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Project Overview
Responsive Web Application
Details
Role
I was the sole UX/UI Designer
Duration
6 Months (November 2020 - May 2021)
Skills & Methods
Design Thinking - Mobile-First Design - User-Centered Design - Research - Synthesis - Prototyping - Testing
Tools Used
Miro - Figma - Illustrator - Photoshop - Optimal Sort - Usability Hub
My Design Process
I followed the User-Centered-Design process to create a functional and useful tool for the target audience.
- Discovery
- Concepting
- Prototyping & Testing
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Discovery
Gaining an Understanding
Why do we NEED this product?
- As a non-expert in many areas, searching for an "expert" to complete a specialized task has led to disappointing results. I saw a need for improvements among products offering a help service.
- As a gardening enthusiast, I frequently search for answers to plant care questions and need quick and reliable answers.
- MyScape is a combination of these two needs.
What does MyScape do?
Provides two ways to get instant expert help for your plants.
- REQUEST a call
- SEARCH the forum
Research Goals
What do users NEED?
- I wanted to learn who are the users and what are their needs.
- I read reviews of the competitors products which uncovered important user pain points.
- I conducted a survey and interviews to validate and reframe the problem statement.
- I created closed-ended questions on the survey that revealed some great little nuggets.
- The four interview participants were truly my co-creators and provided the best insight.
Synthesizing the Research Data
Affinity Mapping
Each of the Individual quotes, opinions and stories from the interviews were transcribed into MIRO and assigned color-coded sticky notes identifying each participant. The data was organized in different ways to help uncover new ideas. My comments and discoveries were added on white sticky notes.
Insights Gained
- Users don’t want to waste time searching for answers and having to gamble with the results.
- The conceptual new ideas that were generated would have pushed the app into new directions and offer additional features & benefits to the user. These ideas were not explored any further, but could be incorporated into MyScape 2.0.
What did the Research Reveal?
Users want to be inspired..!
Sure, getting instant help from a qualified expert at a fair price is great. But, with so many existing ways to find help, this product should provide pleasure and become a go-to tool for our users.
Research Anchors
- Projects Feature
- Social Feature
The Problem Statement
How might we create a digital product that helps plant care enthusiasts complete projects by instantly connecting them with other users, and verified plant care experts offering the best advice, for the best value.
We will know this to be true when we see more new users giving positive reviews, completing projects, building a community, and returning to have additional problems solved.
Gianna is the Primary Persona
Help Method - Request a Call
- This is the most popular user flow of getting a call from an expert.
- Gianna wants to create a shopping list to buy what she needs to fix up her yard.
Artifacts Developed:
Sketches - Empathy Map - Persona - Mental Model - Journey Map - Emotional Experience Diagram - Task Analysis - Task Flow - User Flow
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Concepting
Data-Driven Design
Information Architecture
Crafting the Choreography for Gianna and Jade
The symmetrical organization of the sitemap reflects the idea that there are TWO METHODS or pathways to get instant help.
User Flow
Paper prototyping was used to choreograph Gianna's journey, making sure she takes the fewest steps to complete her goal of creating a shopping list for her new landscaping project. This was such an important and enjoyable step for me since I was able to loosen up with a fat marker, a stack of cut-to-size paper cards and visualize the user flow. During the prototyping session I added comments and ideas on sticky notes for two core features of the app for mobile and desktop.
Results
- Created a high-level roadmap for the wireframes.
- Allowed me to walk through the design from the user point-of-view, quickly seeing what features & prompts were needed, and where to locate them.
Low / Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Primary Persona Journey
In addition to addressing the four initial user pain points ( Quality, Wait Times, Pricing, and Technology) I also used Gianna's motivations to influence the design.
Secondary Persona Journey
Helping Jade reach her goal in as few steps as possible.
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Prototyping & Testing
Final Design Iterations
MyScape Overview
A Quick Tour of the Landing Page
Prototyping
See how Gianna and Jade found instant help for their green friends.
Usability Testing
Feeling | Thinking | Doing
“Anything like that scares me, I don’t trust anything….!"
“I didn’t even see that, I didn’t look at it as a possible option.”
“I don’t see a favorite button”…that’s not intuitive.”
Problem Solved
Gianna Gets Help | Creates a Shopping List
- Records the session
- Saves the video
- Creates a project
- Makes a shopping list
- Rates the expert
Problem Solved
Jade Gets Help | Connects with Other Members
- Saves the search results
- Creates a project
- Adds the solution to notes
- Sends message to member
What was the Outcome?
With the direction of the co-creators, I crafted a useful tool that provides two methods for instant expert help. Using the Research Anchors as a guide, I included additional features that allowed our users to:
- GROW and feel empowered
- MANAGE their green projects
- ENGAGE with the app for other needs
- CONNECT with others in the plant community
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Conclusion
What I've Learned
- Results
Initially, MyScape was only intended to connect the user with instant help. Armed with data from the interviews and survey, I added features to create projects, and encourage socializing. By further developing the user scenarios to include the post-help additional steps needed to store, organize and later access the new knowledge, the final result was a more useful app.
- Insights
Every user is an important resource that has to be carefully led with the proper questions and conversation in order to unlock the prized nuggets of information that are needed to shape the product.
There is power in familiar design patterns. Reinventing the wheel doesn't improve usability and is a disservice to the users.
- Moving Forward
I’d like to spend more time preparing for user testing sessions. I will put a greater emphasis on crafting survey and interview questions, and addressing stumbling blocks that exist on an interactive prototype. The result will be more quality time spent with the participants, and collecting better data.
- MyScape 2.0
For the next version of MyScape, I’d like to develop the additional features like messaging/ sharing with other members, idea boards, and a gallery featuring the experts. I believe these additions will be valuable for most users in the target audience.