips, and multi-student family groupings for coordinated parent pickup
-
Floating real-time chat — persistent communication bar letting staff coordinate without ever leaving the roll call screen
-
Alarm Setup Wizard — a step-by-step configuration flow replacing the legacy free-form alarm creation process, validated with internal and external testing
OUTCOMES
A platform ready to compete — and ready for a crisis.
REDUCED RESPONSE FRICTION
Eliminated excessive clicks for alarm activation. New tap-and-check workflows designed for high-stress use across any device, from a teacher's phone to a first responder's laptop.
ROLE-DIFFERENTIATED VIEWS
Tailored interfaces for teachers, administrators, and first responders — each seeing the right information at the right moment without navigating through irrelevant screens.
UNIFIED DESIGN SYSTEM
A cohesive component library built alongside the redesign enabled faster development, consistent patterns across the platform, and a credible competitive position against better-funded rivals.
VALIDATED THROUGH TESTING
Two rounds of usability testing with real stakeholders — focus groups, scenario-based sessions, and internal coffee chats — shaped every major design decision from wireframe to final delivery.