ClearCase is a fully automated cartridge case triage solution for crime gun investigations. The product worked technically, but it had been built to prove a concept, not to support how investigators work in practice. I led a full UX/UI redesign to fix that, and in the process uncovered a critical gap in the workflow.
*This work involves sensitive law-enforcement investigations, so I can't share full details publicly. These visuals are representative of the live product, and I'm glad to walk through the complete case study and design decisions in conversation.*
The Challenge
ClearCase had been ported from mobile to web without rethinking the experience. No design system, no responsive layout, and no real consideration for how investigators actually operate. I started with a comprehensive UX audit before touching any designs, which surfaced deeper workflow gaps that would shape the entire redesign.
Design Question: How do you turn a technically capable but workflow-unaware tool into a product investigators actually trust?
Before
The existing web app had sparse layouts, minimal information hierarchy, and required too many clicks to reach key data. Investigators couldn't quickly assess a case or drill into exhibit details without navigating through unnecessary intermediary screens.
The Redesign
I redesigned every core screen around increased screen real estate and investigator workflows. The case list pairs a searchable, sortable sidebar with a geographic map view. The case detail surfaces the analysis summary, exhibit data, and a downloadable report without extra clicks. And the exhibit detail consolidates photos, metadata, notes, and location into a single view.
A Gap Surfaces
The UX audit flagged it, the redesign made it undeniable, and user feedback confirmed it: the web app had no way to add exhibits. Agencies were hesitant to rely on mobile for core casework, but mobile was the only entry point, leaving investigators at a dead end the moment they needed to act.
Why mobile-only was a non-starter
Case data stored on a phone, whether personal or work-issued, can be subpoenaed as evidence. Investigators risked losing their device during proceedings, making agencies reluctant to adopt a mobile-only workflow for something as critical as exhibit entry.
Web-Based Exhibit Creation
In collaboration with engineering, I designed a flow that bridges web and mobile: investigators initiate exhibit creation from the web, scan cartridge cases using the phone's NFC reader via QR code pairing, and the exhibit list updates in real time, all without storing case data on the device. This workflow is now live in production.
Reflection
Audit before you redesign
Starting with a UX audit before touching the design meant the redesign was grounded in what was actually broken, not just what looked broken. The exhibit creation gap and the buried analysis report both came from that process, not from intuition alone.
System as accelerator
Building on the LeadsOnline design system meant ClearCase felt native to the platform from day one. Shared tokens, components, and patterns cut design time significantly and gave the redesign a coherence it would have taken much longer to achieve from scratch.
Know what the product is for
ClearCase has a lot of feature potential. The discipline was staying focused on what investigators actually needed: the analysis report and data-rich views that didn't waste their time. Designing for power users means cutting through what's possible to find what's essential.