Flight Release Wizard
Saved the airline millions in regulatory fines by transforming its error-prone flight release process into a resilient, automated compliance workflow.
Saved the airline millions in regulatory fines by transforming its error-prone flight release process into a resilient, automated compliance workflow.
Timeframe
10 weeks
Users
Flight Dispatchers
Industry
Aviation
Timeframe
Workflow Optimization
The Problem
A flight release is a mandatory authorization procedure executed by dispatchers that verifies all safety and operational conditions before departure.
It is a legally binding sign-off that confirms crew legality, route compliance, weather conditions, fuel sufficiency, aircraft status and FAA filing requirements.
However, the airline’s legacy flight release workflow relied on five disconnected systems, forcing dispatchers to manually check data across tools not designed to work together.
This workflow has struggled to keep pace with modern post-COVID operating conditions resulting in the airline receiving costly fines from regulatory violations.
disconnected
systems
avg release
time (min)
context
switches
fewer submission
errors
faster release
cycles
automated validation
checks
My Role
Led UX design for the Flight Release Wizard, transforming a complex, compliance-heavy release workflow into a structured, step-by-step interface.
Collaborated with product, engineering, and flight operations to align the experience with dispatcher workflows and regulatory requirements.
Impact
The redesign centralized critical checks and operational inputs into a guided workflow, reducing manual cross-referencing across systems and improving dispatcher confidence and efficiency during flight release preparation.
fewer submission
errors
faster release
cycles
automated validation
checks
My Role
Led UX design for the Flight Release Wizard, transforming a complex, compliance-heavy release workflow into a structured, step-by-step interface.
Collaborated with product, engineering, and flight operations to align the experience with dispatcher workflows and regulatory requirements.
Impact
The redesign centralized critical checks and operational inputs into a guided workflow, reducing manual cross-referencing across systems and improving dispatcher confidence and efficiency during flight release preparation.
01
Design Approach
Methods: HEART Framework | GSM
Team: Lead Dispatchers | Product Manager | Senior Developers | Director of Ops
02
Research: Identifying the Issue in the Current Workflow
Methods: Compliance Audit | Contextual Inquiry | Journey Mapping
I collaborated with Lead Dispatchers, the Product Manager, and Senior Developers to define measurable success criteria using the HEART/GSM framework.
Key metrics included time-on-task, error rate, and SUS (System Usability Scale) to evaluate improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and dispatcher confidence.
My approach was systems-driven and compliance-aware: unifying fragmented tools into a structured flight release wizard that mirrors dispatcher workflows while preserving full dispatcher authority over the final release decision.
Compliance Audit:
I conducted a compliance audit of past flight releases to establish a quantitative baseline. The analysis revealed an 8% error rate, confirming that the existing workflow posed a measurable compliance and operational risk.
Contextual Inquiry:
To understand why errors were occurring, I conducted three days of contextual inquiry with five flight dispatchers in their live working environment. I observed dispatchers managing competing demands - phones calls, multiple monitors, dozens of browser tabs - all while manually copying and validating data across five disconnected tools.
Journey Map:
I synthesized everything I saw into a journey map to visualize the dispatchers' experience from start to finish. The journey map confirmed why releasing a single flight took an average of 45 minutes highlighting repetitive validation steps and manual handoffs.
01
Design Approach
Methods: HEART Framework | GSM
Team: Lead Dispatchers | Product Manager | Senior Developers | Director of Ops
Happiness
SUS SCORE
I measured dispatcher's overall satisfaction level of the experience.
Task Success
Error Rate
I evaluated how accurately dispatchers complete the wizard.
Task Success
Time-on-Task
I evaluated how long it takes for dispatchers to complete a flight releases.
02
Research: Identifying the Issue in the Current Workflow
Methods: Compliance Audit | Contextual Inquiry | Journey Mapping
I collaborated with Lead Dispatchers, the Product Manager, and Senior Developers to define measurable success criteria using the HEART/GSM framework.
Key metrics included time-on-task, error rate, and SUS (System Usability Scale) to evaluate improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and dispatcher confidence.
My approach was systems-driven and compliance-aware: unifying fragmented tools into a structured flight release wizard that mirrors dispatcher workflows while preserving full dispatcher authority over the final release decision.
