Project Overview
After launch, the ALPR device showed signs of friction across installation, onboarding, and deployment. I led a rapid usability research effort, requested by the CTO, to identify what was getting in users’ way and help the team improve speed, clarity, and product effectiveness.
Delivered across 6+ design and development sprints with fast feedback loops.
Seventeen expert reviews and eight user research rounds created a strong evidence base.
Improvement in the final device experience, alongside faster setup and two global design awards.
The ALPR camera was a critical part of a larger security ecosystem, but early feedback suggested the deployment experience was slowing users down. Installation steps were not intuitive, product guidance was inconsistent, and usability issues were reducing confidence in the device.
The project came in with urgency. Competitors had already released similar devices, so the work needed to move quickly without losing rigor.
The Chief Technology Officer directly requested the research to help the organization move faster and more confidently. The goal was not just to spot issues, but to produce clear, actionable direction the core team could use immediately.
I helped shape a strategic plan that connected product stages, research methods, development checkpoints, and user testing into one coordinated effort. The work balanced speed with precision so findings could influence the next sprint, not just the next quarter.
This planning artifact helped align research, engineering, and design around what would be tested, when, and how insights would feed back into the build cycle.
I used qualitative usability methods to understand where installation broke down, why it broke down, and what needed to change before broader rollout.
The Process
The work was intentionally structured to move from early internal checks to real user evidence, then back into development decisions without losing momentum.
The usability issues were not isolated to one step. They showed up across setup, training, and the supporting materials around the product.
Users struggled with the quick-deploy flow because the setup sequence and expectations were not always clear in the moment.
Training and getting-started content were not consistently supporting the real field experience, which increased hesitation and errors.
SME review and user testing pointed to the same core breakdowns, which gave the team stronger confidence in what to fix first.
The most important opportunities were the ones that made the product easier to deploy while also making it more effective once in use.
Outcome
The final research and testing rounds helped the team move from general concern to measurable improvement.
Improvement rate achieved in the ALPR device and technology after research-informed iteration.
Reduced deployment time for the quick-deploy installation experience.
Installation was simplified into a clearer, more repeatable deployment sequence.
The final device went on to receive global design recognition after the improvements.
The research shaped not only the device experience itself, but also the materials around it, including onboarding support, installation guidance, and clearer communication across teams.
This product video gives a clearer sense of the quick-deploy system and the broader context the research needed to support.