Koordinates
Desktop app that monitors changes to GIS datasets.
Role
Product Designer
Tools
Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud
Skills
Design Systems, Information Architecture, Project Management, Prototyping, User-Centered Design, User Research, UX/UI Design, Visual Design, Wireframing
Length
1 Year
Beginning the design process with quick wireframes.
In the Geographic Information System (GIS) sector, data management tools are often restricted to organisational use. Koordinates tackled this by introducing Kart: an open-source Git wrapper designed for spatial data. While Kart worked well for users familiar with command-line tools, we needed a user-friendly app for everyone else.
We kicked off the design process by sketching out quick ideas, creating flow diagrams, and crafting simple wireframes to understand the anticipated user actions in the app.
We kicked off the design process by sketching out quick ideas, creating flow diagrams, and crafting simple wireframes to understand the anticipated user actions in the app.
Exploring the update flow inside the app.
Given that concepts like Git were new to many in the GIS field, we aimed to design an interface that was intuitive and easy to pick up. We combined ideas from existing version control programs and GIS software to create something a bit more familiar and user-friendly.
Speeding up designs and testing with functional prototypes.
Feedback loops were vital to our design process. Design prototypes were tested by in-house GIS and Git experts and these guided further UI enhancements.
A handful of clients were also involved early on with prototypes showcasing core user flows. This led to the development of an alpha app build, which underwent further refinement based on these feedback loops.
A handful of clients were also involved early on with prototypes showcasing core user flows. This led to the development of an alpha app build, which underwent further refinement based on these feedback loops.
Feedback from Figma, Slack, whiteboard photos, and more.
We worked hard to build on our existing product UI and design patterns. This led to me creating a library of reusable assets in Figma, which then became the backbone of our app and other products.
Consistent design language across our desktop app and online service.
This journey led to a Beta version of the app which met functional requirements and also gained positive feedback from key clients. Initial testing and interviews showed promise, with ongoing development and feedback loops refining the app further.
