Collected information and identified areas of opportunity to improve working productivity
of wildland firefighters – a niche market with highly technical needs. Fielded behavioral and market research. Derived use cases from user interviews and observation, created a detailed task analysis, examined existing products and patents pertaining to market opportunities, and summarized the research into a book that would inform the design process. Networked and established relationships in local firefighter communities, identified key users to provide ongoing feedback and reviews of product usability throughout the design process. The end result was a pack system prototype, nearly field-test ready, which generated enthusiasm among prospective users, who requested a prototype for on-the-job testing. It also won the 2010 Portland IDSA Student Merit Award, presented at the 2010 IDSA Northwest Regional Conference.
