Post Up
"I wish there were a platform
where people could share information
about public places to work."
Overview
When I get tired of studying at home, I love going out and studying in a cafe. I have some favorite places in my area, but I took a long time searching for a suitable site outside of my city.
At this time, I joined the imaginary company as a UX designer to build a product with the design sprint method.
Problems
In the review apps such as Google Maps and Yelp, people usually review the tastes and customer services and do not mention the work environment. So even if the review looks good, it doesn't mean that it is a good work environment.
Users want to check if there is wi-fi, bathroom, and outlet. Therefore, the app should contain that information as basic information.
Besides the basic information, users want to check the crowds as well. So how can the app straightforwardly visualize the crowds?
Challenge
Come up with the solution ideas in 5 days using the design sprint method through design, prototyping, and testing idea.
Process
Day 1 - Understand/Map
On the first day, I started to understand problems with the persona and draw a possible end-to-end experience by using the app.
Persona
Possible end-to-end flow
When the user wants to search the workspace, she starts by opening the app and seeing the map on the top page. Then searches the public places nearby. Once she is interested in one place, she clicks that place and checks the details. She can reserve the seat or/and see the direction with the app.
Day 2 - Sketch the solution
I focused on sketching my idea with pen and pencil on the second day.
Crazy 8s
Firstly, I brainstormed the solution ideas using the crazy 8s. While sketching, I asked myself which screen is the most core for users to solve their problems.
Sketch for critical pages
The persona wants to check the wi-fi, restroom, and crowdedness when they search the public space for working. So I chose the shop's detail page from crazy 8s as a critical page and drew more details. Then, I drew a review page and reservation page to imagine what the user would do after checking the shop's detail page.
Day 3 - Decide the storyboard
On the third day, I created a 16-panel storyboard that will be used when I build the prototype on Day4.
Storyboard
I imagined the user has 2 - 3 hours in an unfamiliar city and wants to find a cafe for working now.
Check the map and click one cafe
Check photos, amenities, crowdedness
Check what others say about the cafe (reviews)
Click "Reserve the seat"
Put information and reserve the seat
Succeed for booking
After sketching it, I prioritized the screens to follow the end-to-end flow I decided on the first day.
Day 4 Prototype
I created the 7 UI screens based on the sketches and storyboard. I first decided on the theme colors and typography so that every screen has UI consistency.
Day 5 - Test
On the last day of the design sprint, I conducted the usability test remotely with 5 people.
Takeaways
Search Tag on the top page
Instead of using filters such as "open now" and "wi-fi," participants felt it convenient to tap "Cafe" or "Rental Office" at first. So I changed the order of the filters.
Map icon on the top page
The search result only shows the ratings of the places, and participants didn't get the shop's information from the map. So I put the name and icons as basic information.
Recommendations on the top page
Three participants tried to expand the recommendations. For example, one participant said she usually uses Yelp instead of Google Maps when she searches for a new cafe and wants to see the search result list to compare the information at once.
Action buttons on the "About" page
Participants were not sure what would happen when they tapped the "start" button. Because Google Maps starts the navigation when the user taps it, I expect participants to understand what it aims for. However, participants were confused with the "directions" and "start" buttons, so I removed the start button.
Waiting time graph on the "About" page
"Waiting time for the seat" is the participant's favorite feature of this app. The graph visually tells them when the cafe is busy.
Reserve a seat feature
The "reserve a seat" page itself is straightforward and has no issue, but some participants thought the cafes were not willing to book a seat for the customer who paid for only a cup of coffee and stayed two or more hours. If this is the feature for rental offices, it felt natural for them.
View the final prototype
What's next?
This is the end of the design sprint, but I will add the following pages if I continue building this application.
Recommendations on the map page
I noticed that three participants tried to expand the recommendations while searching the cafe on the map. They wanted to see the list of recommendations and compare the information at once. So, I will think about what information the users want to reach, then create the recommendation page.
Check other's recent actions
One interviewee mentioned the function of social media. She wanted to see her favorite stars or friends' reactions to subscription services to gain reliable reviews.
Lessons learned
Design Sprint is a pretty fast method to complete and gain some deliverables. If the designer knows well about the product and problems, this method can be helpful for the agile team. If not, I think the team requires some research before starting the sprint to set the assumptions.
My way of using the app doesn't always apply to everyone. Usually, I use Google Maps to check the review and compare the rating on the map, then go to the detail page. So I applied this user flow to this project. However, some participants wanted to see the suggestion list instead of the map from the usability test. So I need to have a broader eye on how people want to check and organize the information.