Flight Test Management System (FTMS)
Overview
Gulfstream’s Flight Test Management System (FTMS) is a responsive web app for Flight Test Engineers (FTEs) to manage certification requirements for new aircraft. Previous attempts at a system had failed - users abandoned the last version in favor of spreadsheets, which led to inconsistencies, lack of traceability, and no program-level reporting.
The new FTMS was estimated to save over 4,200 man-hours per aircraft model certified. As lead designer, I guided the team through research, design, and validation while also building one of the UX team’s first reusable web design systems.
Final FTMS home screen - centralized dashboard providing a consistent, unified view across flight test groups.
Discovery & Research
Our team conducted 17 interviews with stakeholders and FTEs to understand why prior versions failed and how workarounds evolved. The main issues identified were:
Poor system performance (2–30 second load times).
Essential functionality missing, leading to inconsistent processes and documentation.
Confusing interactions, such as hidden right-click menus and vague iconography.
We also documented the certification workflow in depth. This revealed a process spanning 5 phases and more than 50 steps, underscoring the need for a system that could streamline and standardize across groups.
Early design sketches capturing user flows and major feature explorations.
Ideation & Initial Design
We began with team sketching sessions that fed into wireframes. To align with Gulfstream’s emerging standards, we used Angular and Material Design components, while introducing a web design system to ensure reusability across projects.
First round of FTMS wireframes exploring navigation and task flows based on initial sketches.
Testing & Iteration
Two rounds of usability testing with clickable prototypes helped us uncover language and process issues. For example, terms like “multi-edit” were confusing, so we revised them to clearer options like “bulk-edit.”
The testing also made it clear that ongoing feedback would be critical due to the system’s complexity. This led to a new practice: working sessions with representatives from all FTE groups. In these sessions, we aligned on terminology, priorities, and workflows directly with users and stakeholders.
Design Evolution & Final Design
With user input guiding each iteration, we refined the design to ensure clarity, speed, and scalability. Key improvements included:
Replacing vague icons with descriptive labels.
Simplifying navigation and interactions.
Improving performance to eliminate the long load times that plagued earlier attempts.
Final FTMS home screen - simplified navigation and improved performance for efficiency.
Final FTMS details screen - clear labeling and structured data display supporting cross-discipline workflows.
Implementation & Outcome
The project spanned nearly a year to complete the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). We released two interim versions to collect feedback and iterate before launch.
Impact highlights:
4,260 man-hours saved per model certified.
Centralized repository of certification requirements enabled consistent processes across groups.
Opened the door for program-level reporting and analytics.
One user described the new system:
“FTMS has the speed and flexibility to support the planning, execution and analysis of tests across a diverse set of flight test disciplines, while maintaining enough structure so that any FTE in any group can quickly and efficiently get up to speed.”
Leadership & Influence
My role extended beyond design execution:
I introduced and facilitated monthly working sessions, creating a shared decision-making model that gave all groups a voice and ensured adoption.
I partnered with developers to build out a reusable web design system, setting a foundation for future web projects.
I bridged business and technical perspectives, ensuring the system was both usable and scalable.
Through these efforts, I helped turn around a project with two failed attempts into a system that became trusted, adopted, and impactful across the organization.