Michigan Tech EMS Database

A database for all the EMS supplies on Michigan Technological University's campus.

problem

The organization of supplies for Michigan Tech EMS was a mess. It was hard to navigate, often incorrectly updated, and cause more confusion than help. While more experienced members of the EMS team were able to navigate it well enough, newer members wanted something more simplified and usable.

solution

By creating a database for all the EMS supplies on campus, figuring out how much of an item was available and where it was could become so much easier. The database would also show the location and contents of bags and cases, allowing for more contained searching. Links for where to purchase new supplies were also included to make the restocking process easier.

This project was spearheaded by two of the members of our six person team. They were both part of EMS, and wanted to see change in the way supplies were managed. While they had grown used to it, they were tired of the way things were being run. When we were given the chance to do a project of our choice, it was clear what the plan was.

This project came at around the midpoint of my degree progress. At that point I was still relatively new to both HCI and programming as a whole. So my part in this project was fully UI/UX design, and very little implementation. It was my first real introduction to Figma outside of some brief work the previous year.

I was focused on creating a interface that was mostly function over form. Databases don't need to be interesting, but they do need to work and be efficient. To get an idea of what a good interface could look like, I looked at online storefronts like Amazon and Target. These websites (as well as online shopping as a whole) are very good at presenting the most important information and keeping users engaged, so that's where I wanted to start.

Overall, this project went well. We didn't get to finish it as we ran out of time and picked an ambitious project, but it was a good first experience for me of both Agile development and working in a interdisciplinary team.

year

2024

timeframe

7 weeks

tools

Figma