Owner Dashboard
Redesigning a dashboard for
U.S. Property Owners
Role
UX/UI, QA, Writing a guide for users
Duration
2 weeks
Brief
In a nutshell
Leave management system tailored for shift commanders and firefighters, aimed at simplifying the process of requesting, approving, and tracking leaves.
The problem
Still manual, still slow
In many fire stations, leave management is still a manual and time-consuming process that lacks real-time updates. The process relies on spreadsheets, Google Docs, text messages, or paper forms.
“I’m a shift commander, not an office secretary”
Shimon, a shift commander
“How can I see all of my requests this month?”
Tamir, a firefighter
The goal
Less paperwork, more clarity
Creating a platform for our users that will simplify shift coordination, minimize administrative workload, and effectively meet their diverse needs.
User research
Insights & takeaways
To gain a clear understanding of the current leave-management workflow from both user perspectives, the PM and I conducted in-depth interviews with 4 shift commanders and 5 firefighters. Our key insights are summarized below:
Insights for shift commanders
- Want to receive warnings when approving leave could lead to insufficient staffing.
- Would like to be notified whenever a new request is waiting for their approval.
- Want to view the reason behind each employee’s leave request.
- Prefer approving each request separately instead of approving several requests at once.
- Need the ability to reverse approvals or rejections.
- Need quick insights into team leave activity.
- Sometimes firefighters may be required to come in on their day off, so it’s important that they are prepared.
- Want the employees requesting leave to find themselves a replacement and update them.
Insights for firefighters
- Need visibility into others’ leave schedules to know when they can request time off.
- Want real-time updates when a leave request is approved or rejected.
- Send a leave request for several hours.
- Would like to track their remaining sick leave and vacation days.
- Need the ability to export leave data to Excel.
- Search historical requests from the beginning of the year.
Jobs to be done
For shift commanders
Who
As a shift commander who is dealing with multiple tasks simultaneously,
When
when I need to approve my employees’ leaves,
What
I want to review requests quickly and clearly
Why
so I can make informed decisions that keep the station fully staffed.
Defining the solution
Key product features
Using Claude to analyze user tasks and workflows, we identified the essential features to support all users effectively
Real-time notifications
Instant updates for all users when a request is submitted, approved or rejected.
Reversible decisions
The ability to reverse an approval or a rejection at any time.
Replacement workflow
A staff replacement confirmation flow before a request moves forward.
Desktop & mobile
All essential functionality for firefighters and shift commanders, in-station and in the field.
Staffing warnings
Automatic warnings when approving a request may drop staffing below the required minimum.
Calendar view
Personal and team-level calendars, depending on permissions.
Search & filtering
Find any request quickly with search and filters.
Export to Excel
Leave data exported to Excel for reporting and archiving.
Early usability testing
Feature & flow validation
Once we defined an early concept for the shift commanders’ home page, we tested it with users to ensure it addressed their needs.
Designing the solution
Search & filter requests
The final version of the homepage is more concise than the initial wireframes, as it became clear that the first section of the red line could not be effectively managed on this screen.
Calendar view
A simple and focused experience that allows shift commanders to see request overlaps in a second.
Mobile view
This modul is built for constant access, ensuring that shift commanders can reach essential tools and information directly from their mobile devices, both on and off duty.
Jobs to be done
For firefighters
Who
As a firefighter whose schedule is very tense,
When
when I need to take a vacation leave or plan time off,
What
I want to request and manage my vacation leave easily
Why
so I can take time off without disrupting team coverage.
Requests visibility
After sketching both mobile and desktop versions, it was decided as MVP to develop only a mobile view for firefighters, as they spend most of their time on the move.
Looking back
Challenges & discoveries
1
While it was important for firefighters to view others’ requests, most commanders were firmly against it, so we had to change it later.
2
I didn’t anticipate that adding an option to reverse decisions would complicate the flow. It ended up adding five extra hours.
3
Since the development started 6 months after we finished the design, it was hard to recall exactly every detail.
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