Compliance Audit:
I conducted a compliance audit of past flight releases to establish a quantitative baseline. The analysis revealed an 8% error rate, confirming that the existing workflow posed a measurable compliance and operational risk.
Contextual Inquiry:
To understand why errors were occurring, I conducted three days of contextual inquiry with five flight dispatchers in their live working environment. I observed dispatchers managing competing demands - phones calls, multiple monitors, dozens of browser tabs - all while manually copying and validating data across five disconnected tools.
Journey Map:
I synthesized everything I saw into a journey map to visualize the dispatchers' experience from start to finish. The journey map confirmed why releasing a single flight took an average of 45 minutes highlighting repetitive validation steps and manual handoffs.
02
Research: Identifying the Issue in the Current Workflow
Methods: Compliance Audit | Contextual Inquiry | Journey Mapping
I partnered closely with Lead Dispatchers, a Product Manager and Senior Developers to align on measurable success metrics using the HEART/GSM framework.
My approach was systems-driven and compliance-aware: unify disconnected tools into a single structured workflow and preserve dispatcher authority while reducing error rates and time-to-release.
COMPLIANCE AUDIT
I conducted a compliance audit of past flight releases to establish a quantitative baseline. The analysis revealed an 8% error rate, confirming that the existing workflow posed a measurable compliance and operational risk.
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
To understand why errors were occurring, I conducted three days of contextual inquiry with five flight dispatchers in their live working environment.
I observed dispatchers managing competing demands - phones calls, multiple monitors, dozens of browser tabs - all while manually copying and validating data across five disconnected tools.
JOURNEY MAP
I synthesized everything I saw into a journey map to visualize the dispatchers' experience from start to finish.
The journey map confirmed why releasing a single flight took an average of 45 minutes highlighting repetitive validation steps and manual handoffs.
Compliance Audit:
I conducted a compliance audit of past flight releases to establish a quantitative baseline. The analysis revealed an 8% error rate, confirming that the existing workflow posed a measurable compliance and operational risk.
Contextual Inquiry:
To understand why errors were occurring, I conducted three days of contextual inquiry with five flight dispatchers in their live working environment. I observed dispatchers managing competing demands - phones calls, multiple monitors, dozens of browser tabs - all while manually copying and validating data across five disconnected tools.
Journey Map:
I synthesized everything I saw into a journey map to visualize the dispatchers' experience from start to finish. The journey map confirmed why releasing a single flight took an average of 45 minutes highlighting repetitive validation steps and manual handoffs.
01
Design Approach
Team: Lead Dispatchers | Product Manager | Senior Developers | Director of Ops
Methods: HEART Framework | GSM
01
Design Approach
Methods: HEART Framework | GSM
Team: Lead Dispatchers | Product Manager | Senior Developers | Director of Ops
I partnered closely with Lead Dispatchers, a Product Manager and Senior Developers to align on measurable success metrics using the HEART/GSM framework.
My approach was systems-driven and compliance-aware: unify disconnected tools into a single structured workflow and preserve dispatcher authority while reducing error rates and time-to-release.
Research Insights: Fragmentation & Cognitive Load
Quantitatively, this breakdown manifested in an 8% error rate, an average 45-minute time on task per flight release, and a SUS score of 35, indicating poor usability.
The research revealed that dispatchers were operating under extreme time pressure. They were manually cross-referencing data across five disconnected systems including weather, fuel plans, and NOTAMs. The fragmentation of tools and manual data transfers was a primary driver of critical errors and cognitive fatigue.
Error Rate
Time-on-Task
SUS Score
Compliance Audit:
I conducted a compliance audit of past flight releases to establish a quantitative baseline. The analysis revealed an 8% error rate, confirming that the existing workflow posed a measurable compliance and operational risk.
Contextual Inquiry:
To understand why errors were occurring, I conducted three days of contextual inquiry with five flight dispatchers in their live working environment. I observed dispatchers managing competing demands - phones calls, multiple monitors, dozens of browser tabs - all while manually copying and validating data across five disconnected tools.
Journey Map:
I synthesized everything I saw into a journey map to visualize the dispatchers' experience from start to finish. The journey map confirmed why releasing a single flight took an average of 45 minutes highlighting repetitive validation steps and manual handoffs.
Research Insights: Fragmentation & Cognitive Load
Quantitatively, this breakdown manifested in an 8% error rate, an average 45-minute time on task per flight release, and a SUS score of 35, indicating poor usability.
