Project Background

Fields in Trust is a UK charity dedicated to protecting parks and green spaces. The organisation works with landowners, councils, and developers to secure legal commitments that prevent public green spaces from being repurposed for development. FIT required a GIS-enabled project planning tool to support infrastructure developers, housing planners, and local councils in managing building applications in the UK while ensuring compliance with park protection policies.

Challenges
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1. Fragmented Planning & Communication

• Lengthy approval cycles due to disconnected workflows.
• No centralised system for developers, councils, and FIT stakeholders to collaborate on project applications.
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2. Limited Insight into Green Space Protection

• Stakeholders lacked a clear way to assess the impact of developments on protected green spaces.
• FIT needed a data-driven approach to engage landowners in legally securing parks and playgrounds.

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3. Lack of a GIS-Integrated Pre-Survey Tool

• No seamless way to conduct preliminary site assessments using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.
• Developers needed visual data on protected spaces before submitting applications.
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Goals & Success Metrics‍
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Primary Objectives

• Create an intuitive, GIS-powered tool to assist developers and planners in project coordination.
• Enable seamless collaboration between councils, developers, and FIT through a project management and communication system.
• Ensure green space protection policies are embedded in the planning process.

Success Metrics

• Reduction in project approval time by improving stakeholder coordination.
• Increased adoption of the tool by developers, councils, and FIT representatives.
• More land legally protected through an evidence-based advocacy approach.
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My Role & Contributions

As the Lead UX Designer, I was responsible for:

• Conducting stakeholder interviews with council planners, developers, and FIT representatives
• Leading a co-design workshop to identify pain points and opportunities.
• Defining user personas and mapping user journeys.
• Creating wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes.
• Conducting usability testing to refine the tool.
• Delivering a final UX report documenting insights, design rationale, and key recommendations.

Research & Discovery

Stakeholder Interviews
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Conducted 8 in-depth interviews with planners, developers, and FIT representatives.
Key insights:

• Developers wanted a streamlined process to check compliance before submitting applications.
• Councils needed a clearer way to assess development impact on protected land.
• FIT sought data-driven tools to demonstrate the importance of green spaces.

User Personas & Journeys

Created three key personas:

• The Infrastructure Planner (Needs accurate site data + compliance clarity)
• The Housing Developer (Wants a seamless application process)
• The FIT Policy Advocate (Needs GIS insights to secure more green spaces)
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Defined journey maps to identify pain points in the current process.
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Ideation & Co-Design Workshop

Conducted a co-design session with end users and stakeholders.

Key Outcomes:

• Need for a GIS-powered pre-survey tool to check green space impact before submitting applications.
• Importance of real-time collaboration features (chat, document sharing, approval tracking).
• Requirement for an automated compliance check system based on policy rules.
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User Personas & Journeys

Wireframing & User Flows

• Created low-fidelity wireframes to test core workflows.
• Mapped the end-to-end user flow, from logging in to submitting an application.

High-Fidelity UI Prototypes

Designed an interactive prototype integrating:

• GIS-based map overlays showing protected vs. non-protected land.
• Project tracking dashboard for council planners & developers.
• In-app communication & document submission system.
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Final Solution & Impact

Key Features Delivered

• GIS-Based Pre-Survey Tool – Allows developers to check land protection status before submitting applications.
• Automated Compliance Checker – Ensures all submissions align with green space protection laws.
• Collaborative Project Management System – Enables real-time communication, document submission, and approval tracking.
• Data-Driven Advocacy Dashboard – Helps FIT use GIS insights to protect more land.
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Measurable Impact

• 40% reduction in planning application review time by councils.
• 100+ planning proposals reviewed using the new tool in the first 3 months.
• Increased green space protection discussions with developers due to GIS insights.

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Key Learnings & Reflections

• Design for Policy & Compliance: UX for government and nonprofit sectors requires simplifying complex regulations into intuitive design.
• Co-Design is Essential: Early collaboration with end-users helped shape a tool that met real needs.
• GIS Integration is Powerful (but Needs Simplification): The balance between technical accuracy and usability is critical.

Conclusion

This project showcased how UX, technology, and policy can align to protect vital public spaces. By integrating GIS, project management, and compliance tracking, we delivered a powerful yet user-friendly tool that streamlined planning applications while reinforcing green space protection.

Project Phase II
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The tool is currently being expanded for use beyond Scotland to support green space protection across the UK.

User Interface Designs

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