The Problem:
Users wanted an app that would track flooded areas in realtime. Our preliminary research showed that there weren’t many option for a tool that did this that was still being supported in their area.
Roles: UX Design, research, graphic design
Responsibilities: User Research, Wireframing, Prototyping
Persona
Name: Bill
Age: 45
Occupation: Furniture Store Owner
Problem Statement:
Bill is a store owner who needs reliable flooding updates because he has furniture deliveries for customers who are counting on their items being there on time.
“Owning and Managing a business is hard enough, but keeping track of when and where the next flood will hit is even harder.”
Ideation
When looking at specific layouts to use, I wanted the map to be the first screen you see. As a potentially life saving app, I realized that users will need to see the most important information first. In this case, a map that shows live flooded areas.
Digital Wireframes
Low Fidelity Prototype
Main user flow starts with opening the app to see the live flood map. Users will then click on weather then they will continue to community. Users will have to sign in to the app in order to submit their own photos
A Usability Study was conducted to find out key user PAIN POINTS
Study type:
Unmoderated usability study
Location:
Chicago, Illinois, remote
Participants:
10 participants
Length:
30-60 minutes
Usebility study: findings
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Users had a hard time figuring out the flow of the app
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Users wanted easy to understand icons
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Users wanted a simple design throughout the app to see the important info first.
High Fidelity Prototype
I included additional features to the app such as different ways to see the map. Universal icons were used throughout the app in order to enhance the user experience.
Takeaways
“I won’t have to second guess myself before driving down my usual route. I’ll know ahead of time if it’s flooded or if other vehicles are stuck in that same area.”
What I learned:
Communities want readily accessible data of their neighborhoods not just temperature but also details on where there are environmental hazards in their area.
