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Case Study 📞 DTMF Bridge ⚡ 14-Day Build

Bridging the Gap: Courtroom to Public Access

Solo-developed a custom Flutter-based Dialer Application in two weeks, enabling courtroom staff to generate DTMF tones that bridge physical video hardware to a specialized MS Teams service for public hearing access.

Role Solo Dev & Designer
Timeline 2 Weeks
Tools
Flutter Dart Figma
Constraint DTMF → Teams
High-fidelity UI dashboard layout for the project showcase

The Disconnect vs. The Bridge

The Supreme Court had the video hardware. They had the MS Teams service. The missing link was a way to generate the DTMF dial tones needed to connect them.

⚠️
Before

The DTMF Block

Courtroom video hardware couldn't generate the specific DTMF tones required to initiate and host the MS Teams bridge call.

📹
Video Cart Ready
Courtroom video hardware was in place but couldn't initiate the MS Teams bridge on its own.
🔇
Missing DTMF Tones
No mechanism existed to generate the precise dial tones needed to handshake with the Teams service.
🚫
Public Locked Out
Without the bridge connection, the entire public-access hearing system remained inaccessible.
After

The Flutter Dialer

A custom Flutter app that generates precise DTMF tones, opening the digital courtroom doors to the public.

📱
1. DTMF Tone Engine
Flutter app generates the precise audio frequencies needed to initiate the MS Teams handshake.
🔗
2. Bridge Connected
Courtroom video cart successfully links to the Teams service under a single controlled participant.
🌐
3. Public Access Open
The public can now dial into hearings while judicial control over "hot mics" is maintained.

My Role

I solo-developed this project end-to-end: from researching audio frequency generation in Flutter/Dart, to building the functional engine, to designing multiple high-fidelity UI skins in Figma.

Role

Solo Developer & Designer

Team

Solo (1 Person)

Stakeholders

SC Executives & Judges

Design Process

A rapid two-week sprint: one week for development and research, one week for design and live stakeholder testing.

01

Discover

  • Courtroom hardware audit
  • MS Teams bridge requirements
  • DTMF tone specification research
02

Build

  • Audio frequency generation in Dart
  • Core DTMF functional engine
  • Rapid Flutter prototyping
03

Design

  • Multiple UI "skins" in Figma
  • Utility → Professional courtroom aesthetic
  • Intuitive dial pad interaction design
04

Validate

  • Live testing with SC Executives
  • 100% reliability during live hearings
  • Deployed to courtroom floor
Design Rationale

Key Design Decisions

Every trade-off was deliberate. Here are the three pivotal choices that shaped the final product.

1

Rapid Prototyping

Transitioned from a functional requirement to a live build in days, not months. No committee reviews, no multi-sprint roadmap.

UX Rationale

Public hearings were blocked without this tool. Speed was non-negotiable, so the MVP focused on one thing: generating tones reliably.

2

Multiple UI Skins

Designed four distinct aesthetic directions in Figma rather than shipping a single utilitarian interface.

UX Rationale

The logic was streamlined, so the focus shifted to making the app feel professional and integrated with court aesthetics, not just functional.

3

Single Controlled Participant

All public callers connect through one controlled Teams participant, never as individual attendees.

UX Rationale

Prevents "hot mics" from disrupting proceedings. Judicial control is maintained over who is heard in the courtroom at all times.

Service Blueprint

System User Flows

Two perspectives on the same system: one from the public trying to join, one from the judge bridging the connection.

flow-public-caller.html
flow-judge-bridge.html
UI Exploration

The Skin Gallery

Four distinct aesthetic directions designed in Figma, each exploring how a courtroom utility tool could feel professional, modern, and intentional.

Swipe to explore

The Impact

A two-week solo sprint that unlocked an entirely new channel for public participation in Supreme Court proceedings.

0 days
Time to Market
From requirement to live deployment
0%
Reliability
During live hearing validation
0
Solo Developer
Full-stack design and development

Connection Timeline

Days from requirement to live courtroom deployment.

Speed, Precision, and the Missing Link

This project reinforced something I keep coming back to: the most impactful solutions are often the simplest ones. The entire public-access hearing system was blocked by a single missing capability, specific DTMF tones from the courtroom floor. No massive platform rebuild was needed. Just a focused tool that did one thing perfectly. Building and designing it solo in two weeks forced ruthless prioritization, and the multiple UI skins proved that even under extreme time pressure, you don't have to sacrifice craft for speed.

Available for Work

Let's build something impactful.

I'm currently open to new opportunities in UX/UI Design, Product Design, and GovTech transformation roles. If you have a legacy nightmare that needs solving, I'd love to chat.