PRODUCT DESIGNUX CASE STUDY2026

Fireline

A real-time map that shows how a wildfire is changing the ground around you, and what to do about it.

TIMELINE
6 weeks
TEAM
Solo project
ROLE
Product Designer
SKILLS
Figma, FigJam
LONG STORY SHORT

I designed a wildfire safety app grounded in a real 2026 wildfire in Serbia.

In August 2026, a wildfire burned for weeks through Deliblatska Peščara, a nature reserve near Belgrade. Villages were evacuated. International crews flew in to help. Residents pieced together what was happening from broadcasts and word of mouth.

How residents followed the fire

01 — Official guidance

Authoritative instructions and situation updates.

02 — Live news

Frequent reporting and field coverage as conditions changed.

03 — Fire maps

Google Maps and satellite tools added spatial context.

04 — Community channels

Local pages, social media and personal networks added local context.

Maps, official reports, live broadcasts, local channels, and word of mouth all became part of the picture.

NASA FIRMS satellite fire detection near Deliblato

NASA FIRMS, satellite fire detection near Deliblato, 09 Aug 2026.

REAL EVENT TIMELINE

The answer to “am I safe?” kept changing as the fire evolved.

05 AUG

Threat reaches settlements

Evacuation becomes possible.

13 AUG

Residents allowed to return

Immediate threat eases.

17–18 AUG

Conditions worsen again

Wind and hotspots increase uncertainty.

25 AUG

Situation stabilizes

Remaining hotspots are controlled.

How might we support urgent action when action is required, while keeping the experience calm and informative when it isn’t?
PRIMARY USER

A resident living in or near a threatened settlement

PUBLISHED RESIDENT ACCOUNTS

What residents needed from information

I reviewed first hand accounts published by N1, Danas, Vreme and other Serbian news sources during the fire.

01

A changing picture

Conditions shifted quickly.

02

Reasons behind changes

Restrictions needed context.

03

Visible uncertainty

Some information was still developing.

Wildfire news and resident context
Satellite wildfire map
European wildfire map
Regional wildfire monitoring map
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Fire data is abundant. Resident context is not.

Fire data already exists through regional and European tools, and Serbia already has an official alert channel. The opportunity for Fireline is the space between them: ongoing, location-specific context after the initial alert.

DESIGNING THE EXPERIENCE

Designing for changing threat levels

The interface changes with the situation, keeping monitoring calm and making official action impossible to miss.

01 — MONITORING

Nearby fire, no action required

Keep the experience calm: show local status, nearby activity, the latest confirmed update, and whether official action applies.

ADD MONITORING SCREEN
02 — CONDITIONS CHANGING

New activity is moving closer

Surface what changed and what is still developing without implying an official action that has not been issued.

ADD CHANGING CONDITIONS SCREEN
03 — OFFICIAL ACTION

Official guidance takes over

When action is required, prioritize the instruction, source, time, destination, and route when those details are officially provided.

ADD OFFICIAL ACTION SCREEN