COMMSIX — Offline Field App (Self-Initiated)

COMMSIX is a solo product design and build project. It is a working iOS app, not a client commission. The case study uses release-build simulator captures from the actual interface.

A group away from mobile coverage needs a simple communications plan: the primary channel, fallbacks, tone, call signs, and check-in time. The interface also has to explain a less obvious distinction: a radio’s technical capability does not establish permission to transmit.

I defined the product, wrote the specification, designed the interface, and reviewed the implementation. The core workflows use local data and do not require an account or a network connection. I designed Field Mode around information someone can read at a glance, then refined the layout after using the build on my own phone.

Receive support, transmit hardware, and authorization are separate states. Each status explains what the evidence supports and what the user should check next.

Field Mode gives the channel, frequency, tone, next check-in, and alternate priority over secondary controls.

Dark, Daylight, and Red light modes keep the same layout while changing how it reads in different conditions.

Large primary controls, scalable text, and reduced-motion behavior support field use and accessibility.

Decorative terrain and grid treatments are removed when they would reduce legibility.

The result is a functioning mobile product with a defined offline data model and an interface designed for difficult viewing conditions. The documented build includes automated tests for the authorization rules and offline repository. Physical field acceptance, VoiceOver, and maximum text-size checks are identified as pending in the full case study rather than claimed as completed.

The project demonstrates how I connect product rules, interface language, visual craft, and implementation when a confident-looking answer could mislead the user.