PostUp: Design Sprint
PostUp is a new startup that wants to make it easier for freelancers and remote workers to connect and share tips and advice with each other.
Key Skills
Ideation, User Story,
Personas, User Interviews, Sketching, Wireframing, Visual Design, Prototyping, User Testing, High-Fidelity Mockup
Tools
Figma
Duration
1 week
Background
This 5-day solo design sprint was based on a design challenge from Bitesize UX, which involved creating a mobile app for freelancers and remote workers that would help users find public places to work at.
Problem Statement & Goal
Freelancers and remote workers often struggle to find suitable public places to work that fit their specific needs, such as a quiet environment or the ability to hold client meetings.
The goal of PostUp is to help simplify the process of discovering the right location for work.
Design Constraints
PostUp provided 3 key design constraints to guide the design process:
The solution should be a mobile app.
The app should help users discover public places that already exist.
PostUp aims to charge users a monthly fee of $5.99 for access to its information.
Day 1: Map
On the first day of the design sprint, I set out to fully understand the proposed problem,
synthesize the research conducted by PostUp, and map out the most crucial user flow.
User Interviews
I was first introduced to a handful of user interviews conducted by Joe, the lead researcher at Bitesize UX. In these interviews, he spoke with 9 different people who currently work as freelancers or remote workers and often look to do their work in a public space. Joe asked them the question,
“What is your experience like when finding a public place to do work from?”
“If a place has wifi, outlets and bathrooms, that's all I need!”
- Claire
“I like to know how crowded a place is. If I’m doing independent work, I don’t want it to be super loud. If I’m meeting clients or coworkers there, I want to be sure we can get a place to sit and talk for a bit.”
- James
“I usually need to jump on the computer for a video chat, so, I need to make sure the wifi is good, and that there isn’t too much background noise.”
- Andy
“I usually look at pictures of the place before I go, just to make sure there’s enough room for me and my coworker to take a table without feeling guilty.”
- Adam
User Persona
Joe also provided a user persona named Nina, who represents the target audience of freelancers and remote workers who are looking for public places to work. I kept Nina's frustrations and goals in mind when designing the product, based on the insights gathered from the user interviews.
Current Solution Walkthrough
Joe showed a clip of Chelsea, a freelancer graphic designer, who demonstrated her method of finding a public place to work from. She uses Google Maps and Yelp because they provide the following information:
Distance and map visuals: This helps her to find places that are close to her current location.
Photos: This can sometimes show the layout of the location and table sizes, which can be helpful if she is looking for a specific type of space.
Hours of operation: This ensures that she chooses a place that is open when she needs to work.
Busy and popular times information: This helps her to avoid places that are too crowded or noisy.
Reviews: These can sometimes indicate whether there are certain amenities available, such as outlets and Wi-Fi.
Chelsea noted that the most important amenities to her are bathrooms, outlets, and a reliable Wi-Fi connection. Her situation aligns with the user persona and other interviewees, who also expressed the need for these amenities.
Synthesizing Information
I decided to synthesize the information provided by Joe as comprehensively as possible. I started with creating an affinity map to better understand what users mentioned most frequently from the previous user interviews.
Affinity Map
After creating the affinity map, I identified three key elements that users cared about most: amenities offered, noise/busy level, and photos showing interior and table sizes. A potential solution would need to present these elements in a quick, concise, and understandable manner.
Next, I created a user story map based on the Nina persona.
User Story Map
“How Might We” Questions
How might we help users find the most suitable public workspace in their area?
How might we allow users to filter their search results by amenities?
How might we provide users with real-time information about the noise level and occupancy of a public workspace?
How might we create interactive visualizations of public workspaces to help users understand what they're like before they go there?
I chose these steps in my map to closely align with Nina’s behavior, frustrations, and goals which can be revisited under the User Persona tab.
Day 2: Sketch
On the second day of the design sprint, I set out to conceptualize and
sketch ideas to generate a potential solution to PostUp’s problem.
Lightning Demo
I started off with doing a solo version of a lightning demo. I used this approach to try out and document the successful features of different apps that would apply to the problem PostUp’s userbase is having.
I tested 3 different competitor’s apps: Google Maps, Yelp, and Workfrom.
Some features that Google Maps incorporates well include:
Map functionality
Directional guide
User-uploaded photos
Personal reviews
Popular times indicator
Some features that Yelp incorporates well include:
Map functionality
Filter system
User-uploaded photos
Personal reviews
Displaying key amenities
Workfrom is an app used by remote workers and students looking for places to work outside. Some features that Workfrom incorporates well include:
Map functionality
Filter system catered toward remote work locations
Displaying amenities most important to remote workers (e.g. noise levels, outlets, wifi speeds, etc.)
