WorkSafeBC: Mobile-first workflows for field officers

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WorkSafe Officers needed to capture detailed information while working in industrial sites, cold weather, and unreliable connectivity. I researched their field context and designed a mobile-first workflow that translated a familiar paper process into an iPad prototype.

My role: UX design, UI design, research, and prototyping
Research: 14+ research sessions with officers and managers
Deliverable: Interactive prototype and research documentation

Illustration comparing paper note-taking with tablet use during an industrial site visit — The field context shaped the product: loud sites, protective equipment, mobility, and incomplete connectivity all affected data entry.

Users and context

Return-to-Work officers assess an injured worker’s capabilities and job requirements at a worksite, then help develop a temporary plan for returning to work. Their work can happen in factories, construction sites, and other environments where hearing, writing, and handling equipment are difficult.

The existing process relied on paper forms. Officers needed to capture detailed job-demand information, document the site, and retain their place in the process even when connectivity was unreliable.

Research

I conducted more than 14 research sessions with officers and managers across initial interviews and prototype feedback. The work helped me understand the field sequence, constraints around the devices officers carried, and the information needed to assemble a return-to-work plan.

I documented pain points and compared the paper-based flow with a proposed digital flow in FigJam. Research also surfaced limitations with the standard Surface tablet form factor during mobile field assessments, which informed exploration of a touch-oriented iPad interface.

Design decisions

Preserve the familiar work sequence

I mapped the paper workflow and carried its recognizable sequence into the prototype. This let the interface introduce digital capabilities without requiring officers to relearn the underlying process.

Process diagram showing the Return-to-Work officer workflow

Make cases available before a site visit

The dashboard groups case files and includes a way to prepare a case for offline access before arriving at a worksite. A list and map view support choosing work by case identity, availability, and location.

Mid-fidelity iPad prototype showing a list of Return-to-Work cases — The case list keeps essential identity and location information scannable on a touch interface.

Reduce open-ended entry in distracting environments

Complex insurance forms had to fit a 10.2-inch tablet. I used progressive disclosure, pre-populated selections, and reusable job-demand inputs to reduce the amount of open text required during an assessment.

Return-to-Work iPad prototype showing general case information — General information appears after case selection and anchors the officer before detailed field entry.

Support field documentation

The prototype explored photo and video documentation because an officer may not be able to write continuously during a busy or loud conversation. Follow-up sessions included feedback on these rough concepts.

Sketch of the workflow for editing physical job demands — The job-demand flow retains the worksheet’s selections while adapting them for touch entry.

Result and limitations

The work produced research documentation and an interactive prototype for an internal enterprise workflow. The repository does not establish that this product launched, so I present it as a researched and tested design direction rather than a shipped application.

The prototype addressed the field constraints known during the project. Further work would require technical validation of offline behavior, additional field testing in representative environments, and iteration on photo and video handling.

Reflection

This project reinforced that mobile-first design is not only a smaller layout. Device handling, protective equipment, ambient noise, connectivity, and the order of a real field conversation all shape the interface. The research sessions were supporting evidence; the important outcome was how those conditions changed the workflow and prototype.

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