Overview
Finally, we improved our design based on our different user-centered research methods.
With the lab tests, we improved interface elements by better fitting them to the users’ mental models.
- Identifying routes during the create process
With the field test, we simulated the application in a real situation & tested its feasibility.
- The system would likely create new social interactions and norms. But they are seamless and nuanced enough that our user enjoyed the experience.
We tested peoples’ trust in a system full of strangers.
- With insights about users’ reactions to the application and how they develop ttrust and confidence, we improved these features and emphasized their significance.
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Easy & Straight Forward Join Process
Users don’t always read text
- Understanding users’ expectations: joining & leaving your group
- Users generally enjoyed the join process
- But not all of them were able to conceptualize what they need to do, step-by-step “What does ends at really mean?”
- We realized some screens were a little text heavy even if it was a necessary evil
- Represent information through visuals
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Join Process Animation
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Easy & Straightforward Create Process
Guiding the user through the creation process
- Our participants seemed to ignore a lot of the details and just wanted to move on
- Users would get stuck during the creation process because they weren’t sure what to do
- Directions on this screen were rarely read.
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Create Process Animation
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Refined Route Creation
Users didn’t understand the significance of multiple routes
Users didn’t distinguish between an individual destination and the group destination
- Our concept for creating a group has the user pinpoint or search for a destination
- The system then recommends a few routes based on safety & walking data
- The user then is expected to choose from the available routes
- This way hides the creator’s final destination, research showed users would be concerned revealing this private information. It would leave them more “vulnerable.”
- Our previous design was confusing, users couldn’t understand this concept and didn’t know where to proceed.
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Selecting Routes Animation
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More visible Trust System
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Introducing new ways to build confidence and trust in the system’s users
- Our application leans on social norms. Some users in our research have questioned whether this will make it *easier* for people to take advantage of others.
- Without the users’ trust and confidence, the app loses its purpose.
- The more users discovered new identifiers, the more confident they said they’d be about trusting people. For example, a number of users said they really valued experience as a metric for trust.
- Trust needs to be a greater focal point of our application.
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Showing Profile Animation
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Trust System Animation
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Night Beacon Website
- We also envision a website where people can learn more about the app
- We got a number of questions (from you in 682 and from others) about where the night data comes from. We envision this type of information can be revealed on the website.
- Like CouchSurfing, we can use testimonials as another way to quell users’ doubts.
- This external information will give people another resource for learning more about what this application can do and how one can do it.
