Ofire+ enables authorities to prevent or manage hazards wildfires, coordinate field volunteers, or inform the general public about them in a meaningful and accessible way.

The solution includes a client side mobile app which is paired with a SAAS web application for local authorities who act as a local admin. Map interactions and in-map user reporting is a crucial parts of the app for both mobile and web.

Resilient communities and local authorities are the main use cases to inform the citizens of the community in a simple and meaningful way.

The project's kick off involved multiple workshops with the product team to understand the product's vision, the business logic, the pain points the team had already researched, and to elaborate on previous research or assumptions the product team had already concluded.

The product had already an MVP solution when the collaboration started. I completed a thorough UX review (cognitive walkthrough) on the existing solution noting everything that could be of use later. Heuristic evaluation was completed but with a lesser detail due to the overall upcoming redesign.

Findings were cross-checked with the business΄ needs and the product's vision.

Simultaneously, research was also conducted for competitive solutions, like hazard prevention apps, in various parts of the world, contributing to the overall design solution proposal. What we found is that in most cases on the cognitive level the apps score fairly well, with the exception the regular overload that exhibited. On aesthetics level, in most cases the apps were lacking to such extent that exhibit usability issues, with the exception of only few.

Interviews were conducted with users representing different audiences. These interviews were conducted with semi-structured questionnaire and led to a clear definition of audiences.

Ι included interviews with municipality employees and representatives of local authorities. We also deemed it appropriate to talk with firemen and they shared valuable insights. Another audience we considered extremely important were the field volunteers. These people belongs to groups who officially help in time of crises or emergencies.

All the findings led design decisions to a sustainable Information Architecture and relevant User Flows, including real user needs and pains as they already had interacted with the solution. Those findings, shared with the rest of the product team inside appropriate workshops assisted in team alignment and focus

An important aspect that affected every part of the design was that the application should be accessible by everyone. That meant appropriate microcopy and provision in design for fonts, contrast etc

I use wireframes to assist the team in visualising the proposed solution, on board early on the developers so it is easier to make changes that don't cost. Of course the outcome is a team who is more aligned

For the design concept the main goal was to create agnostic components so that micro frontend development to create organisations that constituted the design. Another important note is that a separate exercise had to be mad, so as to deliver proposals and options about map colours, cartography details and related visual metaphors. As a result, the UI Design of the map had also to be tested with the users to ensure that the information delivered was fast, clear and consistent

Besides the aforementioned other main challenges included

"What get's measured get's managed" as the saying goes. The corresponding Admin app, installed on monucipality HQ is managed by personel. Through that platform among other advanced capabilities the admin is able through mathematical model, the admin is able to calculate the dangers and visualise the model visually in a meaningful and comprehensive way, also communicating with field volunteers who can report incidents or hazards to the "War Room".

The product already has done serious impact in preventing fires in Greece and is currently scaled to be implemented in many more authorities enabling them to secure forest and areas characterized as natura.

Stakeholders, public employees and partners were thrilled by the quality of work and the simplicity of UX in complex tasks.

Christos Katramados CEO & CoFounder at GroovyGenie.com