Designing a connected hazard
forecasting workspace
Designing a workflow that enables National Weather Service forecasters to configure, review, and issue multiple weather warnings from a shared workspace, while maintaining visibility and control over each hazard.
01 — THE CHALLENGE
Forecasting doesn't happen one task at a time.
Forecasters continuously monitor evolving weather conditions, assess threats, and manage active warnings. These workflows are closely connected, but competing panels and limited map visibility can make it difficult to maintain context while taking action.
The challenge: How might we help forecasters move between monitoring and hazard management without interrupting their workflow?
02 — INITIAL EXPLORATION
One panel, two competing workflows.
The Challenge
The initial exploration placed Event Monitoring in the right-side panel, providing a familiar entry point within the existing workspace. However, forecasters needed to use Event Monitoring and the Product Editor simultaneously to monitor active hazards and create new ones.
The Opportunity
With both workflows competing for the same panel, we needed to rethink the layout to support simultaneous use without compromising map visibility.
Event Monitoring moves left, allowing both workflows to remain visible alongside the map
03 — RETHINKING THE WORKSPACE
Designing around the way forecasters work.
Moving the Event Monitoring to the left side of the workspace allowed the Product Editor to remain accessible on the right. This created a more connected experience where forecasters could monitor active hazards, reference their locations on the map, and make updates without switching between competing panels.
04 — DESIGNING FOR PRIORITIZATION
Helping forecasters find what matters.
With multiple active hazards to monitor, there needed to be an easier way for forecasters to identify relevant warnings without scanning an overwhelming list.
This gave users more control over their monitoring workspace while keeping the interface compact and accessible.
05 — DESIGNING THE HAZARD CARDS
Small cards, critical information.
Each collapsed card displays essential hazard information: hazard type, Storm ID, operational status, time remaining, and pin action.
Color-coded indicators distinguish hazard types, status badges communicate their current state, and pinned hazards remain at the top of the list for quick access.
The compact layout supports efficient scanning without overcrowding the workspace.
06 — FROM MONITORING TO ACTION
From monitoring to action, without losing context.
Forecasters need to update or cancel active hazards as weather conditions change.
Expanding a hazard card reveals additional details and contextual actions directly within Event Monitoring.
Selecting Update or Cancel opens the corresponding Product Editor workflow, using the hazard's original issuance template.
This allows forecasters to manage hazards while maintaining map visibility and situational context.
07 — SCALING THE DESIGN SYSTEM
Bringing consistency to 100+ hazard types.
With over 100 NWS hazard types, a consistent color system was needed to support quick identification across Event Monitoring.
AI helped compare official NWS hazard colors against HIVE's existing design library to identify the closest color matches.
The resulting color mappings were applied to reusable Figma components, maintaining consistency across hazard types and reducing the need for individual component customization.
08 — OUTCOME
A more connected way to monitor and manage hazards.
The final designs established a unified workspace connecting Event Monitoring, HazGen, and the Product Editor.
Preserving map visibility, introducing contextual hazard actions, and building reusable components supported clearer prioritization and smoother transitions between workflows.
The outcome demonstrates how interconnected workflows can be designed to support complex forecasting operations without sacrificing context or usability.
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