Product Design
Alarm page
Oct 2020
Team: 1 Product Manager / 1 full-stack engineer / 1 designer
Status: Live in Jan 2021
Summary: Streamlined Monitoring
Calipsa was previously providing video analytics as an API service. As it grew, we aimed to improve user experience by introducing an in-platform alarm monitoring feature. Previously, users relied on external software to monitor alerts generated by Calipsa's video analytics. This project focused on designing and implementing a new alarm page within the Calipsa platform, allowing users to seamlessly manage and review alerts directly.
- Designing for a Smoother Workflow: Our top priorities were making the alarm page feel like a natural extension of Calipsa and ensuring it was easy to use. We wanted users to quickly scan, filter, and manage alerts without any headaches.
- Building on a Strong Foundation: Calipsa already has a great design library, so we used that as our blueprint to keep the visual style consistent. This way, users wouldn't feel like they were navigating a completely new platform.
Calipsa’s bare basic alarm page. A by-product of internal engineering tools.
User-Centered Design in Action: Evaluating, Validating, and Refining
To ensure the new alarm page addressed user needs and workflow pain points, we employed a user-centered design approach. This involved:
Heuristic Evaluation
A thorough evaluation of the existing Calipsa user interface identified potential usability issues and areas for improvement, particularly regarding the current monitoring process.
Identify pain points and make assumptions
Design proposal: Inspired by Email
Taking user feedback to heart, we designed the alarm page with ease of use in mind. We recognized that most users are familiar with email interfaces. By leveraging this common experience, the alarm page uses similar elements like lists, filtering, and sorting. This intuitive design minimizes the learning curve and makes the new feature feel instantly familiar.
Concept Testing
To validate our assumptions and gather user feedback on potential solutions, we conducted concept testing with Calipsa users. This involved presenting users with the designed alarm page prototype and soliciting their feedback on its functionality, ease of use, and visual design.
Covid time’s zoom call
Enthusiastic User Validation
The concept testing phase yielded overwhelmingly positive results. Participants not only embraced the new alarm page but also provided valuable insights into their workflow preferences. This feedback directly informed several key enhancements, including the addition of a "Show Filter" option and a "Share Alarm" functionality. The user enthusiasm was palpable, with participants actively inquiring about the implementation timeline and expressing their eagerness to use the new feature in their daily operations.
Final iteration
Beyond Features: How Calipsa Empowers Resource-Constrained Teams
The Calipsa alarm page isn't just about sleek design and intuitive functionality – it's also about empowering smaller monitoring stations. These companies, often lacking the resources for enterprise-grade VMS (Video Management Systems), can leverage Calipsa's video analytics and the new alarm page for efficient monitoring.
Combined with Calipsa's existing false alarm filtering product, operators are freed from constant notification fatigue. The streamlined workflow and actionable insights provided by the alarm page empower them to focus on real security threats, maximizing their effectiveness with minimal resources.
2024 Updates
The Calipsa alarm page continues to evolve. Since its initial launch, we've implemented enhancements to accommodate the demands of enterprise-scale deployments.
These updates address the challenges of managing a high volume of alarms and seamlessly integrate with Calipsa's ever-expanding suite of video analytics. This ensures the alarm page remains a valuable tool for users of all sizes, from smaller monitoring stations to large-scale security operations.
Responsive sidebar
Increase the ability to go through alarms in quantity and maximise the widescreen estate without losing critical information.
Reason of trigger
As Calipsa diversified its video analytics offerings, this feature informed them the reason why this alarm is valid, giving the user the context they need.
Ability to add a note
A log for the operators to justify the reason for the alarm’s validity.