IN-CORE Studio

UX/UI

Desktop

Fall 2024-Present

IN-CORE Studio is a powerful tool designed to streamline data analysis for civil engineers, enabling them to combine datasets and model the effects of severe weather events on buildings and infrastructure. By simplifying complex workflows, the platform helps engineers better predict vulnerabilities, assess risks, and develop more resilient designs for communities impacted by extreme weather.

I was asked to take over the design role of the project initially to create a high-fidelity prototype in Figma, intended for presentation at an industry conference. After the conference, my role expanded to include advancing the overall design, refining key interactions to improve usability and clarity. I was also tasked with developing an updated prototype that incorporated these changes.

Context

Problem Space

The Next Generation

IN-CORE Studio attempts to address the limitations of the existing IN-CORE software, which remains taxingly complex, and difficult to navigate with an outdated UI. Designed to be far more user-friendly, IN-CORE Studio eliminates the need for advanced technical expertise. A key feature is its visual editor, which allows users to connect analysis processes into streamlined workflows. By representing interconnected datasets and modules in a clear, diagrammatic format, the platform simplifies the understanding of complex relationships and enhances usability.

Intervention

My Responsibilities

Working from my colleague’s previous draft I continued using the Atlassian-based design system in place, and added custom components for unique features as necessary. Working in close communication with my project lead and the project developers, I refined key flows within the scope of the user story script he wanted to convey at his conference presentation, while simultaneous building an interactive prototype from those same designs. Later on I would help build other parts of the tool outside the purview of the demo.

Project Page

Each project contains many kinds of files including hazard-modeling datasets, damage-modeling maps, and Workflows.

Building a Workflow

Adding modules; how people connect different analysis modules together; sympathetic highlighting of connected information.

Executing a Workflow

Adding datasets to fulfill the input needs of analysis modules; showing "in-progress" states

Benchmarks

Maps

Google Maps

As Workflows were a relatively novel feature of the software, I tried to break down the task into a more basic informational model. If the workflow diagram was a kind of map, would it also make sense to borrow patterns from interactive map applications? Google maps is legible when you are zoomed out in part because at different levels of scale certain information is hidden or shown. For a case like analysis modules, where one could possess six or more constituent datasets, I thought this same principle would be entirely applicable.

Process + Iteration

Project Page

IN-CORE Studio's project page serves as a dashboard for viewing recent files of a variety of types, displaying workflows, hazards, visualizations and more.

Workflow Builder

The workflow editor makes it easy to see useful information at any scale of view. By zooming out, less important information disappears, making the overall shape of the analysis come into clearer focus.

Executing a Workflow

Once all required fields are filled for each analysis, users can execute the analysis and receive live visual feedback on its progress.

Supporting Civil Engineering Analysis with Visual Workflow Editing