Axon Connected
Devices

Strategy Definition

Defining the ApproachI began by developing a principle-driven design methodology. This approach became the foundation for research, production, and measurement, guiding how we crafted connected experiences for first responders.

Establishing Experience Design Principles and MetricsThrough product audits, user interviews, ride-alongs, and stakeholder discussions, I synthesized insights into core themes (➊). These informed experience design principles and customer promises, which also became the foundation for experience measurement.

Experience Design Principles (➋):

• Reliability — The product and features are consistently usable.
  
• Clarity — Functions and features are intuitive, requiring minimal onboarding.
  
• Flexibility — Products adapt to context and workflow.
• Connectivity — Experiences are seamless within the Axon ecosystem.

The Measurement ProcessTo ensure design quality and track progress, I introduced a measurement framework (➌) with structured checkpoints for feedback and validation.

This allowed us to make data-driven design decisions and continuously optimize the customer experience.

• Pre-Beta Benchmark — Internal usability score + task completion analysis (with SMEs).
  
• During Beta — Weekly surveys and customer calls to surface pain points (with Beta partners).
  
• Post-Release Benchmark — External usability score + task completion analysis (with customers).

Process Application

I first applied this framework to the Axon Fleet in-car camera system companion app, transitioning it from a Windows laptop tool to mobile-first experiences across iOS and Android phones and tablets for global markets.

After months of research (➍), design (➎), prototyping (➏), and development, supported by ongoing testing, the app reached beta readiness (➐).

Once ready, we set out to apply the measurement steps with the following results:

• Pre-Beta Benchmark ➑: C+ / good SUS score, with 43 issues identified and categorized by feature, customer promise, frequency of use, effort, product, and cross-platform priority.
  
• Beta ➒: Weekly surveys and customer calls tracked experience pain points, helping us prioritize fixes and improvements.
  
• Post-Release Benchmark ➓ : A+ SUS score with only 8 issues remaining — demonstrating significant improvement and confirming customer satisfaction.

TakeawaysThe structured, principled process gave the team confidence in release readiness while proving measurable improvements through each phase.

This approach, embedded in Axon’s product development, ensures well-designed and consistently evaluated features and products, incorporating user input at every stage and improving customer experience and planning along the way.