911 Command Center Radio Control ApplicationAll Case Studies

Interface redesign to enable faster dispatch of first responders in emergencies

The Challenge

When a call comes in to a local 911 command center, a responder at the other end of the line is monitoring dozens of radios simultaneously. In order to dispatch critical resources correctly, responders need technology that communicates with absolute clarity.

Faced with an aging system, a leading provider of high-stakes, mission-critical communications systems chose Electronic Ink to redesign its radio control application user interface, used in emergency command centers across the United States.

The Electronic Ink Solution

In the previous interface, all information was presented equally. A dormant radio looked identical to a high-activity channel. Electronic Ink designed a new user interface that, using animation, assigned visual prominence to priority calls across multiple displays. For maximized situational awareness, irrelevant data and functions were collapsed on dormant radio channels. When activity began, each radio module would grow visually, and data and functionality would return to show the whole picture. Electronic Ink's redesign made the workload visible at a glance.

Net Result and Impact

The new user interface improved awareness, clarity, and accuracy so greatly that industries with mission-critical environments - such as major airlines - are now adopting it.