project info
flock
noun / fläk/
A number of birds of one kind feeding, resting, or traveling together
____________________________________
Duration: 1 month. 2022
My Role: UX Research + Design
Tools: Figma, InVision, Miro, Zoom
Embedded Files
People have been traveling with others since the beginning of time. From hunting and gathering to road trips with best friends- even a pandemic couldn't halt our natural desire to explore with others.
And as the number of apps increase that are used for travel, problems with streamlining this process increase as well.
the problem
Traveling is supposed to be fun but all too often, groups of 2 or more have difficulty organizing and communicating decisions, preferences, and itineraries.
the solution
This is where FLOCK comes in. The app promotes the easiest-to-use collaborative environment. Goal being - to simplify the process and remove the additional stress that comes along when planning travel with others. Chat with friends, book and organize reservations, share and save plans, plus so much more .... all in ONE place.
RESEARCH
As a researcher..
I identified who my desired user was in order to discover needs, goals, pain points. This will lead to features designed for the app.
Then came the detailed research plan. It's so important to create research and interview plans that clearly identify goals and ask the RIGHT questions.
Next, I distributed demographic surveys to users that passed screener questions. Following that, interviews were conducted via zoom.
1 : 1 Interview Takeaways
DEFINITION & IDEATION
Findings gathered from both survey and interviews were analyzed through affinity diagram and feature prioritization matrix. But prior to that, the primary user Marie Joy was created based upon the findings gathered from research.
User persona
Additonally, from the data collected, an ideal user flow through the Flock App was created highlighting specific steps and emotional response as Marie navigates. Storyboard and journey are featured within the same template as an additional layer to fully understand her story.
Storyboard & Journey
From here I was able to decide what functions and features were to be included within my scope. The following highlights the main features that were designed during rapid prototyping.
User Flow
WIREFRAMES
Though not featured in this case study, a competitor analysis was conducted in order to understand the market and what MVP looked like across various platforms. From there, through frequent and rapid usability testing, I was able to produce multiple iterations of designs. See the progression from paper sketch to hi fidelity wireframes below.
Paper sketches
Low-fidelity wireframes
High fidelity wireframe
PROTOTYPE
As a newly developed app that needs to generate a Flock of it's own, the decision was made to allow tutorial screens to be featured prior to log in so users can see features and functions prior to making the decision to join.
Following sign up, users are taken to what will become their "Trips" page to navigate through onboarding for detailed instructions guiding them to use the platform successfully. One can then easily create a new trip, invite others, and import their personal calendar
The robust explore page populates destinations based upon one's most recent search history and suggestions as well as save favorites. One can also view articles that provide helpful tips and announcements regarding travel and organization.
// FINAL THOUGHTS
This project not only allowed me to learn new skills in the UX process but the chance to reflect on my own personal strengths and weaknesses. I learned to check my ego, use my natural thoughtfulness through research, and stop my obsessive habit to stress over details.
My ideas for an app were initially too broad and focused on multiple features. Mistakes were made and focus lost when I strayed away from my findings in the user research - I wanted to design an entire app overnight! In the future, I will start to focus on features that have minimal effort, high value, and solve my defined problems.
Additionally, user testing is so much more beneficial than I anticipated! I went into the testing fully confident that people will just confirm how great everything is, there would be no need for iteration, I mean I did spend hours on it, it was perfect right? No! My meticulous attention to detail doesn’t mean that I have it all figured out. Others pointed out the factors that I couldn’t see and I believe it drastically improved my design. I am a now a believer in testing before getting too attached to designs coupled with iteration, iteration, iteration!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse