ROLE
UI/UX Designer and Research
TOOLS
Figma
MEDIUM
Digital Mobile App
STATUS
Class Project
YEAR
2024
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Finding the perfect study space is a challenge many students face. Whether it’s a quiet indoor corner or an inspiring outdoor setting, everyone has unique preferences for their ideal study environment. StudySphere is designed to make the search effortless, helping students discover their perfect study spot quickly and easily.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
When searching for semi-public and public study spaces, platforms like Google and Yelp tend to focus on reviews about food quality or service, often overlooking key details about amenities and the environment. As a result, users must sift through excessive irrelevant information, making the process tedious and time-consuming. This discourages many from exploring and discovering new spaces tailored to their needs.
POTENTIAL SOLUTION
A mobile app dedicated to showcasing information specifically relevant to study spaces. By eliminating redundant details and focusing exclusively on environment and amenities, the app streamlines the process, significantly reducing the time users spend searching for a new spot. The app will also prioritize gathering and presenting the information users need, making the experience more efficient and user-friendly.
Information Architecture
Here are the proposed user flows based on the research, with the final product being a mobile app.
Flow 1 is the onboarding journey for a first time user, which is not repeated unless the user is creating a new account or reinstalling the application. Flow 2 is what returning users will see.
Flow 1 - First Time User Flow (Onboarding)
Flow 2 - Returning User Flow
User Interviews
To understand our users' current pain points, I conducted a series of street interviews near college campuses.
These were the 4 most common storylines across 30 interviews.
As a student who...
is a frequent studier,
I want to find...
new spaces for a change in my work environment,
So that I can...
feel a little bit more excited to do work in a new space.
As a student who...
lives in a dorm,
I want to find...
a quiet place to work, not my dorm room,
So I can...
get into my ideal studying groove.
As a student who...
lives off campus,
I want to find...
find a public space, like a cafe, with chargers and wifi,
So I can...
work longer without worrying about battery life.
As a student who...
enjoys cafe hopping,
I want to find...
new cafes to visit and also do work there,
So I can...
be productive and enjouy my hobby.
User Empathy Map
To further break down these interviews, this user empathy map outlines other factors not mentioned above to understand the users' current pain points better.
Further Research & Key Insights
With a good basis of what people are looking for, I started to look at scientific research to support my hypotheses of reducing browsing time and necessary factors for good study spots.
10
The average number of reviews needed before trusting a business.
Source: Vaghasiya, Krunal. “20 Google Review Statistics You Must Know in 2024.”
How does this apply to our design solution?
The information presented to users must be concise for easy processing while remaining accurate to their needs.
5
The number of essential factors for productive study environments.
Source: Patterson, “How to Create a Great Study Space (with Examples)”
How does this apply to our design solution?
Noise levels, charging outlets, lighting, WiFi quality, and ergonomic furniture are key factors. These must be measured and presented to users to help them find their ideal space.
Wireframes
I started the design process off with Crazy 8 Sketches. Since this was part of a class, other class members were able to vote on the best sketches that they thought were best communicated. I was not allowed to discuss my sketch ideas, just the end goal solution. This method helped communicate which ideas were clearly intuitive for the solution, but also successful in aligning with the end goal.
Upon receiving feedback, I started designing the low fidelity prototype, and fine tuning with the professor and outside feedback over the following two weeks, developing the high fidelity prototype, ready for user testing.
crazy8.jpg)
User Testing
Testing Goal
Determine the satisfaction and efficacy of users finding a new study space to visit.
Observe users completing a series of tasks and ask follow up questions. I requested users to talk through their thought process and talk out loud to see their reactions as well.
Methodology
Tasks
Complete Onboarding
Set up their preferences in the initial onboarding.
Interact with Interface
Spend two minutes to explore the app freely.
Save 3 Locations
Users saved three locations of interest, helping measure their average browsing time between locations.
Find Saved Locations
Find the saved locations page.
Edit Preferences
To track preference changes, users were asked to visit this page and make updates.
Follow Up Questions
The follow-up questions quantified qualitative data by asking users to rate elements on a 1-to-5 scale.
To quickly recap the highlights, here are some general conclusions, successes and oversights that resulted from testing. One major oversight proved to show that I had completely underestimated a key component to the users' browsing process.
Insights & Conclusions
Successes
Proposed Solution is Faster
Users were able to find study spots significantly faster than with existing methods, even after completing onboarding questions. This demonstrates that the proposed solution is more efficient than the currently available options.
Intuitive Layout = Efficient Search
Efficient searches rely on completing repetitive tasks quickly. Thanks to the intuitive UI, users could seamlessly navigate between pages, reducing overall browsing time.
Relevant Information Parameters
Users found the information on each page aligned with their expectations based on the questionnaire survey, resulting in a satisfying browsing experience. Collecting relevant parameters reassured users that they would not encounter results unrelated to their interests.
Oversights
Limited Engagement with Detailed Pages
Users spent significantly less time on the detailed pages than anticipated. Instead of exploring the in-depth content, they preferred to rely solely on the quick-glance icons for information before moving on to the next info card. This behavior suggests that the detailed pages may not be providing sufficient value or engaging enough to warrant further exploration.
Positive Reactions to Out-of-Preference Suggestions
Users responded surprisingly well to a few suggestions that fell outside their stated preference range. This indicates that slight deviations from user-defined parameters, when thoughtfully curated, can still result in positive engagement and may even broaden the user's perspective or discovery experience.
Hicks Law - The Principle of Decision Making
With the structure of the app relatively figured out, I decided to research various design principles to guide me in the UI design process, opting to center around Hick's Law as it is the most relevant to my goal.
What is Hick's Law?
Hick's Law states that the more choices a user has, the longer it takes to make a decision. The principle behind this is to reduce the number of choices and group related options together.
Why Hick's Law?
Since the goal is to reduce the time a user spends browsing for an ideal location, it's important to understand the design principle that will allow us to do so.
Implementation Plan
I applied this principle in two areas: the questionnaire and the browse feature. The questionnaire limits options to help users identify preferences without feeling overwhelmed. The browse feature uses filters and categories to highlight primary traits, allowing users to explore options one at a time and consider secondary traits as needed.
PROJECT GOAL
Provide students with ideal study spot locations in an efficient, time saving manner using UI/UX research and design tools.
Learnings & Next Steps
The oversight in understanding users' browsing processes emphasizes the need for further research. This should not only focus on improving information and content presentation but also on understanding the specific browsing behaviors associated with the task at hand. Gaining such insights will allow for a more refined user experience that aligns closely with actual user behavior.
Despite this oversight, the project has been invaluable in expanding my understanding of both UI/UX research and user-centered design. It has highlighted the importance of tailoring solutions to meet the unique needs of specific users and reinforced the value of diverse research methods in delivering successful outcomes.