Project Overview
Brief:
This is a community-based study project about designing a mobile app for the Whimsy Walks program. The Whimsy Walks program is a non-profitable program that meaning to encourage people to gain more exercise, explore the neighborhood, and share arts in the community, especially during the pandemic time. By incorporating the founder of the Whimsy Walks program, I and my team did user research. Based on our research data we designed this app to promote the program and improve people's walking experience of Whimsy Walks. Users are allowed to use the app to explore and discover more fun Whimsy Walks artifacts while gaining more exercise. At the main time, users can join or create their group on the app, and make conversation in order to socialize.
Problem
In what ways can we enhance the user experience of Whimsy Walks, particularly for walkers and residents?
What are the primary concerns of Whimsy Walks users?
What additional program features can we incorporate to further promote the goal of encouraging people to exercise more and explore the community?
How can we better publicize Whimsy Walks to the general public?
Goal
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Enhance user experience during walking by providing entertainment
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Motivate users to exercise more frequently
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Facilitate exploration and navigation of new sites
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Foster personal relationships with public art displays
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Address users' safety concerns about walking outside
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Allow for easy customization of account settings
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Rebrand the Whimsy Walks program to reflect our new features and enhancements.
Hunt statment
Understand residents’ walking routines and preferences in order to design new features for the mobile app, Whimsy Walks, that would encourage them to get some exercise, let them explore and navigate new sites, and develop their personal relationships and appreciation of the public display of art where they live.
More about Whimsy Walks: https://whimsywalks.org/
Research
We began our formative research study by developing specific user scenarios and research questions using the PACT Model. We then conducted a field study where we visited various sites and took detailed notes. The subsequent step involved conducting primary research using an online survey administered via Google Forms. This approach enabled us to gather information from a diverse group of participants in a convenient manner, resulting in 35 responses. We recruited participants both online and in person to increase the range and reliability of our findings. To reach participants online, we shared the survey link on social media platforms such as Facebook and Nextdoor. For offline recruitment, we displayed QR codes with the survey link in public locations like libraries. Our user research provided valuable insights into our target users' technology level, device preferences, neighborhood relationships, and walking habits. By analyzing the data, we were able to identify our users' needs and pain points, leading to the development of a persona and ideation for the design.
Data analyze
We visualize our data in pie charts, and bar charts with excel and google Forms. We analyze data and discuss the findings in Figma.
Insights
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The majority of our participants are aged 18 - 25, female, and live in Redmond. From the survey we conducted,
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The majority of people who walk around their neighborhood would walk 1-2 miles and spend less than an hour.
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The majority walk with a companion with family being the top companion, dog as the second, and friends as the last.
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Many people are inclined to change and use various walking routes.
Persona &
Scenario
We create 3 personas according to the data we collected from the previous research. Considering our stakeholder and research insights, we eventually pick the Gracie persona and created a user scenario based on this persona.
Scenario:
Since Gracie is new to her neighborhood, she wants to explore places nearby her home and get to know her community. A friend recommended Whimsy Walks to her. She values her health and exercises regularly. Her main way of exercising is through walking but sometimes she lacks motivation. She usually plans out her walking routines. However, she has concerns on safety especially when she walks with her dog.
Ideation
During the ideation stage, we did a collage board on Figma, which includes similar app branding or designs we find interesting to give us a sense of guidance and inspiration. Then we brainstorm together on the key features of the application and vote for the best ones.
Branding & Style Guide
Due to the rising popularity of the minimalism aesthetic, we decided to limit our color palette to 5 colors in the design of Whimsy Walks. Our branding image and style guide emphasize green and white to convey a sense of freshness, cleanliness, and nature to the user. When designing the Whimsy Walks application features, we invested significant effort into interaction designs and feedback to deliver a unique and engaging user experience. This approach can foster a powerful emotional connection with customers, further enhancing their satisfaction.
User Flow & Information Architecture
There are four main aspects we want to focus on in the application design:
1. Community 2. Navigation 3. Discovery 4. Personalization
In the group, we split the features based on personal interests. Ideation then created the user flow on Figma. Then we combine the main features of each aspect and create the. information architecture.
Wireframe & Wire flow
Prototype
Personalization
This section comprises the fundamental and indispensable features of the application, such as account registration, customization settings, privacy options, accessibility, account information, data recording, customer support, and company information. These features facilitate the smooth functioning of the application. Users can sign up or log in to their accounts, modify their settings, and personalize their displays. They can also report an issue or get in touch with customer support. Personalization features foster a sense of community and belonging among users while ensuring a user-friendly environment, which is crucial for creating a positive user experience.
Navigation
In terms of navigation, users can plan multiple routes between the Artifacts available on Whimsy Walks. Health tabs and options to edit the routes are also available. Once users arrive at different Artifacts, they can access dedicated pages to learn more about them. Additionally, a post-trip recap is available to provide users with a summary of the Artifacts they visited and other relevant trip information.
Discovery
In terms of the discovery aspect of the app, users can access detailed information about each Whimsy Walk attraction by clicking on the pins on the map or the cards on the list. Overviews of the artifact and audio narrated by the artist themselves are available. Our user research showed that many users prefer to listen to audio content when walking. Additionally, there is a review section for each artifact, consisting of star ratings, recommendations, weather, tags, and text descriptions. This information can assist other interested viewers in deciding which places to visit and help the filtering system of the app.
Community
Whimsy Walks offers community-related features that allow users to create or join walk groups and plans in social groups. This feature enables users who prefer not to walk alone or feel unsafe doing so to walk with friends or other members of their community. Users can also share their personal experiences with Whimsy Walks attractions in their posts and tag the attraction to provide other users with quick access to more information. This will encourage more people to join and learn about Whimsy Walkers, ultimately fostering a sense of community among users.
Usability Test
After completing the product production, we conducted a pilot study with four participants. Following this, we prepared a presentation where we shared our prototype and design concept directly with our classmates and Whimsy Walks's founder, Gregory Engel. We were honored to receive appreciation for the branding, design approach, feature designs, and social media integration. However, we also recognized that there were several areas where we could improve the user experience. For example, we acknowledged that our stakeholder group was too limited, and due to time constraints, we were unable to make further edits to the design.
Reflection
In this project, my team and I invested a significant amount of time and effort into conducting preliminary investigations. However, due to time constraints, we were unable to include all of the features we had initially planned, such as interactive placement games that would have encouraged users to exercise more and increase their engagement with the app. Nevertheless, I am very satisfied with the final design as it successfully meets the needs of users, the content of the "Whimsy Walks" app, and the client's requirements. Although we were unable to conduct as many usability tests as we would have liked, we are still open to making improvements as the client is still considering which design to publish as the official one.