SA Water · Fault map

Is my area affected?

A responsive fault map that tells South Australians, in seconds, whether an outage affects them and when it will be fixed.

SA Water's works and faults map on desktop in a browser window, with the mobile map view on a phone beside it.
Role
Lead UX and UI designer, from proof of concept to final design
Team
Cross-functional SA Water product team
Timeline
Proof of concept through launch
Problem
Reporting a fault meant filling in a basic form with no map or visuals, and customers couldn't tell if an outage affected them or when it would be fixed.
  • 87System Usability Scale score, rated excellent
  • Form → mapone page to view, report and subscribe to faults, replacing a basic form
  • Reusedpattern library that keeps future SA Water work consistent

The question that mattered

Before this project, the only way to tell SA Water about a fault was a basic web form. There was no map, no way to see what was already known, and no visual sign of whether your street was affected.

People look for this information when something has already gone wrong. They’re stressed and want one answer fast: is my area affected? The goal was a single page where customers could view, report and subscribe to faults.

What research changed

Before designing, I reviewed other mapping products. Three findings shaped everything:

  • Customers want immediate confirmation of whether they’re affected.
  • Extra map detail increases cognitive load.
  • Status and time to resolution matter far more than technical fault detail.

Competitor review: how Google Maps and Uber handle search, location and a single clear action on a map.

Decision: read-first, not control-first

Early concepts leaned into map interaction and filtering. Testing showed customers valued speed and clarity over control, so I simplified to a read-first experience built around one journey: find my address, see my status.

Early sketches: four mobile layouts for the map and list, plus a first pass at the fault icon set.

The flows below set out every route through the page. Viewing a fault and reporting one start from the same map or list, so customers never have to leave the page they landed on.

Viewing or subscribing to a fault

  1. Start
  2. Fault map view⇅Fault list view
  3. Select fault Close: back to map or list
  4. Subscribe to fault Go back: to the fault
  5. Subscribe
  6. End

Reporting a fault

  1. Start
  2. Fault map view⇅Fault list view
  3. Report a fault
  4. New or existing fault Existing fault: see its status, then end
  5. New fault
  6. Select options If urgent: call SA Water
  7. Fault & contact details
  8. Submit fault
  9. Thank you
  10. End

Mid-fidelity wireframes

Once I knew which screens were needed, I wireframed each flow in detail and built prototypes to test with customers. The report flow reveals one question at a time, and the options change based on earlier answers.

Mid-fidelity wireframes: the map and list views, checking for an existing fault, fault options and the final submission.

Testing sharpened the hierarchy

Mid-fidelity prototype testing showed people were missing secondary fault details. I increased the visual weight of status and timing, which is what customers actually came for. The revealing report-a-fault form was tested and refined step by step.

High-fidelity mock-ups

Map view with address search and "Report a fault at this location".
A selected fault showing its status, what's happening and the option to subscribe.
Checking for existing faults nearby before reporting a new one.
Report flow: who the fault affects and what type of fault it is.
Report flow: safety notes and contact details before submitting.
Map, fault details, existing-fault check and the two report steps.

Outcome

The fault map scored 87 on the System Usability Scale, an excellent rating. It gives customers fast, clear visibility of faults across devices in high-stress moments, and the pattern library I produced keeps future work consistent.

The pattern library: colours, type, icons and components for future SA Water work.