Video of Redthread (Created by using AI)
Introduction
For this project, we collaborated with Team Monocles and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Homicide Division, who wanted to explore how technology, especially AI could support their investigation process. Their goal was clear: reduce the time it takes to solve homicide cases by improving how detectives manage and analyze digital evidence.
Tools Used
Research
We conducted user interviews with five detectives from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) to learn more about how they work.
We wanted to understand:
How they handle their daily tasks and workflow
The challenges and pain points they face
The tools they use in their investigations
What parts of their job they enjoy
These conversations gave us a clear picture of their needs and helped us see where we could make their work easier and faster.
All the insights from detectives gathered during the user interviews.
We categorized the insights into different groups to gain a clearer understanding of the pain points.
The complete workflow of a detective, from start to finish.
Problem Statement
How might we design an AI-powered product that helps homicide detectives gather accurate evidence more quickly from large data sets to solve cases faster?
Ideation
After defining our problem statement, we moved into ideation using the Crazy Eights technique. All four of us had eight minutes, and in each minute, we came up with one unique idea. By the end, we had around 32 different ideas.
We sketched them out, discussed each one, and put them on sticky notes. After a lot of healthy discussions, we narrowed them down and selected four ideas to move forward with.
Ideas generated using the Crazy 8 technique.
Finalized Idea
We presented all four ideas to the detectives. Each idea was unique and followed a hierarchy: one was simple, one was mid-range, another was slightly out-of-the-box, and the last was even more out-of-the-box. This helped us maintain a balance between feasibility and innovation.
We explained each idea in detail, along with possible business models. Out of the four, the detectives were most interested in the AI-powered video evidence analysis concept, as it addressed their core pain point.
Role of Video Evidence
Competitive Analysis
We researched similar AI and video analysis products already available in the market. Our goal was to understand their features and capabilities, and see how they help analyze videos or footage. This comparison gave us clarity about the current market landscape and helped us identify gaps and opportunities for our solution.
Competitive Analysis
User Experience Mapping
Once we understood the current products in the market, we set out to build our AI product REDTHREAD with features such as:
Real-time AI-generated reports
Summarizing long footage into key moments
Ability to filter and view surveillance by people, vehicles, and objects
We considered the pain points, problem statement, and user persona, and then created a rough user experience journey map to visualize the process.
User Experience Mapping
Initial Sketches
Initial Med-Fidelity wireframes with user testing insights
Mid FI to HIgh FI
Changes After 2nd Testing
Example
Before looking at the prototype, let’s set an example.
Let’s assume a homicide occurred in a motel where the suspect was wearing a red hoodie, the incident happened between 12:00 and 12:30 PM, and there are over 50 surveillance footage clips available. These are the only three clues the detectives have.
Let’s see how they can solve this and gather more leads by using Thread.
Solution
To address this, we designed RedThread, a concept platform that uses AI to quickly scan video evidence, highlight key segments, and allow teams to collaborate in real time, helping detectives stay focused, efficient, and informed.
Solution Video
Interact with the prototype
A few visuals of me from our user testing sessions with detectives.
Testing Results (From 4 Users)
Reviews
Here are some of the detectives' thoughts from our user testing session.
Visuals of our pitch presentation to Team Monocles and the IMPD Homicide Division.
Pricing
Extro
RedThread is designed to support the people who protect us.
By making investigations faster, smarter, and more efficient. Because sometimes, the right clue is already in the footage. You just need the right tool to find it.
Meet our team, professor, and representatives from Team Monocles and the IMPD Homicide Division.
