Unified AI-Powered Drone Operations Platform

As the Design Lead at a B2B robotics startup focused on drone operations and AI-powered platforms, I was responsible for defining and leading the end-to-end product design across web, mobile, and real-time systems. My role spanned product strategy, UX/UI design, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration, working closely with engineering, leadership, and business stakeholders.

To address the lack of a unified enterprise solution in the market, I led the design of a centralized SaaS platform that brought together drone management, mission planning, telemetry monitoring, device lifecycle management, and real-time video streaming into a single, coherent experience. This required simplifying complex workflows and decision-making processes for pilots and enterprise teams operating in high-stakes, real-time environments.

As the sole designer in the early stages, I owned the full design lifecycle — from research and problem definition to high-fidelity prototyping and launch — and supported fundraising efforts through investor-ready prototypes and pitch materials. The product was successfully funded and launched in the U.S. market, supporting complex drone operations for global users.

My Role – Design Lead

As Design Lead for the Global Drone Management Platform, my responsibilities included:

Leading the end-to-end design of a B2B drone management ecosystem, ensuring a seamless experience across multiple interconnected applications.

Conducting market research and competitive analysis to identify user pain points, such as connectivity issues, workflow inefficiencies, and lack of unified systems.

Collaborating closely with marketing, product, and development teams to define user flows, wireframes, and prototypes that addressed business and operational needs.

Designing mission planning, dashboard, and AI-powered security features to simplify complex drone operations while maintaining scalability for enterprise clients.

Contributing to Microsoft and NVIDIA pitch decks, aligning design decisions with business objectives, and reducing development costs through optimized workflows and interface design.

Establishing design guidelines and component systems across platform modules, ensuring consistency, usability, and intuitive navigation for multiple user types.

Process

Market Research and end-user feedbacks

Researched emerging trends in AI, robotics, and drone operations through competitive analysis, user reviews (Google Play, App Store, forums), and observations from early user testing to anticipate user expectations and technical constraints.

Boundaries

From this research, I identified key pain points, including UI confusion (users can’t find take-off/landing buttons, zoom option unclear), login/account issues (no ‘forgot password’ option, app doesn’t save passwords, verification codes fail), flight safety concerns (auto-return home limits manual control, lack of error interface, poor UI readability (fonts too small, low contrast, no customization), notifications/alerts issues (annoying beeping when signal lost, app continues during phone calls), maps and flight planning challenges (outdated map data, broken layers, lack of waypoint input)

Deliverables

I designed end-to-end flows and iterated designs based on findings and stakeholder feedback. Upon hand-off, I outlined redline specs and accessibility specs for my engineering partners.

Project Scoping
Market Analysis
Ideation
Design Direction
Lofi Explorations (Wireframes)
Midfi Explorations (Wireframes)
Cognitive Walkthrough (Study Plan and Moderation)
HiFi Designs and Flows
Accessibility (Large Font, Magnification, Screen Reader and Switch Device Experiences)
Internationalization
User Education
Graphic Design and Brand Identity

For more details on my process, contact shirinmardanpour92@gmail.com

Solution

Unified Dashboard Platform

Consolidated multiple apps into a single, unified dashboard to reduce cognitive load

AI-Powered Mission Automation

Our solution integrated AI-driven automation to streamline mission setup, allowing users to schedule, prioritize, and manage daily drone operations effortlessly.

AI-Powered Mission Automation

Created real-time transfer flows with progress indicators, error handling, and system feedback for reliability.

UI complexity causing app crashes during flight

Designed live telemetry pipeline to support real-time decision-making in high-risk operations

Conclusion

Successfully launched two Android apps and a full company platform with an admin panel. The release attracted significant customer engagement in the US market.