AI-SCHEDULE: Scheduling
recommendation system
UI Design
Usability testing
June 2023--present
OVERVIEW:
I wrote and conducted usability tests and assisted UI design for a scheduling recommendation system. This product combines automated recommendations with visual tools to help military planners assess and adjust reconnaissance missions and maximize efficiency. This is an improvement over traditional scheduling methods and offers additional interactive tools on one platform, while minimizing clutter.
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MY GOALS:
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Write user script and usability test
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Conduct usability test and collect feedback
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Implement feedback on UI scheduling matrix
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Obtain feedback from subject matter expert
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PROCESS
Writing a User script and Usability Test
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I wrote a user script with 6 tasks for our users to complete. The moderated usability test assessed the navigation and layout of the product, as well as specific features. Specific features tested include automated schedule recommendations, schedule overview, map views, asset comparisons, and asset scheduling.
Impact:
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Prompted evaluative usability feedback on its major features and layout
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Allowed collection of both behavioral and attitudinal data
Conducting Usability Test
​I facilitated the usability test with two users, each session taking about 45 minutes. After each task, I asked follow up questions to gain insight into the user’s behavior, attitudes, and emotions. Following the tests, we brought both users together for a brief focus group.
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Impact:
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Gained valuable insight into the product and UX
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Users trusted the recommendation system, disliked coverage views, and found the navigation and schedule to be intuitive
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Users suggested adding transit time to the schedule view
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Gave direction for changes in the next iteration
UI Design and usability feedback
I assisted UI design for the scheduling matrix, implementing feedback from the usability test. One important change was to represent transit time on the schedule (click the photo below to compare). Users mentioned that this plays an important role in understanding schedules and meeting plan requirements.
Impact:
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Visualizing transit time helps user’s analyze asset coverage and make informed decisions for target-asset pairings
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Additional UI elements indicate beginning and end times if a mission goes into the next day, reducing the number of clicks and time it takes for the user to assess coverage
Comparison of schedule matrix before and after implementation of usability feedback
Evaluative Usability
I spoke with our subject matter expert who mentioned additional events and operations that need to be accounted for when scheduling (see the photo below). She also explained what our users’ generally expect to see on their schedules, which affects the UI design for the matrix.
Impact:
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I chose 4 color-coded categories for the schedule, each representing an event or operation type, with additional icons to distinguish different subgroups within each category (ie ground operations are distinguished from air reconnaissance missions; the type of ground operation is represented by an icon)
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Users can quickly understand schedule availability from their icons and color codes
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Hovering over icons and asset-target pairings helps quickly reveal details, maximizing efficiency and helping users assess plan coverage
These four screen shots show how the schedule matrix reacts to various behaviors
Next Steps:
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This product will soon be undergoing another round of usability testing. After gaining more feedback, the changes will be implemented and will undergo continuous iterations and refinement of the use case to prepare it for implementation.
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Main programs Used: Figma