Heuristic CompetiTve analysis
The Nielsen Norman Group know their stuff. They're a little bit like the Bauhaus of UI to me. What better way to determine whether the competition is fierce is to run their apps through the 10 Usability Heuristics. Each Gift Exchange app I tested had great features, affordance, and sound UI, often in accordance with most of the usability guidelines. I quickly learned what features and layouts could inspire Gift Genie.
REPORT
Made by Humans!
MY LATEST User Experience Journey STARTED WITH EMPATHY.
FOR HUMANS, BY HUMANS IS REAL
My journey has had me diving into my fair share of problem-solving and storytelling roles such as Art Director, Visual Designer, UI Designer, Graphic Designer and Illustrator. People come for answers and solutions to challenges they experience within their own commerce, communication or social journeys.
But before I can provide answers, I need to listen very carefully, ask insightful questions, build rapport and be empathetic to a client's experience regarding their particular challenges. The good news is, "there's an app for that" particular challenge waiting to be built by humans, for humans.
"I never want to miss another birthday again!"
The GIFT GIVING EXPERIENCE
I found some people with a problem that left them feeling blue. No one wants to be sad about something, and most people want to quickly address that 'something' and never face it again. I built some rapport with my stakeholders and dove into their stories about their experiences and hopes regarding gift giving. Feeling blue is pretty hard to relay in a business requirements document, so it was good to be face-to-face. We quickly collaborated on the most unrealistic as well as realistic ideas possible. Stakeholders loved this part.
A PLAN IS HATCHED!
RESEARCH AND VALIDATE
Apparently teleportation devices are unavailable to help people be together for Birthdays, Holidays and other special occasions. I needed to talk to people and validate the next best thing: a mobile Gift Exchange experience that bridges time and distance.
REPORT
Presentation
36
participants
wanted the ability to see each other's calendars
100%
8
face-to-face interviews
"I think you should call it GIFT GENIE."
83%
thought "just Because" is a reason to send a gift
Inspiration & Competition
The PLAYING FIELD
PERSONAS & EMPATHY MAPS
Who are the people in your NEIGHBOURHOOD?
Visualizing the target audience is an essential step in the UX process. I was fortunate to have so many participants during my user research. Building robust personas and empathy maps delivered some pretty believable end-users I could rely on throughout the next steps. Brand association meant I could empathize with people's commerce experiences. Finally, knowing what types of businesses people already rely on informs me on the success criteria they will hold other commercial interactions to. I was slightly indulgent for this step. I needed to present appealing and comprehensive documentation that would give my stakeholders confidence to proceed.
PERSONAS &
EMPATHY MAPS
As a User, I want to share my Gift Calendar
...so that fellow users will know my special occasions.
As a User, I want to see shipping options
...so that I can choose the best option.
As a User, I want to order a gift
...so that I can send it on time.
As a User, I want to browse fellow user's Gift Calendar
...so that I can get a gift idea.
As a User, I want to save Gift Ideas I have for a fellow User
...so that I can retrieve them later.
As a User, I want to find another person's Profile
As a User, I want to create a Profile
...so that people can send me gifts.
...so that I CAN send them a gift.
As a User, I want to invite my friends and family
...so that I CAN know when to send them a gift.
TELL ME YOUR STORY
USER STORIES
REPORT
CARD SORT BY:
BUILD IT AND THEy WILL COME
REPORT
TEST
WIREFRAMES
Form FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Some clichés kind of stand the test of time and are easy to use because they are so ubiquitous. I used them liberally here, but in truth that's the point of building wireframes. I needed to show the stakeholders just how easy to use a Gift Exchange application could be. Functions and features need to perform ubiquitously and feel familiar to other mobile applications. The wireframes also helped my stakeholders believe that our idea might actually be possible. Usability testing confirmed that our comprehensive concept did not overwhelm the user and most completed the GIft Search and Send journey without any major setbacks.
SHOUT IT TO THE TOP!
Form FOLLOWS FUNCTION pt.2
With the general functions of Gift Genie vetted and established, it was time to find out how to express the app in it's best form. I performed an informal A/B test to see what basic logo people preferred and the crowds went wild. In fact, they were wildly opposed to the original Gift Genie typeface I had carried throughout most of my presentations fully intending it to be the final logo.
STYLE GUIDE
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
WHAT's NEXT FOR GIFT GENIE?
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
STYLE GUIDE
Form FOLLOWS FUNCTION pt.2
With the general functions of Gift Genie vetted and established, it was time to find out how to express the app in it's best form. I performed an informal A/B test to see what basic logo people preferred and the crowds went wild. In fact, they were wildly opposed to the original Gift Genie typeface I had carried throughout most of my presentations fully intending it to be the final logo.
The journey continues...
More in-depth or revised user flows, wireframes, usability testing and style guides will be prepared while a brave Developer is sought out to help make this story come true. My stakeholders are looking forward to the day when they no longer miss a special occasion because of time and distance. By walking in their shoes, I was able to help them visualize a possible solution using key steps in the UXD process.
