WANDER

The project goal was to create an easy to use trip journaling app that allows users to record information like photos, trip and GPS data, and custom notes for future reference or to share socially.

Project duration: July to October 2022

My role and responsibilities:

Concept creation and UX design. User interviews, design iterations, usability studies, paper and digital wire-framing, low and high-fidelity prototyping and accounting for accessibility.

Research

I conducted research and created empathy maps to understand the users I am designing for and their desires. A primary user group identified were outdoor enthusiasts who would like a way to better chronicle and share their adventures with others.

Pain Points Identified

Memories

People often find it difficult to remember specific details about their recreational trips that may be helpful to remember in the future or to share with others.

Social Connection

Outdoor enthusiasts would like to be able to easily share their adventures, but to also follow other user adventures.

Convenience

People would like a way to easily create records of their adventures.

Persona

Jake Alvarez

Age: 24

Hometown: Tacoma, WA

Family: Single, dog

Occupation: Mountaineering Guide

Goals:

"I would like to record details of my trips in one place."
"I would like to be able to easily share my experiences with family, friends and clients."

Frustrations:

"I have not found an app set up to combine photos, notes and GPS data in one place."
"I am busy and can't spend a lot of time editing together information from different apps."
"I am often without internet access, so a mobile app would be convenient to archive info all in one place."

Jake is a mountaineering guide who would like to record his outdoor adventures in one convenient location with the ability to quickly and easily share these entries with friends, family and clients. He is often away from creature comforts and internet access, so a mobile app would be most useful to record details of his trips.

Design Phase

Paper Wireframes/Digital Wireframes/Low-fidelity prototype/Usability Studies

Paper Wireframes

Iterating on the homepage gave insights into the look and feel of the entire app. I found I wanted to keep the app clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate with accessibility at the forefront.

Initially there were items in the third wireframe I starred, I found that wireframe #4 met

the clean design aesthetic best. The final design of the homepage is closest to this wireframe.

Digital Wireframes

As the design phases continued, I made sure the screens were meeting user expectations according to user research.

Users want the ability to record all trip data in one place.

Each section of the screen is separate and can be edited as needed.

Clean and accessible navigation.

Addition of categories
to better organize
multiple types of adventures.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

Explore

Usability Study Findings

Two usability studies were conducted. The first tested basic features and functionality of the app which guided changes for the wireframes and mockups. The second helped to further refine functionality and design aesthetics for final product.