FireSim AR: Designing the Experience Behind Immersive Fire-Safety Training.
CASE STUDY · 5 MIN READ
ROLE
Product Engineer
TIMELINE
January - December 2019
TEAM
Product Engineer
2x Software Engineer
Project Manager
SKILLS
User Research
Product Design
Strategic Thinking
The Challenge
Fire safety training is costly, inconsistent, and inaccessible.
Hands-on fire safety training is difficult for many people to access. Traditional sessions require physical space, consumable materials, and dedicated instructors. As a result, training is limited, expensive, and often not available to the general public.
Our goal was to design a tool that makes training more scalable and more effective without compromising safety.
The Opportunity
Use mixed-reality to simulate high-risk environments safely.
The project introduced a mixed-reality training system using the Microsoft HoloLens. My responsibility was to design and develop the primary control interface: an Android dashboard that allows trainers to set up, manage, and monitor fire-safety simulations in real time.
This dashboard became the “command center” for running the entire experience.
Understanding the Users
Two users, one shared training environment.
The platform brings together a trainer and a trainee inside the same simulated scenario, each playing a distinct role. Trainers oversee the session, adjust conditions, and monitor progress, while trainees navigate the experience through mixed-reality tools. The system breakdown below illustrates how both sides interact to create a coordinated, real-time simulation.
Designing the Interface
Clarity for trainers in high-stakes scenarios.
My focus was creating a tablet dashboard that allows trainers to:
- Configure environments and difficulty
- Monitor trainee progress in real time
- Trigger key simulation events
- Evaluate trainee performance
- Restart or reset sessions instantly
These decisions made the dashboard more intuitive and reliable during high-pressure scenarios. With the dashboard controlling the real-time simulation, trainers also needed a clear way to evaluate performance once the session concludes.
Reporting the Session
A clear record of performance and outcomes.
The report screen presents:
- Completed and missed tasks
- Timestamped simulation log
- Notes explaining why certain actions were not completed
- A simple way to export or email the trainee’s report
Designed to support trainers in debriefing and documentation.
REFLECTION
What I learned
Delivering a functional, scalable training platform.
Our team delivered a fully working mixed-reality training system within tight constraints spanning UX, hardware integration, and real-time communication across devices.
Bridging hardware, software, and product design.
This project strengthened my ability to design for complex systems, simplify multi-device workflows, and collaborate across engineering and research teams. It also deepened my understanding of building intuitive interfaces for technical, high-stakes use cases.
Recognition
Recognized for Impact and Excellence
- 1st Place – Sheridan Capstone Showcase
- IT Award for Potential World Impact