Team
Jinhee Park (Product & Design Intern)
James Friedman (Director of Product)
Matt Garrett (Senior Product Manager)
Wes, Alex S, Alex N, Mark, Christine, Nancy (Software Engineers)
Tina, Tad, Sid (Product Designers)
Tools
JIRA, Confluence, Dovetail, Figma
Timeline
June - September 2023
Brief
Mark43 empowers communities and governments with new technologies that improve the safety and quality of life. We build cloud solutions for first responders and the places they serve; on the flip side is the community focus which is giving them tools to police their police. The software enables transparency, accountability, and awareness for both sides of the public safety realm.
I was a part of Jail Management System (JMS) Team at Mark43, which is a product for booking arrestees into holding cells or jails. My project involved developing a digital signature solution tailored for PDF exports of forms completed by detainees or visitors during the booking process.
Recognizing Mark43's legacy products, I ensured the versatility of the signature solution, making it applicable across other products like Mark43's OnScene (Computer-Aided Dispatch) App and Records Management System.
Project
Why do we need this?
The current landscape in Mark43 lacks a centralized hardware or uniformed solution for signature capture, leading to unreliable methods and paperwork inefficiencies. Officers often face difficulties in obtaining signatures from detainees, appropriate adults, interpreters, or visitors, hindering the completion of critical forms. The absence of consistent signature capture method also poses compliance and security concerns that impact the integrity of signed forms.
Provide officers a secure and convenient solution for capturing signatures within facilities and in the field.
Allow officers to capture live, wet signatures that is accepted by the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) / court.
Meet many Mark43 product needs (RMS, JMS, OnScene) and improve the efficiency of the workflow.
Problem
Who are we building it for? What are their pain points?
I tackled the problem by thoroughly reviewing customer research videos on Dovetail, with a specific focus on information related to signatures. Following that, I conducted an internal interview with the former law enforcement team within Mark43 to gain some insights. Additionally, I organized a productive customer meeting with the UK Cumbria Police Department. Moreover, I conducted a field visit to Napa, CA, where I explored their Police Department, enabling me to conduct firsthand research for a significant U.S. client.
Throughout the research, I defined our user personas, their core pain points, and their goals throughout the signature process.
Users
In-Field Officer:
Out in the field, gathering statements and reports from witnesses and individuals in incidents
Need to efficiently and accurately capture signatures on the spot using a handy device
In-Facility Officer:
Work in jails / police stations; collect signatures from detainees/visitors/interpreters/etc
Need to conveniently handle the signing process within controlled environments
Administrative User:
Need to efficiently track, store, and retrieve signed forms and reports in digital formats
Detainees / Signatories:
Need visual cues and user-friendly interfaces to understand and participate in the signing process
Transparency and compliance
Customer pain points:
Goals:
Centralize signature capture methods across Mark43, reducing the risk of skipping signatures and resorting to unreliable methods
Eliminate the need for manual intervention and paperwork
Allow officers to focus on more critical tasks and less on administrative processes
Save time and effort for both officers and detainees
Upon completing the research, I kicked off a project poster meeting with the stakeholders (director of product, director of engineering, lead product designer, and senior product managers) to make sure the vision and scope of this project was aligned.
Vision
Create a convenient and efficient process akin to automated airport check-ins or self-checkouts at grocery stores with user-friendly kiosks. By eliminating the need for paper forms and unreliable signature pads, we want to streamline workflows, increase productivity, and ensure compliance for users.
Users can capture signatures promptly using real-time rendering of signature boxes and live wet signature capture. With integration across mobile devices, tablets, and any touch-enabled devices, users can capture signatures easily in both field and in-facility environments, even without internet connectivity.
Grocery-store like process
We aim to incorporate a grocery-store-like process for capturing signatures, making it familiar and efficient for both officers and detainees.
Similar to how items are scanned at a grocery store checkout, officers and detainees fill out responses on the form, providing necessary information
The external monitor will display the information filled out in the form, providing a comprehensive overview for the detainee to review and verify before adding their signature
Detainees can review the displayed information, like how customers at grocery stores confirm their purchases before proceeding to their payment process
Detainees will then add their live wet signatures to the tablet, indicating their acknowledgement to the form’s content
Looking ahead, we envision technology advancements elevating signature processes to new heights, providing higher level of security, accuracy, and efficiency. Biometric authentication methods, such as fingerprint or face scanning, will enhance verification. Voice recognition may allow users to sign documents using their voice. Machine learning algorithms can automatically verify signature authenticity.
Our solution could also seek detainees to work independently through the signing process via secure, self-service digital devices designed with visual cues and voice prompts. As universal digital signature standards advance, our solution will adapt.
Customers see items that they purchased
Customers add signatures as an agreement to paymentValue
MVP Features
Capture signatures to digital forms lifted as PDF exports
MUST HAVE:
Utilize built-in capabilities within PSPDF kit
SDK for PDF viewing, editing, and annotation capabilities
Hardware: mounted touchscreen kiosk for security & mobile device for portability
Mounted device deters detainees from damaging tools in the jail
Mobile device allows officers in field to capture signatures wherever they are
Mirrored view of PDF on kiosk for detainees to review and sign
Date/time stamps to meet with audit trail needs
Easier way to record refusal to sign
Offline mode
Admin configuration to add and modify signature element in forms
WON’T DO:
Extra authentication measures before signing, such as entering officer PIN or photo capturing of the signer
There are CCTVs throughout facilities and officers in field have body-cams capturing the signature process, so additional authentication is not necessary
Collaboration between remote signers
We will only be focusing on signature workflows within our product
Initials / other types of signatures won’t be used as they may confuse the users
Design
Though I was a product management intern, due to my design background, I was invited to collaborate with the product designer to help design the solution for digital signatures.
Affinity Maps
Organized the common themes among research findings and internal former officers interviews
Competitive Analysis
Competitive analysis of other digital signing softwares: DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat, MacOS PDF, Dropbox sign
Personas & Journey Maps
Flow Maps
Export builder
Officer Flow (Day to day user):
Form builder
Admin Flow (Configuration):
Admin Configuration: Form builder
Use Settings to require signatures to a form
Use Form Builder to drop in elements to a form, such as checkbox and textbox to document refusal to sign
Officer: Export digital form for signatures
Officer fills out a form from the detainee’s profile
Signature field is removed from the export if ‘Unable to sign’ is checked on the form
Exported form with PSPDF toolkit
Could record refusal to sign on the export
Enter kiosk mode to share screen to external kiosk and capture signature
Officer’s screen proctors the kiosk
Time stamps / Audit Trail
Prototype
Officer: Check ‘Unable to sign’ in the digital form
Use Export Builder to modify an export linked to the form
Add signature fields and/or text field for refusal to sign (if not added in the form builder)
Admin Configuration: Export builder
Takeaways
1. Empathize with the Users
Empathize with the context in which the product is being used -- jail setting, patrol setting, dispatch shifts,etc.
2. Understand the Product Workflows
Brain-picking logic to map out the workflows throughout the signing process, from different POVs (admin, officer, and detainee)
3. Descope / Integration
Simplify process and enhance efficiency with built-in tools and integrations (e.g. PSPDF kit)
De-scope to focus on core functionality and reduce complexity
4. Collaboration
Collaborative sessions and regular feedbacks are essential to facilitate iterative development
De-scope to focus on core functionality and reduce complexity