In 2023, we took on the immense task of designing a simple, easy & intuitive platform to upload, store, share and collaborate on LiDAR scans taken using Rockmass EON.
Prior to tension getting involved, each scan was an island. No relation to the previous scan, or scans taken in the same vicinity, let alone the drift or tunnel. We were adamant that we wanted whatever we came up with to work not only on new scans, but all existing scans as well — which meant that we couldn’t rely on new data or information to be baked into the captures. Through a little magic, and some 3D math gymnastics, we came up with a way to allow scans to position themselves relative to each other — all on their own, without any new data, or hardware, and without any additional requirement on the user. Then, we designed a beautiful visual experience that placed the scans where they belong, inside the mine, without needing to know the mine’s structure or systems — all using existing data. Users could navigate by level, stride from capture to capture along the same wall, inspect each scan and comment and collaborate with other departments seamlessly, all inside a web browser.
We’d worked with Rockmass for a while at this point, in fact, the redesign of their EON LiDAR scanner’s onboard software was one of our first engagements at tension. But, this project had a number of very unique challenges: How do you organize scans of walls, faces and tunnels, when the all you can rely on is naming conventions? Names chosen by humans at constant risk of death or injury from falling rocks, structural failures, and the biggest trucks you’ve ever seen? How do you organize data?
When we looked at the user needs & contexts of use, organizing principals like folders, human data entry in dangerous situations, and/ or scanning sessions weren’t going to cut it. No one’s going to remember what they named a scan, or when they took it. And when you’re collaborating with professionals that aren’t onsite, or only occasionally — these would be entirely useless methods of finding what they were looking for. We had our work cut out for us.
We aligned outcomes, clarified user roles, and shaped a spatial information architecture that elevates clarity and findability while cutting operational friction.
Business Purpose Workshop
Customer interviews
User Archetypes Workshop
Current State Journey Workshop
War Room Conceptualization
We iterated interactive flows from level to segment, to scan, validating navigation, commenting, and export. Tests showed faster orientation, fewer dead-ends, and clearer handoff between field and office.
Wireframes
Interactive Prototypes
User testing
Hierarchy reimagining
Validation
We produced system patterns, state logic, and microcopy for the mine-first model. Visual design refined hierarchy, scan group layout, and annotation legibility to keep complex data readable under pressure.
Full product visual design
Style guide and Asset Library
High Fidelity Prototype
Dev Handover
Stratus uses the site itself as the interface. A top-down view highlights segments containing scans; inside each segment, side-by-side panes are arranged by their relationship to survey markers, with comments and sharing at mine, segment, or scan level. It removes guesswork, shortens the path to the right evidence, and preserves context through collaboration and export.
The product didn’t reach public release after a company pivot, but user testing validated the model and reframed direction around shareable geological intelligence. The prototype proved collaboration and clarity are unlocked when the mine becomes the menu.
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