Flashcast is a cloud-based alerting system that allows IT administrators to instantly broadcast critical messages to any HDMI-connected screen. The goal: replace fragmented tools like emails and portals with a unified, reliable way to reach the mass in real time.
I served as the Lead UX/UI Designer, responsible for translating the CEO’s vision into actionable workflows, building a brand-consistent style guide and design system, and validating usability with IT admins.
My challenge: design an interface intuitive enough to use under pressure, but robust enough to handle complex device hierarchies, integrations, and real-time alerting.
IT administrators relied on scattered tools — emails, portals, overlays — none reliable when seconds mattered. During discovery interviews, admins expressed:
“They don’t necessarily get the info until after the fact — and that is an issue.”
In emergencies like fires or active threats, delays in reaching the mass could be catastrophic. Even for casual updates (closures, new services), the lack of a scalable, unified outlet was an issue.
The challenge: Build a system that lets IT admins broadcast alerts to any HDMI-connected screen instantly and intuitively under pressure.
"We want to be the big red button that lets everyone know some type of information"
David Anderson
CEO of Mimo Monitors
Admins needed to group devices (building → floor → room). Early debates stalled on what to call each level, how to settle on nomenclature.
Research insight: Testing showed admins didn’t care about terminology — they just needed to move fast.
Decision: Remove reliance on labels. Let users learn hierarchy through nesting interactions. Take advantage of learnt UX.
Outcome: 7/7 admins found grouping intuitive. One even said "This feels obvious - can we move on already?"
Should tree (nested) views be avoided to prevent cognitive overload?
Research insight: A/B testing showed admins actually preferred the tree view, since it mirrored Microsoft-like systems they’d used for decades.
Decision: Keep the tree view despite minimalist “best practice.”
Why: Familiarity accelerates action — crucial in emergencies.
Outcome: All testers navigated the tree with ease.
The CEO wanted the brand’s magenta color in the UI — a bold, risky choice for a serious product.
Process: Iterated dozens of palettes to make magenta a subtle accent. Repurposed In Time Tec’s React-based design system and extended it with brand-specific typography, components, and accessibility rules.
Why: Balance brand identity with usability, while giving engineers a reusable, production-ready system.
Outcome: A professional, scalable design system that engineers could adopt immediately.
Usability: 7/7 IT admins validated the workflows as intuitive and efficient.
Speed: Alerts could be broadcast in under 1 minute, compared to several minutes in legacy processes.
Scalability: Stakeholders gained confidence in a brand-consistent design system that could grow beyond MVP.
Principles aren’t rules. Heuristics are useful guides, but real users’ habits come first.
Design is translation. My role was bridging CEO vision, technical constraints, and user needs.
Systems scale impact. A well-crafted design system didn’t just solve UI challenges — it accelerated engineering delivery.
Context shapes intuition. Years of IT experience meant admins navigated the prototype with ease, finding elements quickly without extra guidance.