The research revealed that dispatchers were operating under extreme time pressure. They were manually cross-referencing data across five disconnected systems including weather, fuel plans, and NOTAMs. The fragmentation of tools and manual data transfers was a primary driver of critical errors and cognitive fatigue.
fewer submission
errors
faster release
cycles
automated validation
checks
Research Insights: Fragmentation & Cognitive Load
Quantitatively, this breakdown manifested in an 8% error rate, an average 45-minute time on task per flight release, and a SUS score of 35, indicating poor usability.
The research revealed that dispatchers were operating under extreme time pressure. They were manually cross-referencing data across five disconnected systems including weather, fuel plans, and NOTAMs. The fragmentation of tools and manual data transfers was a primary driver of critical errors and cognitive fatigue.
Error Rate
Time-on-Task
SUS Score
Outcome: Setting a New Operational Standard
The Flight Release Wizard reduced the error rate from 8% to 2%, cut average time on task from 45 minutes to 17 minutes, and increased the SUS score from 35 to 87.
These gains reflect an improved usability, and a systemic reduction in cognitive load and compliance risk. The design allows dispatchers to work faster with greater confidence in the system.
fewer submission
errors
faster release
cycles
automated validation
checks
03
Ideation: Engineering a New Workflow
Methods: Flow Diagram | Sketching | Prototype
With a clear view of the problem, the next question was how to translate research insights into a solution that reduced cognitive load and made compliance feel automatic rather than burdensome.
I distilled the key pain points and opportunity areas into a prioritized feature set, then explored how those features could reshape the dispatcher workflow through flow diagrams, sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
03
Ideation: Engineering a New Workflow
Methods: Flow Diagram | Sketching | Prototype
With a clear view of the problem, the next question was how to translate research insights into a solution that reduced cognitive load and made compliance feel automatic rather than burdensome.
I distilled the key pain points and opportunity areas into a prioritized feature set, then explored how those features could reshape the dispatcher workflow through flow diagrams, sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
Flow Diagramming: Mapping the Dependencies
The ideal path represents the intended, uninterrupted workflow. In this flow, dispatchers move through each step: flight details, weather, route and NOTAMs, fuel planning, and final compliance review - acknowledging system checks as they go.
The ideal path represents the intended, uninterrupted workflow.
In this flow, dispatchers move through each step: flight details, weather, route and NOTAMs, fuel planning, and final compliance review - acknowledging system checks as they go.
Sketching + Wireframing: Exploring for the Right Model.
This challenge kicked off an intensive sketching phase. I filled pages with different interface patterns, trying to find the best way to organize the chaos.
This challenge kicked off an intensive
sketching phase.
I filled pages with different interface patterns,
trying to find the best way to organize the chaos.
Sketching + Wireframing: Exploring for the Right Model.
The Wizard Model
These early sketches and wireframes quickly pointed us toward the wizard model. Instead of one overwhelming screen, I moved to a progressive, step-by-step framework. It was a strategic way to consolidate data and ensure no mandatory safety check was ever skipped.
These early sketches and wireframes quickly pointed us toward the wizard model.
Instead of one overwhelming screen, I moved to a progressive, step-by-step framework. It was a strategic way to consolidate data and ensure no mandatory safety check was ever skipped.
04
Solution: The Flight Release Wizard
Methods: Figma
From product definition through final release, I collaborated hand-in-hand with Flight Operations to build a unified Flight Release Wizard: a solution that is compliant and undeniably efficient.
The UI foundation for the wizard was intentionally carried over from an adjacent flight planning and monitoring application I had previously designed, ensuring visual and interaction consistency across Flight Operations tools.
The final design is characterized by a linear, step-by-step progression that consolidates five fragmented data sources into a single source of truth. The interface uses clear, predictive visual cues to guide dispatchers through an error-resistant workflow.
The design is rooted in three core principles: Consolidation, Automation and Trust. This approach sets this tool apart from legacy aviation systems. Every interaction was carefully considered for high-stress environment of the operations floor.
03
Ideation: Engineering a New Workflow
Methods: Flow Diagram | Sketching | Prototype
With a clear view of the problem, the next question was how to translate research insights into a solution that reduced cognitive load and made compliance feel automatic rather than burdensome.
