NYPD / Microsoft

Challenge

The NYPD relied on the Domain Awareness System, a secure, desktop-based application, to coordinate 911 response, monitor live surveillance, search internal records, and support crime analysis across the largest police force in the United States. The platform was powerful but difficult to use. Fragmented workflows, slow performance, and unclear information hierarchies created friction in high-pressure environments. Officers, analysts, and dispatchers needed a system that reduced cognitive load and supported rapid, accurate decisions across hundreds of daily tasks.

Strategy

As Creative Lead, I directed a cross-functional team of 15+ and worked directly with stakeholders at Microsoft and the NYPD across research, strategy, and presentations. We mapped operational workflows, restructured the information architecture, and designed a modular interface optimized for a native desktop environment and real-time use. The redesign introduced a prioritized dashboard, simplified reporting flows, scalable UI components, and a dark-mode system built for extended sessions. Every design decision focused on clarity, speed, and precision in mission-critical conditions.

Results

The redesigned system delivered measurable performance gains. Operator response time improved by 45 percent. Report accuracy increased by 70 percent. Internal search became 60 percent faster. The NYPD gained a platform that enhanced operational effectiveness rather than slowing it. The work demonstrated how product design can materially improve public safety and large-scale decision-making.

* Please note: The designs are limited and have been slightly modified for confidentiality purposes.