Enhancing Aviation Maintenance Workflows

Redesigning the Beacon Case Room

The final design supported real-time decisions across web and mobile.

Led the redesign of Beacon’s real-time maintenance coordination tool for aircraft controllers and mechanics. This redesign improved assignment speed by 30% and reduced task delays by 20%. I restructured the information architecture, introduced collapsible panels, designed mechanic cards, and supported responsive usage in the field.

My involvement with Beacon began during a pivotal transition period. The platform had moved from its MVP phase, which focused on connecting airlines with qualified mechanics, to serving established partnerships with major carriers like Republic Airways. This evolution revealed new challenges and opportunities in how maintenance teams collaborated through the platform.

📅 March 2020 – March 2023

📱 Web & mobile app

🤝 1 PM, 3 Engineers, 1 Researcher, Aviation SMEs

The Problem

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The original Case Room was designed around a map-centric layout — based on the assumption that location-based coordination would be key. But as usage evolved, most teams relied more on case details, actions, and messaging than the map itself.

This created a mismatch between layout priority and real workflows — slowing users down and cluttering the interface.
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"I barely use the map — I just need to see what’s going on and respond fast."
– Controller at a maintenance ops center

The original Case Room lacked technician visibility or qualification context.

Constraints

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While users needed a more task-focused layout, we still had to preserve elements of the original design for brand continuity and long-term roadmap flexibility. Key constraints included:

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Key design constraints included:

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Map UI needed to be preserved (even in a reduced role)
Layout had to support both desktop and mobile use
Users had varying tech skill levels — simplicity was critical
Design had to remain scalable as new case types and roles were added

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Design constraints shaped tablet UI behavior and visual balance.

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Research Methodology & Initial Findings
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Field Research at Republic Airways
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I conducted extensive field observations and interviews at Republic Airways' Maintenance Operations Control (MOC), revealing several key insights:
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Shadowed controllers and interviewed mechanics across sites
Analyzed chat transcripts to identify behavior patterns
Performed contextual inquiry during active case coordination
Documented pain points and collaboration gaps

Qualitative Research Approach

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Conducted in-depth interviews with maintenance staff across different roles
Performed contextual inquiry during actual maintenance operations
Analyzed communication patterns and workflow bottlenecks
Documented system switching behaviors and pain points

Busy controller have multiple applications opened

Key User Feedback

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Our partnership with Republic Airways revealed a crucial insight: as an airline with an in-house maintenance team, their workflow differed significantly from our MVP assumptions. This prompted a reevaluation of our approach.

"What does the map really do? It's taking up a lot of space in the UI."
"We could use this space to focus on what's actually happening in the case."

Design Decisions

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Collapsible Case Info Panel

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Designed collapsible modules to reduce cognitive load.

Prioritized info: status, location, ATA/OOS time
Enabled deeper drill-down when needed

Modular design enables quick scan and deeper dive.

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Mechanic Card System
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Created mechanic cards with contextual info.
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Included contact, work history, and map avatars
Designed fallback with initials when photos were missing

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Surface just enough context to assign with confidence.

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Map Rebalancing + IA Overhaul
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Reduced map dominance without losing orientation cues.
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Transitioned to a 3-column layout
Made Chat + Case Info always visible

Preserved the map's role while reducing its dominance

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Responsive Design for Field Use
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Optimized layout for on-field tablet use.
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Touch target audit for accessibility
Mobile views for assigned, resolved, closed cases

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Brought full case context to crews in the field.

Outcomes

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🚀 30% faster technician assignment
⏱️ 20% reduction in task turnaround time
🛫 Improved compliance visibility
🌍 Adopted by 6 international MRO teams

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The redesign delivered impact across speed, safety, and scale

What's Next
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Smart filters + tags for chat
Extend mechanic qualification tooling‍
Explore broader people analytics to proactively surface qualified personnel — see People Analytics Case Study →

The final design completely restructured case visibility and de-emphasized the map by hiding it in a full-screen modal.

Redesigning the Beacon Case Room

The Problem

The original Case Room was designed around a map-centric layout — based on the assumption that location-based coordination would be key. But as usage evolved, most teams relied more on case details, actions, and messaging than the map itself.

This created a mismatch between layout priority and real workflows — slowing users down and cluttering the interface.
‍

Constraints

While users needed a more task-focused layout, we still had to preserve elements of the original design for brand continuity and long-term roadmap flexibility. Key constraints included:

‍

Key design constraints included:

‍

Research Methodology & Initial Findings
‍

Field Research at Republic Airways
‍

Qualitative Research Approach

Key User Feedback

Our partnership with Republic Airways revealed a crucial insight: as an airline with an in-house maintenance team, their workflow differed significantly from our MVP assumptions. This prompted a reevaluation of our approach.

Design Decisions

Collapsible Case Info Panel

Mechanic Card System
‍

Created mechanic cards with contextual info.
‍

Map Rebalancing + IA Overhaul
‍‍

Reduced map dominance without losing orientation cues.
‍

Responsive Design for Field Use
‍

Optimized layout for on-field tablet use.
‍

Outcomes

What's Next
‍

Key Learnings

Constraints like "no profile photos" led to better fallback UX

Clear Information Architecture had a greater impact than visual trends

Working closely with stakeholders through research accelerated adoption and alignment

Strategic Impact: UX decisions can influence broader product strategy

Redesigning the Beacon Case Room

The Problem

The original Case Room was designed around a map-centric layout — based on the assumption that location-based coordination would be key. But as usage evolved, most teams relied more on case details, actions, and messaging than the map itself.

This created a mismatch between layout priority and real workflows — slowing users down and cluttering the interface.‍

Constraints

While users needed a more task-focused layout, we still had to preserve elements of the original design for brand continuity and long-term roadmap flexibility. Key constraints included:

‍

Key design constraints included:

‍

Research Methodology & Initial Findings‍

Field Research at Republic Airways‍

Qualitative Research Approach

Key User Feedback

Our partnership with Republic Airways revealed a crucial insight: as an airline with an in-house maintenance team, their workflow differed significantly from our MVP assumptions. This prompted a reevaluation of our approach.

Design Decisions

Collapsible Case Info Panel

Mechanic Card System‍

Created mechanic cards with contextual info.‍

Map Rebalancing + IA Overhaul‍‍

Reduced map dominance without losing orientation cues.‍

Responsive Design for Field Use‍

Optimized layout for on-field tablet use.‍

Outcomes

What's Next‍

Key Learnings

Constraints like "no profile photos" led to better fallback UX

Clear Information Architecture had a greater impact than visual trends

Working closely with stakeholders through research accelerated adoption and alignment

Strategic Impact: UX decisions can influence broader product strategy

This created a mismatch between layout priority and real workflows — slowing users down and cluttering the interface.
‍

Research Methodology & Initial Findings
‍

Field Research at Republic Airways
‍

Mechanic Card System
‍

Created mechanic cards with contextual info.
‍

Map Rebalancing + IA Overhaul
‍‍

Reduced map dominance without losing orientation cues.
‍

Responsive Design for Field Use
‍

Optimized layout for on-field tablet use.
‍

What's Next
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