Designing an Air Quality Tracking Dashboard for Everyday People
Translating complex environmental science into something regular humans can understand and act on.
Introduction
People like retail workers, students, and gig workers often don’t have regular 9-to-5 jobs. Their shifts might change every week, include nights, or weekends. But most calendar apps (like Google Calendar or Apple Calendar) are made for people with fixed schedules. That makes it hard for shift workers to plan their day, know when they’re free, or get helpful reminders that don’t interrupt their rest. This project is about making a smart calendar app that actually works for people with changing schedules. It’s meant to help them manage work, find time for themselves, and feel less stressed.
Why I Chose This Problem?
This idea comes from my own life. For the last two years, I’ve been a full-time student. Like many international students, I worked part-time to support myself. During summer, I had two jobs and my schedule kept changing, and it was really hard to keep track.I had to rely on screenshots, WhatsApp messages, and switch between different scheduling apps to keep track of my shifts. But none of the regular calendar apps really worked for me. That’s why I decided to explore this problem more seriously.
Why This Matters?
This calendar isn’t just about managing time — it’s about understanding people’s challenges, and routines that don’t follow a typical 9-5 schedule. It’s about designing for real-life situations, not just ideal ones.
The Problem
Most digital calendars are built around a simple assumption: people work Monday to Friday, from 9 to 5. But that’s not reality for millions of shift workers.
How might we design a calendar experience that works for shift workers who live outside the 9 to 5 rhythm?
Research
To understand how shift workers actually manage their schedules, what tools they use, and where current calendar apps fail them.
Key Insights:
Everyone uses a hacky system
• People use screenshots of schedules from their managers
• Some write their shifts in a notes app on their phone
• Others rely on WhatsApp or group chats to trade shifts or double-check their schedule
“I just screenshot my schedule and check it every day. I forget stuff if I don’t.”
— Gig Worker #G05
Google Calendar just doesn’t work for this.
• Hard to use on mobile
• Annoying to enter non-repeating shifts
• Not enough color-coding options for multiple jobs
• Reminders often come at the wrong time
“It’s great for school or meetings. But not for when I work 2 PM today and 10 AM tomorrow.”
— Student #S02
Mental fatigue is real
• When you work rotating shifts, it’s hard to see your week clearly
• Too many blocks on a calendar feel overwhelming
• No quick way to check “when am I free?” without doing mental math
“I want something that just shows me my free time. Not 10 boxes that stress me out.”
— Retail Worker #R01
What This Research Told Me:
• Shift workers don’t need more features — they need more relevant ones.
• They want less clutter, more control, and tools that adapt to them, not the other way around.
• Most importantly, they want a system that respects their energy, rest, and real-world chaos.
Analysis
To make sure the design truly fits the needs of shift workers, I created a few user personas. These are based on real people I talked to,
Core User Needs
• Shift workers don’t need more features — they need more relevant ones.
• They want less clutter, more control, and tools that adapt to them, not the other way around.
• Most importantly, they want a system that respects their energy, rest, and real-world chaos.
Design Goals
• Shift workers don’t need more features — they need more relevant ones.
• They want less clutter, more control, and tools that adapt to them, not the other way around.
• Most importantly, they want a system that respects their energy, rest, and real-world chaos.
Solution
To make sure the design truly fits the needs of shift workers, I created a few user personas. These are based on real people I talked to,
Add Shift
To make sure the design truly fits the needs of shift workers, I created a few user personas. These are based on real people I talked to,
Add Shift
To make sure the design truly fits the needs of shift workers, I created a few user personas. These are based on real people I talked to,
Add Shift
To make sure the design truly fits the needs of shift workers, I created a few user personas. These are based on real people I talked to,
Success Metrics
To make sure the design truly fits the needs of shift workers, I created a few user personas. These are based on real people I talked to,
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