Mercury

Logistics Application for US Army

Overview

As a Product Designer and Consultant at VMware Tanzu Labs, I worked on Mercury, a logistics planning application developed for the U.S. Army via the Army Software Factory (ASF). Our goal was to design a modern, intuitive interface that helped logisticians track personnel, manage inventory, and communicate efficiently.

Our multidisciplinary team—composed of designers, product managers, and engineers—collaborated closely with Army soldiers to modernize the legacy OPLOG Planner tool. By leveraging Lean UX and Agile methodologies, we designed a product that simplified complex logistics workflows and improved coordination across Army units.

Problem

The existing OPLOG Planner was outdated, unintuitive, and difficult to navigate, resulting in inefficient logistics planning and poor visibility into operational readiness.
Soldiers and Brigade SPOs (Special Projects Officers) faced challenges such as:

  • Cumbersome manual processes for creating and editing plans

  • Inconsistent data visibility across units

  • Limited ability to collaborate or share logistics updates in real time

These pain points hindered mission planning and coordination, highlighting the need for a modern, user-friendly solution tailored to Army logisticians’ real-world needs.

Solution

We designed Mercury, a responsive web app that streamlines logistics planning and enhances situational awareness.

Key features included:

  • Plan Creation & Editing: Simplified workflows for creating and updating logistics plans with improved data entry and validation.

  • Customizable Dashboard: A modular dashboard summarizing critical logistics information—such as Classes of Supply, unit readiness, and open tasks.

  • In-App Sharing: A secure collaboration feature allowing logisticians to share plans with peers and commanding officers for visibility and feedback.

  • Data Clarity & Visualization: Clear information hierarchy and improved visual design to surface insights at a glance.

The result was a modern and efficient interface that empowered logisticians to make faster, more informed decisions.

Design Process

Research & Discovery

To ground our design in real user needs, we conducted on-base user interviews and contextual inquiries with Army logisticians. Our research focused on:

  • How soldiers currently plan and track supply logistics

  • What bottlenecks and frustrations they encounter

  • How information flows across teams during missions

These sessions revealed that users valued clarity, speed, and collaboration over aesthetic complexity—directly informing our design principles.

User Persona

Based on our research, we developed a primary persona:
Major Paul Polstner – Brigade Special Projects Officer (SPO)

  • Oversees planning and coordination for multiple units

  • Needs quick visibility into equipment and supply readiness

  • Values tools that reduce manual data entry and improve communication

This persona guided design decisions and helped align the product team around a clear user archetype.

Wireframing & Ideation

We started with rapid sketching and low-fidelity wireframes to explore different information layouts and workflows.
Our key goals were to:

  • Reduce the cognitive load of logistics planning

  • Present essential data in digestible formats

  • Support real-time collaboration and updates

These wireframes evolved through iterative feedback sessions with soldiers, ensuring that every interaction served a clear operational purpose.

High-Fidelity Design

Using Figma, we developed a cohesive design system aligned with the Army Software Factory’s design standards.
Notable UI decisions included:

  • A modular dashboard for at-a-glance status monitoring

  • Consistent use of military-grade iconography and typography for familiarity

  • Responsive layouts optimized for desktop and field tablet use

Our design prioritized functionality, clarity, and speed, while still maintaining a polished and modern aesthetic.

Prototyping & Testing

We created interactive prototypes and conducted multiple rounds of usability testing with Brigade SPOs and logistics soldiers.
Testing validated:

  • Faster plan creation times

  • Easier understanding of data hierarchy

  • Improved confidence in data accuracy and collaboration

Feedback from users directly shaped iterations of the dashboard and plan-sharing workflows.

Results & Impact

The Mercury MVP was well-received by Army logisticians and leadership.
Key outcomes:

  • Positive feedback from Brigade SPO personnel on usability and efficiency

  • Approval for further development, including:

    • Enhanced in-app sharing

    • Integration of Unit Identification Codes (UICs)

    • Advanced Class of Supply estimation features

    • SIPR (Secret Internet Protocol Router) network enablement

For my contributions, I was honored with a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Army Software Factory upon completion of the engagement.

Reflection

Designing for a military environment requires balancing security, functionality, and simplicity.

  • Co-creation with soldiers was critical to uncovering real workflow challenges.

  • Even in highly constrained environments, good UX can dramatically improve operational efficiency.

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