Early in the pandemic, I was tapped to co-lead UX efforts on a confidential project for VML’s FedEx client. Our team was assigned to provide a UX, UI and prototyped solution for Microsoft to implement with AI-powered technology. The details were vague, but the project goal was clear: design a robust and hyper-detailed B2B-style shipping interface that could connect and monitor FedEx’s high-powered SenseAware network in real time.
SenseAware sensors are used for highly sensitive shipments, providing alerts based on temperature and humidity fluctuations, vibration, and a range of other shipping criteria. At that point in time, SenseAware was only used for alerts, but our teams created a nationwide network, infused with AI-driven weather and road reports, not only to monitor these sensitive shipments but provide the fastest, safest and most direct routes for them to move from origin to destination.
The project was given high-profile internal treatment, requiring reviews and approvals from the FedEx executive team, and from Steve Ballmer at Microsoft.
Results
After the design work was handed off to Microsoft, the product was launched and our team was notified that the FedEx Surround system would be used to ensure safe delivery of the first critical shipments of Covid-19 vaccine to tens of thousands of front-line personnel and at-risk individuals. The software continued to be used throughout the pandemic and has now been repurposed to monitor a wide range of sensitive FedEx shipments.
Team: : Jay Carver, Met Uzer, Daniele Gonzales, Lauren Meredith
