Context
When the network disappears, the expectation of simplicity does not.
FrontM builds digital ecosystems for remote workforces, with maritime as its first proving ground. The supplied product concept brings everyday calling behaviours into a vessel environment where people may depend on satellite-enabled connectivity rather than terrestrial mobile networks.
The design opportunity was not to make satellite technology visible everywhere. It was to preserve the familiar mental model of modern calling apps while exposing the information users need to choose contacts, routes and groups with confidence.
01
Phone Contacts
02
Company Users
03
Groups
04
Satellite route
05
VOIP history
Project scope
One communication surface, several maritime realities.
SCOPE
Core experience
Calling entry points, call history, dial pad, contact detail, Company Users, phone contacts and group-based calling.
CHALLENGE
Consumer familiarity vs. operational complexity
Make the experience feel recognisable without ignoring different contact sources, connectivity routes, account balance and crew administration.
- Calling flows: Move from history, contacts or groups into a clear call action.
- Crew groups: Support shipmates, family and user-created groups rather than a flat address book.
- Contact architecture: Separate phone contacts, Company Users and groups while keeping them within one predictable structure.
- Group governance: Include participant management, administrator roles and ownership transfer.
Problem definition
How might we make satellite-enabled communication feel as intuitive as a familiar mobile call, while still supporting the contact sources, crew structures and operational controls unique to maritime life?
The key design decision: reduce the cognitive distance between “calling at sea” and the calling behaviours users already understand.
My role
I shaped the end-to-end interaction model represented in the supplied screens, from information architecture and user flows to high-fidelity interface patterns.
- Information architecture: Organised contacts, calls and groups around a shared mobile navigation model.
- Interaction design: Defined entry points and actions across call, contact and group workflows.
- High-fidelity UI: Applied familiar mobile conventions to a specialist maritime use case.
Design intent
Familiar where possible. Explicit where necessary.
The interface uses recognised calling and contact patterns as the baseline, then introduces maritime-specific concepts only where they change a decision: satellite numbers, VOIP history, account balance, shipmates, groups and group administration.
01
Familiar first
Start from mental models users already know from mainstream calling apps.
02
Crew-centred
Represent shipmates and groups as first-class communication objects.
03
Network-aware
Surface route, history and balance information where it supports a choice.
04
Governable
Design groups with participants, admins and ownership rather than simple labels.
Design process
From communication problem to a coherent mobile system
The visible UI set suggests an iterative system-design approach: define the people and communication objects first, then extend the same interaction logic across call, contact and group-management states.
01
Frame the context
Identify what changes when a familiar calling task moves from normal mobile coverage to a maritime environment.
02
Map entities
Separate phone contacts, Company Users and groups, then define how each can start communication.
03
Design journeys
Connect call history, dial pad, contact detail and group selection into predictable paths.
04
Add governance
Extend group creation into participant, admin and ownership management.
05
Refine the UI
Use familiar mobile conventions, clear labels and reusable screen patterns to reduce learning effort.
Solution
A familiar calling experience built around a maritime contact model
The final design does not treat satellite calling as an isolated utility. It connects calling with contact discovery, personal and crew groups, account context and group governance, creating a broader communication layer that can sit naturally inside FrontM’s maritime ecosystem.
- Call history + dial pad
- Phone + FrontM contacts
- Shipmates + groups
- Admins + ownership
01
Multiple contact sources, one mental model
Users can move between phone contacts, Company Users and groups without learning three different interaction models.
02
Groups reflect real relationships
Shipmates and family are represented as communication groups, making recurrent contact faster and more meaningful.
03
Governance scales beyond chat
Admin, participant and ownership controls turn groups into manageable collaboration spaces rather than temporary contact lists.
Impact
Design outcomes
No product analytics were supplied for this portfolio reconstruction, so impact is expressed as qualitative product and UX outcomes rather than invented metrics.
01
Lower learning effort
Recognised calling conventions make a specialist connectivity context feel less specialist.
02
Clearer communication choices
Contact type, call route, balance and group context appear close to the action they influence.
03
Better crew organisation
Shipmates, personal groups and participant controls support recurring relationships at sea.
04
Scalable interaction foundation
Reusable patterns can support a broader set of communication and collaboration capabilities across the platform.
Reflection
Designing for the edge means preserving familiarity while respecting the system underneath.
This case study is grounded in the supplied FrontM UI file, the product context provided for this project, and FrontM’s current public positioning around connected maritime workforces and remote environments.
