e-drishti
I joined a government-scale digital transformation project at Deendayal Port Authority’s Kandla Port in Gujarat, a 24/7 operation handling over 127 million tonnes of cargo annually with legacy, paper-based access management spanning 40+ years. This was mission-critical infrastructure, not a convenience app: the e-Drishti system had to safely integrate RFID, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), smart cards, biometric systems, and APIs with Customs, the Ministry of Shipping, and highway authorities, where any design error could trigger operational chaos.
Year
2022
Scope
Mobile & Web Portals w/ Payment integration & Permit Registration
Timeline
3 months
Key Design Decision
Role-based interface architecture – Design fundamentally different screens for port authority (compliance-focused), drivers (anxiety-focused), and security staff (monitoring-focused) Offline-first + connectivity awareness – Since permit requests, vehicle registration, and status checks happen in areas with spotty connectivity, I designed local caching + sync patterns that made poor connectivity feel intentional Literacy-inclusive design – Beyond simple icons, I used color-coding, progressive disclosure, SMS notifications, and contextual help to ensure even drivers without formal tech experience could register vehicles and request permits independently Real-time tracking visualization – For security teams, I designed a dashboard showing live vehicle positions using heatmaps rather than complex coordinate systems Payment flow redesign – Integrated cashless payment (critical government requirement) without adding cognitive load to the transaction flow
Designing for constraints as feature
Low Literacy Problem: Visual-first navigation systems was designed instead of text-heavy labels:
Icon systems that communicated permit status (green = approved, orange = pending, red = rejected)
Color-coded workflows so users could navigate without reading every label
Progressive disclosure—breaking the registration form into 3 critical steps instead of 15 fields
Contextual help using icons + brief local language phrase
Design Decision: When showing vehicle registration, I placed the most critical field (vehicle number) first with a large visual field, not buried in a form. This made the system feel less overwhelming.
Poor Connectivity Problem: I designed offline-first interactions:
Permit requests, vehicle registration, and status checks cached locally
Built "offline awareness"—the app knew when it was offline and changed behavior (disabled real-time features but enabled critical transactions)
Sync patterns that worked even with spotty connectivity—no "connection lost" dead-ends
Design Decision: When a driver requested a permit without internet, the app accepted the request locally, showed a "Synced when connected" status, and kept the driver informed. The request was never "lost"
Role-Based Experience Design: I built fundamentally different interfaces for different users:
Drivers: Anxiety-focused (Will I be approved? Can I enter?), minimal information, large buttons, confirmation screens
Port Authorities: Compliance-focused (compliance tracking, audit trails, approval workflows)
Security Staff: Monitoring-focused (live vehicle positions, alerts, heatmaps of movement patterns)
Design Decision: A driver never sees compliance data; port authorities never see driver anxiety UI. Each experience was tailored, not one-size-fits-all.
Integrated cashless payment (critical government requirement) without adding complexity:
Payment happened after permit confirmation, not during the request
Single-tap payment approval (no re-entering card details)
SMS confirmation sent for every transaction (compliance + reassurance)
Design Decision: Separated "get approval" from "pay" so drivers didn't conflate payment denial with permit denial.
Measured Outcomes:
Speed:
Permit approval time: 30–60 minutes → under 10 minutes
This was achieved through clear feedback loops and eliminated uncertainty, not just interface speed
Scale & Adoption:
10,000+ downloads on Google Play Store within 3 months
4.4-star rating (crucial for a government app)
Successfully deployed across multiple gates (Phase I West Gate commissioned March 2022, mobile app launched June 2022)
Qualitative Feedback:
User review: "The access control app seamlessly combines user-friendly design with robust security features. Its intuitive interface simplifies the often complex task of managing access permissions."
Driver feedback: "User friendly, easy to use. Very easy to raise permits and enter the port."
Operational Impact:
Significantly reduced entry gate congestion
Eliminated 30-day permit cycles
Enabled 24/7 cashless transactions
Maintained 100% system uptime during high-traffic periods
