Kara Rivenbark's Portfolio

Role

UX & UI Design

Skills and Tasks

Content Design

Visual Design

Interviews with Stakeholders

Fast Iteration

Usability Testing

Wireframing and User Flows

Brand Perception

Tools

Figma

Duration

10 Weeks, Winter 2025

Team

Andrea Da Silva / Emergency UI

Steven Vasil / 3D Modeling, Branding, Technology Concept Lead

Nikki Hahn / Exterior Concept Design, Packaging

Fires Don't Wait. Neither Should We

Torus is an AI-powered wildfire detection system installed directly on power lines that immediately notifies emergency responders, residents, and utility companies to fires or sparking lines to prevent disasters.

Overview

Torus Nodes Detect Fires Before They Spread

Torus nodes are installed every 1-2 miles along power lines, using P2M (Pixel-to-Memory) technology and thermal imaging to detect early wildfires on the ground or spark-related threats on the lines, then communicate across the network for a rapid, coordinated response.

Alerts Dispatch

If a fire is detected, the system instantly alerts emergency response for informed, fast response.

Informs Firefighters

Firefighters receive key information on fire location, size, spread, and at-risk residents, along with optimized routes to the scene.

Keeps Residents Safe

Residents near the fire receive Torus app alerts with evacuation instructions, emergency contacts, and safe travel routes.

Supports Utility Companies

If a fire starts from a power line, utility companies are immediately alerted to shut off the line. They’re also notified when nodes require maintenance, helping prevent unexpected damage and ensuring network reliability.

Torus revolutionizes wildfire prevention by providing early detection, seamless communication, and rapid response, helping protect lives, communities, and homes.

The Problem

Stopping Fires Before Spreading is the Key to Protecting Communities.

Current firefighting response efforts focus on better technology once the fire is already active, however, we want to stop fires before they even begin.

Current Wildfire Detection Methods are Unreliable.

Satellites can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours to detect fires, and human reports often lag further, letting blazes spread rapidly, destroy environments, and escalate response costs.

Competitors Like Dryad and Pano AI Also Aim for Smarter Wildfire Detection.

Dryad uses solar-powered gas sensors placed in forests to catch fires in the early smoldering phase, often within minutes. Pano AI, on the other hand, uses high-up cameras to spot visible smoke; while effective at detecting smoke quickly, it only alerts once a fire is already spreading.

Torus Strives to Come Even Earlier.

Business Model

Early Fire Detection Through Thermal Imaging and AI Processing

Torus uses thermal imaging to detect abnormal heat patterns, often before flames or smoke appear. Powered by P2M technology, data is processed directly within each pixel, reducing latency, energy use, and bandwidth. It works day or night and through smoke, fog, or foliage, enabling fast, precise wildfire detection and response.

How Would Torus Nodes Be Installed?

Installation was our key challenge as nodes needed a 360° aerial view, while remaining accessible for maintenance and secure from theft.

Started With Residents Installing Them In Their Backyards

Our original aim was to turn Torus into a community-driven wildfire detection system. However, this had a lot of challenges...

If the nodes are installed on trees like that, how will they cover a full 360-degree range?...

Each node seems expensive, considering it has the P2M tech and cameras

What about low-income communities? If they can’t afford it, won’t that leave gaps in protection?

For this to work, a lot of people need to adopt it… convincing so many people won’t that take too long?

If residents are responsible for maintaining their own nodes, what happens if they don’t?

Wouldn’t that make the system unreliable?

We Went Back to the Drawing Board and Asked…

Utility Companies

Installed at high aerial vantage points, power lines cover cities, towns, and remote areas. Utility companies already use drones to maintain power lines, these same drones can now install Torus nodes for both maintenance and wildfire detection.

Power Lines Are a Leading Cause of Wildfires in Communities

But, there is an even bigger reason beyond high aerial vantage. The 2018 Camp Fire in California, the deadliest and most destructive in the state's history, was ignited by a PG&E transmission line. The fire burned over 153,000 acres, destroyed nearly 19,000 structures, and resulted in 85 fatalities.

