Overview
A map-based geospatial intelligence platform focused on helping users request, configure, and manage satellite imagery through a workflow that simplifies technical decision-making without reducing analytical control.
Role: Product Designer
Focus Areas: Geospatial workflows, complex systems, dashboard UX, progressive disclosure
The Challenge
Requesting satellite imagery is inherently complex.
Users need to define precise geographic areas, configure multiple technical parameters, understand tradeoffs between cost and output quality, and manage large volumes of geospatial data, often within time-sensitive workflows.
The challenge was not accessing satellite data itself. It was making complex geospatial decision-making feel understandable, structured, and operationally manageable without oversimplifying the system.
Simplifying the Request Flow
Requesting satellite imagery involves multiple technical decisions. Users need to configure imagery parameters, define precise geographic regions, understand delivery constraints, and evaluate how their choices affect output quality and credit usage.
Showing all of this upfront can quickly make the experience feel overwhelming, especially for users who may not be deeply familiar with satellite systems.
To simplify the process, the request flow was structured into three focused layers:
Configuring imagery parameters
Selecting the area of interest
Reviewing delivery details and credit usage
This structure helps users focus on one category of decisions at a time while still keeping the overall request visible and connected.
Instead of treating the flow like a rigid sequence of forms, each layer works together as part of a larger operational workspace where users can continuously refine their request as they explore the map.
Designing the Core Workflow
The Map Explorer was designed as a flexible workspace where users can explore the map, configure parameters, and review requests without losing context.
Instead of separating decisions across disconnected screens, the experience keeps the map at the center while supporting controls and summaries stay accessible around it.
Progressive Disclosure
Satellite workflows involve a large amount of technical information, but exposing everything upfront can quickly become overwhelming.
The interface starts in a lightweight state and gradually reveals additional controls, system details, and validation feedback as users interact with the platform. This helps reduce cognitive overload while still supporting more advanced operational use cases when needed.
A Continuous Workspace, Not a Form
Supporting Operational Systems
Since this was a design assignment and I did not have access to real platform users, some workflow and operational assumptions were made based on the brief, domain research, and the type of information different user groups would likely need during satellite imagery operations.
Beyond the core request flow, the platform also needed supporting systems that help users monitor activity, manage credits, track requests, and operate at scale.
Each dashboard was designed to surface the most important information first while keeping deeper operational details accessible without overwhelming the interface.
User Dashboard
Admin Dashboard
Designing for Growth
The platform was designed with the assumption that both the amount of satellite data and the complexity of request workflows would continue growing over time.
Parameter selection, operational panels, and request flows were structured modularly so new satellite types, capture conditions, and workflow layers could be introduced without fundamentally changing the interaction model.
This helped keep the experience flexible while preventing the interface from becoming overwhelming as the system evolves.
What I’d Improve
Given the limited timeline of the assignment, a few areas were intentionally kept lightweight and would benefit from deeper exploration in a longer product cycle.
Real-Time Parameter Feedback
Provide clearer feedback around how parameter changes affect delivery time, imagery quality, and credit usage while users configure requests.Tradeoff Visibility
Help users better understand operational tradeoffs such as cost vs. resolution, speed vs. accuracy, and SAR vs. optical imagery through more contextual guidance.Collaborative Workflows
Explore workflows where teams can review, comment on, and manage requests together instead of treating imagery requests as isolated individual actions.Advanced AOI Tooling
Expand map interaction capabilities with features like reusable AOIs, smart region suggestions, and more advanced geographic selection tools.AI-Assisted Recommendations
Introduce intelligent suggestions for imagery parameters based on user goals, industry type, or previously requested satellite data.
Reflection
The biggest learning was understanding that the challenge was not just helping users request satellite imagery, but helping them make complex technical decisions without feeling overwhelmed by the system itself.
It also pushed me to think more deeply about information hierarchy, progressive disclosure, and how interfaces can simplify operational complexity without removing flexibility or control.
Working within a short assignment timeline made prioritization equally important. Instead of trying to design every possible workflow, I focused on building a clear and scalable foundation for how users interact with satellite data.
