UX RESEARCH
The Problem
People are feeling less and less connected to their communities. In a digital age, how can we facilitate engagement with others and help foster a feeling of connection?
The Research Goal
Determine people's feelings about their closeness and desired closeness to their communities, and learn what helps them feel more connected to others in their day-to-day lives.
Competitive Analysis
Findings
1.
There is a gap in the market for community apps that tie the proximity of YikYak with the physicality of Pokemon Go
2.
Users of these community apps value anonymity and safety
3.
Users expect to be able to interact with posts
User Interviews
Seven people were asked to complete a questionnaire which asked them about their community. They were asked things like how populated their area is, how close they feel to those in their community, what helps them feel closer, if they use any social media or other apps to help foster feelings of connection, and any challenges they face.
Findings
1.
The majority of people are not as connected to their community as they would like to be, especially those new to their area
2.
People feel closer and more connected to their community when they feel like they are regularly and meaningfully involved in it
3.
Users would benefit from a product that makes their city feel easier to keep up with, and is easy to build into their day-to-day life
User Personas
Designing
Defining the Problem
People don't feel as connected to their community as they would like to be and would benefit from a product that is easy to implement into their daily life and helps them feel like they are involved in their community, while maintaining a level of anonymity.
Next Steps
Now, after conducting crucial research on competitor products and diving deep into user's wants, needs, and mental models, I have to start working out what the solution to this complex problem is.
Ideation
I started by coming up with as many solutions as possible.
Narrowing Down
Referring back to my research, I recalled that there is a gap in the market that ties proximity with the physicality of Pokemon Go. I also recalled that people feel more connected to their community when they feel like they are involved in it. I came up with the idea to emphasize the space that people share by creating an app that asks user to create and interact with posts in those very spaces. The physicality of going somewhere and reading experiences that other's have had helps foster a feeling of community involvement. Rather than a community message board, the app becomes more like a collective community journal.
UI Exploration
Changes
1.
The first iteration of the app (green) had an option to post photos, but given the anonymous nature of the app, I felt that text-based posts would be best
2.
I decided to add an option to scroll through all posts within a five mile radius to increase app usability and accessibility for those unable to get out and explore
3.
I chose to have posts leave the map after two weeks so that the UI doesn't get cluttered. Users can still access removed posts by liking and saving them, and viewing from their profile page
UI Components
