I help companies tell their best stories through user experience, visual design, copywriting and motion.
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E-Plan

 

Capturing the E-Plan Workflow

The Approach

The Opportunity

There was no diagram that existed capturing the existing workflow, so it was incumbent upon our team to draft a working illustration which we could reference and leverage, illustrating user type, choices and processes.

I was asked to rethink how applying for Permitting online could work for the City of Los Angeles, saving citizens and City Staff valuable time and millions in expenditures by recommending a more streamlined workflow.

I’ve included this piece to show my systems thinking. Though I never got to go through the whole process of re-inventing online permitting, my work integral to the rethinking of how it could be done.

I’ve included this piece to show my systems thinking. Though I never got to go through the whole process of re-inventing online permitting, my work integral to the rethinking of how it could be done.

Lessons Learned

The UX Process

  1. Complex system sometimes rely on multiple databases to provide results. Mapping these origins and their content is key to success.

  2. Communicating with different agencies that are cross departmental can give you different dependencies (legal matters and/or intents). Mapping these origins and intents is also key to the success of a project like this so nothing important is missed.

I conducted a thorough set of interviews with existing developers, stakeholders and managers (who maintained the existing system) to document the illustration above. It was key to helping everyone propose ideas for an improved system, once design could take place.

Final Thoughts

LADBS (as of 2018) decided to use an Enterprise solution (OTS/off the shelf) which allowed for light modifications and some configuration, due to needing a product that could be shipped more quickly. The diagram above can be revisited if the City of Los Angeles ever decides to build something more bespoke, as Development and Planning needs grow, and their need for customization and great control of their product will become part of their success for the future.