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My journey at Axon

2020-2023


Axon, a leading US company specializing in public safety technology, is renowned for its innovative solutions, such as body-worn cameras, Taser weapons, and evidence management platforms. Axon’s mission is to save lives and protect the truth in public safety around the world.

My journey at Axon spanned over 3+ years, during which I contributed enhancing user experiences for their Real-time Operation products. This encompassed a range of cloud-based products, including Axon Dispatch System available on various platforms, from web to electron apps, and in diverse work environments, including in-car computer setups. My responsibilities extended to designing the Admin tools for Axon Dispatch. I also enhanced the visual performance of Axon Dispatch Map, resulting in smoother and more efficient operations.




Product Background



What I did At Axon

While at Axon, I worked on a wide range of projects, varying in scope from small to large, collaborating with different squads and teams from both the United States and Vietnam. All of my projects at Axon are related to the Axon Dispatch System. So, before jumping into the projects, here is a brief overview of what it is and who its primary users are.


What is Axon Dispatch System?

Axon Dispatch (or 9-1-1 Axon Dispatch) is a cloud-based system created to improve 9-1-1 call centers. It can handle a lot of calls of different types featuring a user-friendly and modern interface. With Axon Dispatch, police departments can easily create and manage service calls. It has real-time alerts for important updates, modern maps, and a simple interface for dispatchers and patrol officers. Plus, it connects smoothly to important data sources for agencies and gets regular updates.

In a simpler scenario, picture this: It's late at night, and someone you don't know starts banging on your door, demanding money. You can see through the window that they're drunk and acting violently, making you feel scared and in need of help from the police. If you're in the United States, you'd call 9-1-1 to explain the situation to the call taker. Axon Dispatch is the system that enables the call taker or dispatcher to create a "call for service" and input the information you provide. They then assign the right police officers to come to your house quickly and assist you. While the officers are on their way, they receive updates, like a description of the person at your door or information about whether your location is known for criminal activity. This way, they can be well-prepared to help you.


A dispatcher is using Axon Dispatch System at Fresno Police Department. Source


The users

Axon Dispatch System has 3 primary user types: Dispatcher, Patrol Officer, and IT Admin. They each play a crucial role in daily operations, coordinating and communicating as they respond to service calls from individuals reporting incidents.


Dispatcher


Core Responsibilities: Get the right units to the scene as quickly as possible, communicate with the officers and provide more information for the officers during the call for service.

Pain Points:
  • Uses multiple monitors at the same time and constantly multitasking.
  • They must hold a substantial amount of information in short-term memory, as their work is high-stakes with no room for error.



Patrol Officers


Core Responsibilities: Daily duties include responding to various calls for service, enforcing traffic laws, engaging with the community, and conducting crime prevention efforts.

Pain Points:
  • Officers often face issues related to incomplete, inaccurate, or delayed information, which can impact their ability to respond effectively.
  • Communication difficulties, system failures can affect officers' ability to work efficiently and adapt to changing situations.



IT Admin


Core Responsibilities: Maintain the stability and security of the police department's technology systems, which involves configure servers, networks, databases and offering technical support to all members of the departments.

Pain Points:
  • Making sure all the criminal case data is well-organized and easy to find can be tough.
  • Assisting officers and staff with different tech skills takes time and patience.
  • When technology unexpectedly breaks down or stops working, it can cause disruptions and stress in police operations.


Now that you are aware of the key responsibilities of these users, it becomes easier to gain a better understanding of the highlighted projects I'm going to present below.



Confidentiality Disclaimer: Due to the constraints of my NDA, I'm unable to publicly provide the full detailed designs for my portfolio. However, I can offer some key screens and highlights from my projects. If we have the opportunity to speak personally and you are interested, we can talk more about the case studies within the NDA constraints.


Highlighted Projects




Criminal Information Search



My Role in this project
Product Designer,
User Researcher
Platforms
Web, App
Users
Dispatcher,
Patrol Officer
End-user devices
Web,
In-car computer


Reflections & Achievements:
  • I worked closely with the PM and the team to enhanced the search logic of the Criminal Search Information on the Axon Dispatch System to enable users to find precise results more efficiently.
  • Revised the search module and filters to facilitate quick and accurate searches, ensuring users could find the correct information with ease.
  • Improved the UI especially for in-car computers, which included increasing the amount of displayed information on small-resolution LCD screens and making touch targets more prominent and user-friendly.




 Dispatch Management Portal



My Role in this project
Product Designer,
User Researcher
Platforms
Web
Users
IT Admin
End-user devices
Desktop, Laptop



Reflections & Achievements:
I designed all pages for this Dispatch Management Portal, allowing customers that currently using Axon Dispatch to have a tool to configure their products without needing to contact Axon and wait for the Axon Tech team's backend support. The site successfully reduced the time required for admin setup or updates in a fast-paced 911 dispatch environment. It includes:
  • Setting up and managing the police department's units and call-for-service information
  • Troubleshooting automatic vehicle location and devices
  • Monitoring and configuring users’ access permissions and authentication.
The Admin site was successfully launched to 2 of Axon's customers in 2021 and 2022, with further plans for expansion in the future.



Axon Dispatch Map



My Role in this project
Visual Designer
Platforms
Web, App
Users
Dispatchers,
Patrol Officers
End-user devices
Desktop,
In-car computer


Reflections & Achievements:
My work for this was enhancing the visual performance of Axon Dispatch Map for smoother and more efficient operation. The process involved:
  • Gathering raw data and preparing it to align with agency preferences.
  • Importing the data into ArcGIS Online.
  • Customizing the map with distinct colors and labeling for improved clarity.
  • Ensuring a seamless connection to Dispatch and conducting thorough verification and testing.
  • Regularly updating to accommodate changes in boundaries, layers, and landmarks, with the aim of delivering accurate and dynamic geographical solutions to our customers.


*The background was intentionally blurred.

Report & Printing Experience



My Role in this project
Product Designer,
User Researcher
Platforms
Web, App
Users
Dispatcher,
Patrol Officer
End-user devices
Web,
In-car computer


Reflections & Achievements:
  • I designed a print view feature for all information related to a call for service, addressing the need for paper references in incident reporting, distribution of event information to non-tech-savvy colleagues, and including event details in legal proceedings.
  • I also worked on the PDF layout for reports, following law enforcement standards and staying consistent with other formats in different Axon products. Ensured a clear presentation of information in a logical structure while saving space to be eco-friendly and cut down on paper usage.






Challenges: A Look at Public Safety Tech vs. Other industries



At Axon, we all remember this credo: "Every second counts". A simple yet impactful sentence that resonates deeply in our work. Our primary users are the responders for crime scenes. Any minor error, a mere second delay, or incorrect information can lead to potentially lethal outcomes for both police officers and the people at the scene. This underscores our commitment to prioritizing users, closely observing their interactions with our products and the time they spend on each task. These factors pose real challenges. Throughout my time working there, I had concluded some unique challenges that, as a designer, I need to be aware of:  




To solve these challenges, we consistently engaged with our customers, stayed updated on law enforcement practices, and had plans to integrate the latest technology related to public safety. Additionally, there were opportunities for Axon members to sit alongside at a dispatch station or ride along with officers in the car. This allowed us to observe their real working day, sharing insights on how they used Axon Dispatch and understanding what improvements could be made to our products. Looking back, my role as a designer aimed to continually enhance our products, making it more effective for everyone who relied on it.




My moments at Axon


As a designer at Axon, every day was filled with creativity, teamwork, and a strong sense of togetherness. Our office was always buzzing with fresh ideas, and our team wasn't just coworkers; we were a tight-knit group working together towards shared goals.