I distilled the key pain points and opportunity areas into a prioritized feature set, then explored how those features could reshape the dispatcher workflow through flow diagrams, sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
Command + Context Structure
A single workspace that pairs dispatcher actions with real-time operational context.
What it solved: Reduced tool switching and cognitive load by keeping decisions and data in one place.
Auto-Population of Flight Details & Status
Searching a flight instantly loads route, aircraft, crew, and current compliance state.
What it solved: Eliminated manual data entry and cross-checking across disconnected systems.
AI Assist for Route Options (Route & NOTAMs)
AI surfaces compliant route alternatives based on weather, NOTAMs, and constraints.
What it solved: Shortened decision time and reduced risk when evaluating complex routing scenarios.
Status-Based Steppers (Green / Amber / Red)
Each step visually reflects completion, warnings, or blocking issues.
What it solved: Prevented missed issues and rework by making system state instantly visible.
Status-Based Steppers
(Green / Amber / Red)
Each step visually reflects completion, warnings, or blocking issues.
What it solved: Prevented missed issues and rework by making system state instantly visible.
Status-Based Steppers
(Green / Amber / Red)
Each step visually reflects completion, warnings, or blocking issues.
What it solved: Prevented missed issues and rework by making system state instantly visible.
Errors Paired with Actionable Resolution Steps
Blocking and warning messages include clear next actions or direct links to fixes.
What it solved: Reduced recovery time and frustration by guiding dispatchers to solutions, not dead ends.
Blocking and warning messages include clear next actions or direct links to fixes.
What it solved: Reduced recovery time and frustration by guiding dispatchers to solutions, not dead ends.
Auto-Calculating Fuel & Performance with Legality Context
Fuel, weight, and performance are calculated automatically and checked against regulations.
What it solved: Removed manual math errors and uncertainty around regulatory fuel compliance.
Auto-Calculating Fuel & Performance with Legality Context
Fuel, weight, and performance are calculated automatically and checked against regulations.
What it solved: Removed manual math errors and uncertainty around regulatory fuel compliance.
Compliance Timer with Risk Threshold Awareness
A visible timer tracks regulatory deadlines and escalates visually as risk increases.
What it solved: Prevented accidental releases and ensured accountability before regulatory submission.
Compliance Timer with Risk Threshold Awareness
A visible timer tracks regulatory deadlines and escalates visually as risk increases.
What it solved: Prevented accidental releases and ensured accountability before regulatory submission.
Gated Submission with Required Acknowledgements
Flights cannot be submitted until all steps are validated and acknowledgements are confirmed.
What it solved: Prevented accidental releases and ensured accountability before regulatory submission.
Outcome: Setting a New Operational Standard
The Flight Release Wizard reduced the error rate from 8% to 2%, cut average time on task from 45 minutes to 17 minutes, and increased the SUS score from 35 to 87.
These gains reflect an improved usability, and a systemic reduction in cognitive load and compliance risk. The design allows dispatchers to work faster with greater confidence in the system.
Error Rate (from 8%)
Time-on-Task (from 45 m)
SUS Score (from 35)
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More UX Case Studies
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03
Ideation: Engineering a New Workflow
Methods: Flow Diagram | Sketching | Prototype
With a clear view of the problem, the next question was how to translate research insights into a solution that reduced cognitive load and made compliance feel automatic rather than burdensome.
I distilled the key pain points and opportunity areas into a prioritized feature set, then explored how those features could reshape the dispatcher workflow through flow diagrams, sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
A flight release is a mandatory authorization procedure executed by dispatchers that verifies all safety and operational conditions before departure. It is a legally binding sign-off that confirms crew legality, route compliance, weather conditions, fuel sufficiency, aircraft status and FAA filing requirements.
However, the airline’s legacy flight release process relied on five disconnected systems, forcing dispatchers to manually check data across tools not designed to work together.
The process has struggled to keep pace with modern post-COVID operating conditions resulting in the airline receiving costly fines from regulatory violations.
The Problem
Summary of My Role & Impact
A flight release is a mandatory authorization procedure executed by dispatchers that verifies all safety and operational conditions before departure. It is a legally binding sign-off that confirms crew legality, route compliance, weather conditions, fuel sufficiency, aircraft status and FAA filing requirements.
Time-on-Task
45 mins
17 mins
Error Rate
8%
2%
SUS Score
35
87
Number of Violations
(by quarter)
x
y