Aviator

Adding Dynamic Weather and Flight Computations to the toolbox

With so many sources of digital Aviation information available to the professional pilot, Jeppesen saw a need to funnel that information to a single point and for that hub to share information and be a launching platform to the other applications within the Flight Deck Solutions family. However two key tools that Aviator was missing was a way to dynamically display weather data that it had access to, and to enable pilots to run quick flight calculations.

To protect proprietary information, I have omitted and obfuscated information in this case study. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Jeppesen or Boeing.

Early storyboard

My Role

I joined the Aviator team because of my background with FliteDeck Pro (FD Pro), and I was tasked as the UX focal with creating the design of a dynamic weather map. After delivering that feature, I was the UX focal for designing a flight computer feature within Aviator that closely resembled the capabilities of a manual E6B flight computer. With both features, I took the initial set of requirements that the Business Analyst set out and developed low fidelity wireframes. Using these wireframes I collaborated with the whole Aviator team, and helped refine requirements to meet the desired functionality. From there I moved the design over to Sketch and collaborated with the Aviator UX team to high fidelity mockups and designs. I leveraged of my background concerning FDPro’s moving map when designing the dynamic weather map. For the Flight Computer feature I utilized my background as a Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor. Being able to draw upon my past experience was critical for establishing the base designs for both features.

Early Storyboard for Flight Calculator

Different Team, Same Goal: Build what the Customer Needs

The Aviator project was distinctly different from the FliteDeck pro project in many ways. Unlike FD Pro, which was designed and developed almost entirely in house at Jeppesen’s headquarters in Denver, Aviator’s UX team was split between Denver and Seattle, while an offshore team primarily conducted development. The working cadence also differed. FD Pro’s features were researched and designed over a long period of time, a decidedly waterfall process. Aviator’s faster pace resembled a more agile development flow. Aviator also had a more traditional organization where Product Management would set what features the UX team would develop and the Business Analysts would primarily lead the creation of requirements that UX would reference for their design.

The faster pace of the work meant that the business side and the design side of the Aviator project had to work very closely with each other. We met after each sprint to assess where we were with each feature. During this meeting, requirements were reviewed, as well the state of the design. The business provided customer feedback, while myself and the design team provided requirements feedback.

Outlining Form and Behavior Specifications

Aviator implemented the weather map design that accurately displayed weather information as it related to the Pilot’s route of flight. This information once again tied back to the loaded flight plan. In turn the Flight Calculator helped round out the tools module, giving the Pilot an effective flight computer to assist them in performing computations prior to their flight.