The Torus Ecosystem

Residents will receive immediate alerts when a fire ignites nearby, minimizing panic.

Design

4 Complex Interfaces

Since Torus sends fire alerts to dispatch, firefighters, residents, and utility companies, each needing different information, we focused on designing tailored interfaces that deliver exactly what each audience requires.

Interviewing A Local Firefighter

To understand what firefighters currently see in their databases, we interviewed a local Savannah fireman about the key information needed before responding to a fire.

From our interview, we learned that dispatch plays a critical role in firefighting operations—making all key decisions, including which station responds, how many people are sent, and what equipment is needed based on the fire’s severity, location, and occupancy risk.

The firefighter emphasized the need for optimized routes to reach fires quickly and rely on real-time updates about the fire’s size, exact location, and surrounding structures or residents at risk—ideally with this information continuously updating en route.

Firefighter Dashboard Iterations

From early sketches to mid-fidelity Figma screens, we explored layouts, key information, and user flows for the Torus firefighter interface. While the goal is to integrate Torus data into existing systems like CAD and MDTs, our designs demonstrate how that integration could look, providing a visual uplift to improve data clarity and enable faster, more informed decision-making.

Firefighter Testing Interview

We were fortunate to have four firefighters review our mid-fidelity screen designs to help us validate the content and information flow. During the walkthrough, we uncovered unnecessary content, some meant for the wrong audience, and highlighted which elements were truly valuable. The biggest takeaway: simplify the dashboard even more. Firefighters primarily need key fire data and a clear, optimized route.

Firefighter Dashboard

In the final dashboard, firefighters receive alerts from the dispatch center. Clicking into an alert first shows them live fire data, such as size, people at risk, wind speed, and images. Then, they get their optimized route to the fire.

Dispatch Dashboard

Dispatch centers are the first to receive fire alerts from Torus nodes. Their role is to verify the threat using the images and data provided, then determine which fire station responds. Throughout the incident, they stay in active communication with the fire team. AI assists by logging ignition times, incoming calls, and key developments, streamlining post-fire reporting.

Utility Dashboard

If a fire originates from a power line, utility companies are immediately notified to shut off the line. They also manage the Torus node network, which serves a dual purpose, monitoring for both fire hazards and maintenance issues. On the utility dashboard, each node is represented as a diamond: yellow indicates a fire hazard, while white signals a maintenance alert, giving operators a clear, real-time map of network activity.

Designing for Residents

From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to solve for residents: keep them informed of dangerous fires nearby so they can stay informed, know when and how to evacuate, and prevent back-ups and panic.

From the start, we iterated to understand residents' needs and expectations in handling hazards, and how Torus could help.

Torus

Palisades Fire

Los Angeles County, CA

A wildfire is approaching Los Angeles County and poses an immediate danger. Evacuate now.

Evacuation Mandatory

Fire Spread

4 PM

Now

6 PM

8 PM

10 PM

12 AM

Torus

Now

16:30

23:30

Alert Level:

Stay on Watch

Small Fire

22 E Lathrop Ave @ 17:30

miles away

Status

Growing

Response

En-Route

Current Size

10 acres

First Round of User Testing

The app began with a simple goal: to show how far the fire is from your home, its severity, and what actions to take. We then introduced a “predictive fire spread” feature, where AI estimates how the fire is likely to spread in the coming hours, helping residents stay informed and prepared.

Users expressed a desire for more functionality, such as the ability to search other locations to check on family members and access more detailed fire data.

Second Round of User Testing

In the second round of designs, we adopted a layout similar to a weather app, featuring clear data visualization, an expandable map showing predictive fire spread, news updates, location search, and dynamic evacuation routes when needed.

However, user testing revealed several areas for improvement: some clickable elements weren’t intuitive, fire intensity wasn’t clear enough, and users wanted features to create personalized evacuation plans, including options to evacuate beyond city limits.