CITYPUPS

Exploring user feedback and behaviors to improve mobile app design.

THE PROBLEM

CityPups wants to improve their mobile app that matches adoptive dog owners with the perfect dog.

CityPups mobile app matches city dwellers with the perfect dogs to adopt. The app's on-boarding process needed to collect more relevant details about the physical home space, in order to create better matches.

KEY GOAL

I was challenged to improve accuracy of dog to owner adoption matches by choosing an app screen for redesign.

MAKE OF THE TEAM

I was UX Designer and UX Researcher for this project. Usability test sessions were pre-recorded by other researchers.

METHODOLOGY

I listened to recorded usability sessions, learned user behavior, analyzed user feedback, identified ideas for improvements.

MY ROLE

UX Researcher 70%
UX Designer 30%

I listened to usability test recordings, and learned user issues, such as lack of confidence with the app's accuracy.

I analyzed user feedback and then thought of design solutions that would improve user confidence in the app while improving the ability of users to find the perfect dog to adopt.

I hand sketched several wireframes, selected the most promising design, then created high-end wireframes in Figma for the new design.

UNDER-STANDING THE USER

Imagine living in a small apartment in a crowded city. How would you find the perfect dog to adopt?

In recorded usability testing sessions, users said they wanted more confidence answering on-boarding questions in the app. For example, input total space available, instead of merely the home size.

When on-boarding questions and answers are better designed, users can answer questions in a way that better describes their home situation. Then their confidence builds from one question to the next, resulting in a more positive user experience.

I live in the city, and I want to find the perfect dog to adopt, that fits my home.

"I want to be sure my dog will be happy in my city home. I want to enter details of my apartment size and type, and how much total space I have for the dog, including extra space such as a patio. It's important that I find the right dog to adopt for my home, so we can both be happy."

BREAKING DOWN THE PROCESS

I explored user ideas and behaviors, and improved mobile app design concepts.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PROCESS & DESIGN METHODOLOGY

Listened to recorded user interviews from usability testing of app screens.
Learned user issues while note taking user feedback from recorded sessions.
Explored user ideas and behaviors recorded during testing.
Thought of solutions from research analysis of user feedback.
Chose highest impact possible solution from UX Research.
Formulated design ideas for app improvement.
Created freehand wireframes with design sprints.
Designed high-end wireframes for the app using Figma.

USABILITY SESSIONS

I listened to user feedback from recorded usability sessions, and explored user ideas and behaviors about on-boarding app screens.

I listened to recorded usability testing, for answers to three questions:

- What went well?
- What needs improvement?
- Notable Insights?

My notes and user feedback analysis indicated that users wanted more accuracy with the input of living space.

INSIGHTS FROM USABILITY TESTING

I concluded that users want more confidence in providing accurate details to questions during the on-boarding process.

Formulating better questions and answers on the app will allow on-boarding to be more effective. Currently, some on-boarding qualifiers are ambiguous or can result in misleading results. For example, users would prefer to enter "total space available" instead of merely the "home size.

Ability to respond to questions that accurately represent the user's situation would build user confidence during the on-boarding process. The resulting better data from the app provides better matches and better user experience.

MAJOR POINTS LEARNED FROM UX RESEARCH

Users feel lack of confidence, accuracy and usefulness.

Users want to feel more confident in providing personal details when answering on-boarding details in the app.

Users feel they are forced to enter innaccurate details.

Users want to input the total space that is available for the dog, instead of entering the total size of their home.

Users want a credible and learnable user interface.

Users want to easily answer questions that allow them to represent their available home space for a dog.

On-boarding Q&A is not perceived as useful and valuable.

Users want to enter personal info that is useful, from valuable questions that are formulated properly. They want more confidence throughout the on-boarding process.

The on-boarding process needs to be clear and delightful.

Users want to answer questions in a way more aligned to their truth, so their confidence builds from one question to the next, resulting in a more positive user experience.

SKETCHING METHODOLOGY

I SKETCHED NEW DESIGNS USING A FOUR STEP PROCESS

1) Sixty second design iteration #1

2) Sixty second design iteration #2

3) Ten minute detailed wireframe

4) Thirty minute Figma visual design

RAPID SKETCHES

I decided to redesign the "how much space" screen, by adding new design functionality that users said they wanted.

I used 60 second design iterations to sketch new designs, and then selected the sketched design that would have the most impact.

I sketched new designs for three different on-boarding pages in the mobile app. I then sketched second iterations of each new design idea.

I chose to move forward with the "how much space" screen, and added a slider to improve accuracy of user input regarding living space available.

The new sliding scale idea had the potential to increase overall UX by improving user confidence throughout the user flow, benefiting overall user experience.

I added a slider for better accuracy of user input.

DETAILED DESIGN

I hand sketched a more detailed "how much space do you have" screen, focusing on user need for accurate personal data input.

A ten minute design sprint was used to further redesign the "how much space" available screen. I hand sketched a more detailed wireframe that features sliders on the screen for the user interface.

Users indicated a need for a better way to input the available space, they felt the existing screen was not clear or useful in collecting user info.

I added two sliders, which take into account the main living area, and other living spaces. The sliders allow the user to give a better estimate of how much space is available for the dog.

HIGH FIDELITY WIRE-FRAMES

I designed high-end wireframes in Figma, adding slider function, and comparing before and after designs.

The new sliders take into account main living area and alternate living spaces.

When more accurate personal data is entered about space available, it results in a better match for adopting a dog.

IMPACT

The new slider design improves user confidence throughout the user flow, and allows better accuracy of user data input.

The new user experience is more accessible, clear, communicative, useful, credible, controllable, valuable, learnable, and delightful.