Edify Safety Case Study
Project Overview
Edify Safety (now Safety Mojo) was a mobile app designed to digitize paper-based pre-task plans, incident reports, hazard sheets, and other forms used in high-risk environments. The app aimed to reduce the time workers spent on manual safety processes by enabling them to complete these forms digitally from anywhere on-site. Additionally, the app employed AI to monitor data and identify trends that could be used to prevent future problems.
My Role
As a Junior UX/Production Designer, I was tasked with digitizing paper forms and working closely with the client to implement them using conditional logic. I standardized the user experience within the forms, reskinned various functions, and ensured that the forms were OSHA-compliant and user-friendly.
My responsibilities also included creating functional mockups for development and pitch meetings, assisting the CTO with production tasks, and rendering wireframes/flows in the existing design system. I managed the Adobe XD files and resolved UX-related issues by prototyping interactions.Â
Timeline
Fall 2019 – Winter 2021
The Problem
Business Goals
Improve app’s usability to boost user adoption and satisfaction.
This responsibility primarily fell on the CTO, but I contributed suggestions whenever possible.
Develop a polished design to pitch the app to potential clients.
One of my core tasks was to refine the visual design, though I was limited to the existing design system and style guide unless working with a customer’s own brand guidelines.
Ensure worker safety through AI-driven data insights.
My work on digitizing forms and applying conditional logic helped to reduce human error and streamline the process, contributing to this goal.
App Pain Points
The app struggled with usability due to inconsistent design and complex navigation, making it difficult for users to complete tasks efficiently. This led to lower end user adoption rates unless use was enforced by the client’s customers. (Mortenson, Facebook, etc) Additionally, as each customer provided their own forms for integration, every implementation was different, further complicating the application’s design and usability. Our small team faced challenges managing multiple versions of the app, which added to the workload and limited time and resources that could be spent fixing past problems.
The Research
Evaluation Stage
I was not directly involved in formal user research. However, the client occasionally shared informal feedback from site visits, such as complaints about small buttons or difficulty in navigating the app. Although useful, the feedback lacked structure and documentation, which made it challenging to address consistently. Formal iterative user testing was also not conducted.
Personas
While formal personas were not developed due to time and budget constraints, we operated on an informal understanding of user needs. In hindsight, well-researched personas would have provided more structure and clarity for design decisions, rather than relying on our general assumptions.
Actions Taken Based on Feedback
I implemented small but significant changes based on feedback from the client’s site visits. For instance, I resized buttons and suggested improvements to the navigation system to help workers find the forms they needed more easily. The app’s lack of a central navigation system was a persistent issue since each client had their own unique list of forms and functions, making standardization difficult.
The Solution
Brainstorming and Workflow
Once the core design issues were identified, I brainstormed potential solutions, sketching ideas and creating wireframes using Adobe XD and Balsamiq. Much of this ideation occurred during whiteboard sessions with the team that were not saved after the initial brainstorming phases. For the forms, I began by sketching user flows and then used Balsamiq to create wireframes, deciding on appropriate field types. Once approved, I transitioned these wireframes to high-fidelity designs in Adobe XD for client and customer approval.
User Flows
The main app’s user flows were tightly controlled by the CTO. However, I had more flexibility when designing the form flows. I employed conditional logic to minimize the length of forms, ensuring the correct input fields were used (e.g., radio buttons for single-choice options, and checkboxes for multiple-choice options).
Wireframes
Wireframes for the Edify project were created in Balsamiq by myself, the client, and the CTO. These wireframes served as an essential blueprint, outlining the structure and flow of the forms before moving on to high-fidelity designs.
Information Architecture
I restructured the app’s form content and added an index page in the prototype to help developers quickly access the forms they needed. While this improved navigation, I would now recommend categorizing the forms and adding a search function for faster access. Accessibility features like voice search would have been particularly valuable for users less comfortable with mobile interfaces.
The Design
Success Metrics
The visual design and accompanying elements of the app were defined before my time with the project. When I joined, my primary responsibility was to reskin the app using client-provided style guides and optimize digital forms. While I had some flexibility, I was unable to redesign the foundational design system or key UI elements, but I did my best to keep everything as cohesive as possible.
Prototyping
I developed a master clickable prototype in Adobe XD to help the development team understand the new user flows and interactions after several miscommunication delays. I was also responsible for reskinning screens for pitch presentations using the prospective customer’s branding.
XD Links
Throughout my time at Edify, we primarily worked with Adobe XD and Balsamiq. Below are a few key prototypes I created for both development and customer presentations. Disclaimer: these files and the flows were created before I had proper UX training. As a result, there are some very questionable decisions made by myself, the CTO, and the client that I would not allow now.
Outcome & Impact
%
Reduction in Accidents
Based on client estimations
Return on Customer
Investment within two years
%
Average Cost Savings
Compared to paper-based processes
%
Reduction in Accidents
Based on client estimations
Return on Customer
Investment within two years
%
Average Cost Savings
Compared to paper-based processes
Collaboration
I worked closely with developers to clarify any UX-related questions. While I packaged the Adobe XD files with as much information as possible, I was not authorized to write formal documentation, which sometimes led to confusion.Â
Challenges
Conclusion
Learnings & Reflections
This project was a critical turning point in my career, where I learned the importance of user-centered design, structured project management, and clear communication across teams. In hindsight, I would advocate for stronger project management to prevent feature creep and ensure clearer scope boundaries. I also recognized the need for more structured user research and formal documentation then, but fully understand the gravity of its absence now. Even basic research and documentation could have prevented so many misunderstandings and saved huge amounts time and money.
Final Thoughts
Edify was a foundational project in my UX career, teaching me the critical role of usability in high-risk environments. It emphasized that ease of use is paramount to adoption and satisfaction, proving that user experience can make or break a product. It showed me what works and what doesn’t when developing a product, and showed me what happens when things go really right and really wrong. This project was one of the steepest learning curves I’ve ever faced, but it laid the groundwork for my future growth in UX design. I would do things differently if I had known then what I do now, but I will always value the time I spent working on Edify.