User reviews that are catered towards remote workers
Crazy 8’s
To generate design ideas for PostUp's solution, I conducted a Crazy 8's exercise where I quickly sketched 8 low-fidelity screens. This helped me determine that the solution needs to have a functioning map and filter system on the homepage, as well as a section for photos, amenities, and directions to the location.
Sketching the Solution
Following the Crazy 8's exercise, I proceeded to create a screen flow by sketching screens before and after the critical screen. This helped me visualize the user flow for the prototype.
Day 3: Storyboard
On the third day of the design sprint, I set out to create a storyboard that would help me
understand what is required to create the minimum viable product for PostUp’s problem.
Understanding the Storyboard
Coming up with the comic-like storyboard helped me to understand which features were critical when planning out the future user flow for the prototype. This included a filter function, some kind of map & sorting feature, and a page that would easily and concisely display location information (e.g. name, rating, amenities, etc.).
Day 4: Prototype
For the fourth day of the design sprint, I found myself designing and creating the main user flow depicted in the storyboard.
Creating the Prototype
With the previous design constraints, user interviews, user persona, and storyboard in mind, I created a prototype that showcased a user flow which depicts what an average freelancer using the PostUp app would encounter when accessing the app.
A Homepage with Essentials
The homepage of the potential solution is designed to provide users with the essential tools they need to find the perfect remote work location. It includes:
A map feature that displays nearby locations
Icons that show the user's location and nearby locations
Filters that allow for easy access to what's important to the user
Easy-to-select images that let users browse through different options effortlessly
All-in-One Information
Unlike popular competing apps, our app provides all the information freelancers and remote workers need in one place. This includes:
Photos that show how the interior and seating arrangements are like
Easy to understand icons for listed amenities and features
Popular times and up-to-date seating arrangement information
Personal user written reviews
Integrated Maps for Convenience
Our app provides users with turn-by-turn directions to their desired location, whether they are driving, walking, or taking public transportation. It includes:
Map feature that shows exactly how to get to your desired location
Step by step directional guide
Accurate travel time estimates
Review System that’s For the Users, By the Users
The review system is a way for users to provide accurate and detailed information about a location for other users looking for their next work spot. This includes:
Popular time estimates and seating arrangement adjustments
Star rating system with optional text review and photo feature
Day 5: Testing
On the last day of the design sprint, I was prompted to test my prototype for usability purposes
as well as to draw my own conclusions from what participants had to say.
Final Design
Conclusion
User Testing
Each participant was presented with the same 3 tasks:
Signing In
Finding a Remote Location
Leaving a Review (Optional)
Alongside these tasks, I asked a handful of clarifying questions regarding the prototype:
Does the user flow make sense?
Were there any problems you personally ran into?
Are there any suggestions you would like to make for future versions of PostUp?
Would you pay a monthly fee for this app?
After presenting these tasks to the users, I observed to see if they were able to successfully navigate through the prototype.
Who and Why?
I conducted usability testing with 5 participants, aged 18-45, who work or study remotely and are familiar with mobile apps.
The main goals were to observe their navigation through the prototype, evaluate design language, and collect feedback.
Results and Findings
In addition to the user testing results, we found the following:
2 of the participants had problems with the filter function.
1 of the participants had a problem with the information presented to them.
0 of the participants were willing to spend $5.99 for this product.
These results show that the prototype was a success in terms of meeting the users' needs. However, there are areas where the usability experience could be drastically improved.
Have the Goals Been Achieved?
By revisiting the Nina persona and considering the constraints of the participants, the final design was able to address their frustrations and achieve the project goals.
The final design addresses the users' frustrations and achieves the project goals. It includes a filter function, amenity filters, and clear descriptions of amenities. So, yes!
Learning Outcomes
The PostUp design sprint was an invaluable learning experience that taught me the following:
Great products can be produced even with limited time. The PostUp project was completed in just one week, which demonstrated that designers can create excellent designs even under tight deadlines. This was possible because the team was able to effectively prioritize tasks and focus on the most important aspects of the project.
Proven research is essential for proficient design. Although I did not conduct the research myself, the detailed initial research presented by Joe was essential for the success of the project. This research helped the team to understand the users' needs and pain points, which in turn informed their design decisions. Without this research, the project would have been much more difficult to complete successfully.
Future for PostUp
The 5-day design sprint showed the potential for PostUp. If I had more time, I would add the following features:
A dedicated page for detailed searches.
A dedicated filters category with multiple options and categories.
A "Show More" button to declutter large walls of text and content.
A conversation with the marketing team about potentially lowering the monthly cost of PostUp to less than $5.
Adjustments to the color scheme and design language to make it more user-friendly for people with color blindness.