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BLTN is a crime-data sharing platform
for law enforcement to collaborate
and enhance public safety.
Timeline
June 2023 - November 2023
With
Chiwon Lee
Lauren Choi
2 Software Engineers
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Slack
Miro
Midjourney
My Role
B2B Software Design
User Research & Testing
Design System
Interaction Design
Prototyping
IA
Visual Design
overview
Meet BLTN
BLTN is a B2B law enforcement software platform developed by the award-winning GovTech company, Multitude Insights. BLTN leverages AI and NLP to navigate through unstructured crime data, aiding in case resolution. Notably, it has secured FBI CJIS certification, underscoring its commitment to superior data protection.
My role
👩🏻💻 Product design intern
Last summer, I worked under the design team at Multitude Insights for various product features involving technical UX, interface redesigns, and design system. Working closely with engineers and C-suites, I also focused on product strategy, feature scoping, and high-quality implementation. Multiple projects are shipped such as Landing page, Notifications, Groups, Dashboard and Report creation.
project background
Over 50% of crimes in the US remain unsolved due to data silo
A data silo occurs when data is stored in one place and is not easily accessible by other departments or organizations. This issue has long plagued law enforcement. Due to unresolved data silos, clearance rates — the measure of crimes solved by arrests — are at their lowest since the 1960s. The unsolved rates for property and violent crimes are 88% and 63%, respectively.
Data silos in law enforcement are like…
problem statement
How might we help law enforcement manage and consume excessive crime data efficiently to enhance crime-solving and public safety?
Problem statment
01
Main features.
Feature 1
Explore report with dual mode landing page
Users can flexibly explore excessive crime data in either grid view or map view, whichever is more convenient for them. Through in-page filtering and a side panel preview, they can quickly and efficiently discover the information they need without feeling overwhelmed.
Feature 2
Simple & streamlined report creation process
Using a smart form, users can view only the input fields relevant to the report they are creating, organized by data type to enhance accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, with the data integration tool, users can quickly generate reports without the need for manual input.
key feature 1
Over 80% of people in the USA often feel disconnected from their families
Estrangement occurs when family members grow apart and lose touch with one another. 70 million, which is 27% of Americans, are currently in an estrangement. Furthermore, at least 80% of people have felt disconnected from their family in their daily lives.
Feature 3
Efficient data consumption and collaboration
A well-organized detail page and sticky notes help users efficiently find the crucial information needed for the crime-solving process within the report's excessive data. Additionally, the side panel enhances accessibility, enabling continuous collaboration within the report.
Feature 4
Identify the crime trend with Smart Link Suggestion
AI provides potential linked crime reports with detailed analysis, eliminating the need for users to manually search, compare, and analyze crime data. Users only need to make the final decision on linking reports based on the provided analysis.
Feature 5
Share report to the team
The software's real-time chat feature allows for instant sharing of reports and collaboration not only with collaborators but also with the entire investigation team, facilitating swift and efficient teamwork.
02
Research.
project background
The Double Diamond method
Over 6 months, my team enhanced features and streamlined user flows aligning with user needs and business goals. In the process, I engaged in user interviews, stakeholder meetings, moved from low-fi to hi-fi prototyping, and conducted iterative usability testing.
user interview
Competitive analysis
To understand how other law enforcement software platforms help agencies manage and analyze crime data and collaborate effectively, I studied 9 competitors. We analyzed them based on operational functionality and collaboration efficiency. While these products vary in function and usability, none offer comprehensive solutions in data accessibility, collaboration, and streamlined workflows. This presents an opportunity for BLTN to provide a complete solution for law enforcement, supporting agencies at every stage of case management.
user research
What pain points do users face when using law enforcement software?
I conducted contextual inquiries and task analysis through Zoom interviews with 9 police officers, crime analysts, and detectives in Massachusetts to investigate the problem. Our goal was to understand the challenges users face with their current crime data-sharing software and to gather insights into the pain points and user flows of our current BLTN platform.
User research analysis
User research analysis
In order to extract the user research insights, our team conducted open coding to recognize patterns and themes. And we created an affinity diagram using Miro to categorize themes to translate into actionable UX design elements. Below are sample images of the open coding and affinity diagram conducted.
Secondary research
Understanding Challenges on Law Enforcement
By conducting further secondary research, we gained deeper insights into the persistent and deeply rooted issues in law enforcement's current data systems. This research highlighted common challenges that have persisted over time and sector trends that agencies struggle to resolve despite ongoing efforts.
Problem context
Main pain points.
01
Poor Data Accessibility and Exploration
Users are overwhelmed by the intensive, data-heavy environment, impacting their effective use of crucial data.
02
Overly Complicated Reporting System
The manual and disorganized reporting system challenge the users, leading to less frequent report sharing.
03
Challenges in Detecting Case Connections
Data overload and fragmented systems complicate case linkage and crime trend identification.
04
Barriers in Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Delays and data loss in cross-departmental communication obstruct effective collaboration in solving critical cases.
03
Ideation.
persona
introduce James
From the following key insights and pain points, we developed a main persona that reflects the typical user of our BLTN platform, highlighting their specific needs, challenges, and goals. This persona helps us ensure that our design solutions are user-centered and effectively address the real-world issues faced by law enforcement professionals.
User Research Analysis
User journey map
We developed a user journey map to articulate our findings and better understand how users interact with crime data throughout their workflows, from the initial report of a crime to case resolution. This map highlights how users consume and share crime data and collaborate to solve cases. It helped us identify breakdowns in the case management process, uncover opportunities for interventions, and empathize with the challenges users face to better address their needs.
User Research Analysis
Sketches
After mapping the user journey and engaging in extensive communication with stakeholders, I created interface sketches with detailed features to explore and visualize design concepts. I then presented these sketches to the team for feedback, and together, we developed the selected designs and features. Below are samples of these paper sketches depicting various ideas and iterations.
User Research Analysis
Mid-fi wireflow
Each week, we hold meetings with developers and C-level executives. During these meetings, we present mid-fidelity wireflows, including new features, improved user flows, and preliminary design concepts. By showcasing our progress and discussing user experience enhancements, we refine our solutions based on developer feedback regarding implementation feasibility and business goals.
04
Iterations
Iteration 1
More informative and efficient data exploration in Landin page
Our team explored various landing page options to make data exploration more flexible and efficient. We considered grid, map, board, and feed views. However, we couldn't proceed with the board view due to implementation constraints from the development team. Below are some iterations showing the process of finalizing the grid view.
iteration 2
Simple user flow, Well-structured crime report form
While developing the smart form, we faced an interesting challenge. Initially, it was not feasible to create a smart form. To address the unified form's shortcomings, we organized the necessary input fields for various reports through information architecture and created separate report forms for each type of report. Midway through my internship, a new developer joined our team, enabling us to implement the smart form. This breakthrough led to our current final product.
iteration 3
Easy to consume important data, doesn't need infinite scroll or overwhlemed by excessive data
The key to solving cases and finding connections between them is to access and consume critical information needed for the investigation. Additionally, since reports require continuous updates with additional data or information from other law enforcement users, we focused on enabling efficient collaboration within the report. To address this, we explored various solutions had multiple iterations.
iteration 4
Intuitive and clear crime case link suggestion
We found that users struggle with inefficiencies in identifying links between cases, and law enforcement is hesitant to fully rely on AI due to potential errors. Therefore, we designed a system where AI suggests reports with potential links, providing detailed justifications and explanations (XAI: Explainable AI), allowing users to review and confirm the connections.
