RAPID SAFETY APP
Streamlining emergency communication for field operations
DCP Midstream
SUMMARY
I joined an energy company as Lead UX Designer to address critical challenges in emergency event management. Field crews faced delays resolving urgent plant incidents due to fragmented communication across platforms and departments.
We aimed to create a unified application that would streamline communication and accelerate emergency response times. I led user research to uncover key pain points affecting team coordination and response. Collaborating with the product manager, we defined MVP features and designed an integrated communication app.
Through simulated testing, the solution showed significant improvements in emergency event resolution times and enhanced worker safety protocols.
My role: Lead UX Designer responsible for end-to-end design and research, collaborating with internal customers, subject matter experts, product managers, and engineering teams.
THE PROBLEM
Interviews with cross-functional leaders revealed widespread pain points—inconsistent responsiveness and lack of accountability in emergency communications.
Core Challenges
- •Fragmented communication across platforms during critical incidents
- •Delays in emergency response due to unclear escalation paths
- •No single source of truth for event status
- •Field teams operating with connectivity constraints
- •Lack of accountability for incident resolution
I facilitated a problem-framing workshop and design sprint. Department leads identified the central mission: "To be the single, verified source for unplanned event status and communication, accessible from anywhere, anytime."
“This app realizes our mission of building internal trust and ensuring the safety of our workers”
CUSTOMER JOURNEY
I developed service blueprints to map key touchpoints and critical need gaps for distributed teams in demanding field environments. I added a technical layer highlighting constraints and opportunities in these environments.
The journey revealed Gas Controllers as primary coordinators for emergency events. However, workflows involved multiple stakeholders across locations and departments, requiring careful communication orchestration.
I translated insights into jobs-to-be-done:
Control Room Operator: When I recognize a potential threat to field personnel, I need to alert them to take corrective action to avoid hazardous events.
Field Technician: When alerted to a rising threat, I need to quickly communicate with Control to develop and execute resolution strategies.
To address connectivity issues, I introduced an offline resolution guide and auto-reconnect feature for areas with limited cell coverage.
“Regional Directors, Control Operators and Field Crews are aware and accountable of exceptions across all field locations”
DESIGN APPROACH
I began by mapping user experience through service blueprints that outlined relationships between key user types throughout emergency response journeys. This communicated value to executive stakeholders and secured project alignment.
Research identified Gas Controllers as primary users responsible for initiating emergency events. Given their critical coordination role, we prioritized this functionality for MVP.
The core challenge: create a communication system that worked reliably across diverse field environments while maintaining the speed and clarity required for emergency response.
DESIGN EVOLUTION
I progressed through multiple phases, incorporating feedback from users and stakeholders:
Phase 1: Research and Mapping Initial sketches and service blueprints to understand the emergency response ecosystem and identify key intervention points.
Phase 2: Information Architecture Created task flows that served as prototype foundations, focusing on Gas Controllers' need to initiate and coordinate emergency events.
Phase 3: Wireframes and Prototypes Developed and tested wireframes with users in field and control room environments, optimizing critical task flows based on usability insights.
Key iterations
- •Optimized exception patterns for faster event management
- •Improved severity signals for clearer priority communication
- •Added ability to reopen closed exceptions
- •Developed notification schema for proper escalation
MEASURING SUCCESS
We implemented performance tracking focused on emergency response efficiency and user satisfaction. Through simulated testing with internal users, we measured resolution times, communication clarity, and adoption patterns.
Results
- •High user satisfaction scores in testing
- •Significant improvement in exception resolution time during simulations
- •Positive feedback on communication clarity and accountability
TECHNICAL FOUNDATIONS
Working with engineering teams, I designed the system to handle demanding field operation requirements, including offline capabilities and reliable reconnection protocols. The solution integrated with existing operational dashboards while providing standalone mobile functionality.
I delivered comprehensive design documentation including journey maps, service blueprints, interaction flows, personas, and functional prototypes to ensure accurate translation across desktop and mobile platforms.
IMPACT
Although cancelled due to economic challenges and COVID-19, the design process provided significant organizational value.
Process outcomes
- •Established unified understanding of emergency communication pain points
- •Created scalable design framework for future safety-critical applications
- •Developed user research methodology for field operations
- •Built stakeholder alignment around emergency response priorities
Design foundation
- •Complete design system for emergency communication
- •Validated approach to offline-capable field applications
- •Proven methodology for cross-departmental collaboration in safety contexts
This project demonstrated how user-centered design can address complex operational challenges while building organizational alignment around critical safety priorities.