PROJECT
To gain insights into popular outdoor activities, I conducted research using Google Trends, leveraging its powerful data analytics tools to gather and analyze valuable information on current trends and user behaviour.
Google Trends showed a considerable increase in searchers looking for things to do outdoors in 2021. As consumers feel more comfortable coming out of isolation, outdoor activity searches for seasonal entertainment have gained popularity.
While large crowd-drawing events were largely on hold in 2020, consumers eased back into live events in 2021. Summer and fall search trends indicate that stadium events, concerts, and even movie theaters are on consumers’ minds once more as businesses and venues reopen.
I also researched using Google's customer insight data to gain insights into the types of activities users are searching for on their mobile devices in the past, allowing me to tailor the STRYDE app to meet the needs and preferences of our target audience.
500% increase in mobile searches for “events/attractions” plus “near me” from 2016-2018, as people look for local concerts, tourist attractions, and other activities
6x increase in mobile searches for “things to do/activities” plus “near me” over the last two years. Some of these examples include: “things to do near me today,” “kids activities near me,” “things to do near me this weekend.”
To gain a deeper understanding of user preferences and behaviours when it comes to finding and participating in activities, my team and I conducted in-depth interviews with 8 individuals, gathering valuable insights into their decision-making processes and pain points.
It became clear to me that background research, user research and interviews are important steps in the product development process as they help to understand the needs, behaviours and pain points of potential users. After going through this process, I identified three key takeaways.
Many users are looking for a service that can provide them with personalized activity recommendations based on their preferences, interests, and skill levels. They want a service that can help them discover new activities and experiences that they may not have thought of on their own.
Users are looking for an easy-to-use local event service. They want a service that can help them quickly find and book events that fit their schedule and location, as well as provide them with all the information they need, such as pricing, ratings and reviews, in a variety of locations.
Many users are interested in activities that offer the opportunity to meet new people and make new connections. They want a service that can help them find and join group activities that are aligned with their interests and preferences.
As a result of my data research, user research, and interviews, I have created a persona to represent my target audience. The persona I have created is a fictional character that embodies the characteristics and behaviors of my ideal customer. By creating this persona, our team can better understand the needs and wants of our target audience
Based on my data research, user research, and interviews, as well as the creation of a user persona, I have created a user journey map with five experience phases to help our team analyze the user flow, pain points, and user goals to build our activity explore app. The user journey map provides an overview of the user's experience as they interact with our app, from the initial point of preparation to activty confirmation. By breaking down the user flow into these five experience phases, we can better understand the user's journey and identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
How might we ?
How might we ease the process of finding activities and events that are suitable and match the preferences of local explorers ?
How might we make it possible for users to trust the list of recommended activities when they are looking for them?
Design focus
A mobile app that allows user to track where user been and want to visit in their own city.
View and explore user friend’s favorite places and share users location with them.
I have created a user flowchart to demonstrate the step-by-step actions that should be taken by each user to achieve their end goal when using the app.
The user flowchart provides a visual representation of the user journey, showing the different steps and decisions that users will make as they navigate through the app. This can help our team understand how users interact with the app and identify areas for improvement.
As part of my work on the activity service explore app, I have designed low-fidelity mockups for the collection pages and friend's activities pages based on the user flow chart. These mockups provide a visual representation of how the app will look and function, allowing our team to test and refine the user experience before moving on to high-fidelity designs.
As part of our work on the activity service explore app, our team has decided to use black as the main accent color, with orange as a secondary color. This decision was made after careful consideration of different color options and how they would align with our goals for the app.
The combination of light black (#212121) and light orange (#f4511E) as the main accent colors gives the app a balanced and harmonious feel. It communicates a sense of sophistication and vibrancy, which aligns with our goals for the activity service explore app. By using color strategically, we can create a more engaging and memorable user experience that resonates with our target audience.
By creating the Discover page and the login page as part of my work on the activity service explore app, I have enhanced the low-fidelity model. These designs are based on the user flow's four primary interfaces, which I previously created. The friends page and the profile page were created in the meantime by my teammates.
My team and I ran a usability test as part of our work on the activity service to explore the app to collect input from potential users. With the help of our high-fidelity model, we gave 4 participants who matched the profile of our user persona a series of activities to complete.
During the usability testing process, my teammate and I found that some participants were interested in seeing their friends' posts and post history on the in-app disocver page, but they were unable to do so. After discussing this issue, I decided to add a filter system to the discover page that allows users to filter their search results by friends, activity, and time. I hope to make it easier for users to find the information they are looking for and improve the overall user experience. Additionally, I have incorporated a light orange color to help users recognize the posts they have just made, which will appear on their icons.
A participant noticed that the menu lacked consistency. To address this issue, I added two additional icons to the friends page and collection page and added different status icons to the discover page to improve its consistency and make it easier for users to understand which interface they are in.
During our usability testing process, some participants noticed that the search bar did not show search history, which made it difficult for them to use the search function efficiently.
After discussing this issue, my teammate and I decided to add a user history icon and words to the search bar function. This will allow users to see their previous search history and make it easier for them to find what they are looking for. By adding this feature, we hope to improve search efficiency and make it easier for users to navigate the app.
Some participants in our usability testing procedure observed that the location information page was lacking some crucial information. For instance, they were unable to share the location with other social media platforms or directly see how many friends had visited that spot previously.
To solve this problem, I added the ability for users to see how many of their friends have previously visited a particular location based on friend post history with the actual numbers. I also included a share button so users could post the location information on other media.
After finalizing this project, I took some time to reflect on the user feedback we received during the usability testing process. I spent two days exploring different ways to improve the application and gain a better understanding of our users.
During this time, I conducted additional research, analyzed the user feedback we received, and explored various design solutions. Through this process, I discovered new insights about our users and identified several ways to improve the application.
By taking the time to reflect and explore new ideas, I can continue to improve the application and provide a better user experience for our users. I believe that this process is essential for designers to truly understand their users and create products that meet their needs and preferences.
If you like what you see and want to work together, get in touch!
darwinlurker6@gmail.com