Designing an AI-driven, accessible safety platform for frontline workers from the ground up
Role: LEAD DESIGNER
Platform: Mobile (Fieldworkers) | Desktop (Managers)
FYLD is an AI-powered safety and productivity SaaS platform for frontline teams in the infrastructure sector including utilities, construction and mining. It connects frontline workers to their remote managers and back office. Using AI it analyses media captured on job sites in real-time, highlighting risks and recommending actions to help prevent incidents.
As the founding designer and later a hands on Head of Design as the company scaled rapidly, I defined the design vision across mobile and desktop, establishing the principles and direction for an AI-powered platform that remained intuitive, accessible, and scalable throughout its growth.
The problem
Frontline operations in industries such as utilities, highways, and construction are often hampered by fragmented processes, reliance on paper and phone calls and a lack of real-time visibility. Teams work across remote, high-risk environments while critical information is spread across multiple systems and manual workflows. This makes it difficult for organisations to identify emerging risks, ensure compliance, understand operational performance, and make timely, informed decisions.
Setting the foundations
I began by conducting extensive user research with fieldworkers and managers alongside our founding partner and anchor customer, the gas supplier SGN. Through ethnographic research, I observed real working practices on site, identifying common personas, pain points and the limitations of existing processes. These insights informed the initial product direction, with key flows such as video risk assessments, evidencing, and job blockers. These were designed, tested, and rapidly iterated in close collaboration with users.
For the product to be adopted, it needed to work reliably in high-risk, time-critical environments, often outdoors, in poor conditions and with limited connectivity, for a diverse workforce with varying digital confidence and accessibility needs.
Vision, design principles and guidelines
A core set of product principles guided the development of the product from the outset.
Brand and product design guidelines
I consistently work to ensure FYLD embeds world-class standards for accessibility and usability. The colour, typography, and iconography choices outlined below helped form the foundation of the company’s visual standards and design system.
Design system
FYLD’s initial design system unified colour, typography, and components into a single, accessible framework across mobile and desktop experiences. Oversized buttons have been used in mobile app to ensure reliable use while wearing gloves and in poor weather conditions. Over time we built out separate detailed design systems for both web and mobile.
The product
Key Video Risk Assessment flow
Below are key screens from the Video Risk Assessment (VRA) flow that allow a fieldworker to complete a video risk assessment. This is analysed using NLP and computer vision to suggests hazards on site along with mapped controls. The fieldworker’s manager is automatically alerted to the VRA when it available to review and sign-off remotely.
The manager experience
The desktop platform provides a clear, at-a-glance view of live jobs and safety insights. Jobs requiring attention are automatically prioritised, with accessible and digestible data visualisations supporting fast decision-making. Consistent interaction patterns across screens ensuring the experience is easy to learn and use at scale.
