SkyDeck: End-to-End Drone Data Management

Project Type: SaaS Application (Web & Mobile)

Overview

SkyDeck is a cloud-based and AI-powered platform designed to provide an end-to-end solution for drone data management. The application streamlines complex operations for professionals in various industries by offering a centralized system for mission planning, drone fleet management, site oversight, and project coordination.

Research

Upon joining, I began my work by validating the existing user personas: Project Manager, Mission Manager, Site Manager, Pilot, Annotator, Analyst, Administrator, Viewer, and Fleet Manager. I confirmed that this list accurately captured the key users and their needs, providing a solid foundation for my design work.

Key UX Challenges & Solutions

Challenge

Navigating a Complex Ecosystem Making a multi-faceted application—spanning mission, fleet, site, and project management—feel cohesive, intuitive, and easy to navigate was a primary challenge. A poorly structured system would overwhelm users and hinder their workflow.

Solution

Streamlined Information Architecture & Design System I addressed this by first conducting a thorough review and modification of the information architecture and navigation system, ensuring a logical flow between key modules. A key part of this effort involved a complete redesign of the landing page dashboard to provide a clear, high-level overview and act as a central hub for all core user tasks.

I also identified that the existing components were inefficient, so I refined the design system to create more compact, space-efficient UI elements. This approach not only improved navigation but also optimized the use of screen real estate.

Challenge

Transforming Data into Actionable Insights The sheer volume of drone data—including complex 2D, 3D models, and videos—presented a significant visualization challenge. The goal was to create an interface that was not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional for quick, data-driven analysis.

Solution

Purpose-Built Data Visualization I redesigned the data visualization experience by introducing a variety of dashboards and reports tailored for specific user needs. This initiative focused on translating raw data into clear, easy-to-digest visual formats, enabling users to quickly derive meaningful insights and make informed decisions.

Challenge

Optimizing Core User Workflows The annotation process is a core, repetitive task for one of our key personas. The initial workflow was inefficient and complex, leading to user friction and potential errors.

Solution

Redesigned Annotation Flow I focused on understanding the user journey to completely redesign the annotation flow. By simplifying the process and making it more straightforward, I reduced the number of steps required, which significantly improved efficiency and user satisfaction.

Additionally, I took a holistic approach by analyzing the entire user journey, from the very first interaction. This led to a full redesign of the onboarding flow, ensuring new users could quickly and confidently get started with the platform.