Traveler Work Role Tasks:
Upon Installation of App:
User creates a "user" account on StreetSmart
User answers survey questions
"Places" tab:
User filters where they would like to go based on numerous activities
User can write a review of a place
User can look at the 360 degree camera footage of a specific place
"Maps" tab:
User can view where certain places are in relation to his/her location and also search for certain places, allowing them to see the possible different modes of transport
"Journal" tab:
User can create a journal entry, writing about their trip.
User can insert photos into their journal entries.
Business Work Role Tasks:
Upon Installation of App:
Create a "business" account on StreetSmart
Homepage:
Edit profile (include photos, 360 degree footage, description, and any other information relating to the business)
Respond to users' reviews
Integrate software that allows for users to make a reservation for their establishment
Ideation and Sketching Process
Our group met a number of times during the ideation and sketching process. We established a focus on meeting in person as we agree that is where we are most efficient and productive. We also gathered in person to write out all the different interactive tasks which are going to exist on our app. We split our interactive tasks into two sections, which correlated to the two different work roles: traveler and business. Once we were able to consolidate all the different tasks which are going to be present on StreetSmart, we began thinking about how this might look when actually being implemented. Everyone had their own ideas, and so it was important that everyone had a chance to explain to the group their designs and their reasons for them. For each task, we had at least three group members create a sketch for how it might look. Once we had all these sketches, we sat down discussing the pros and cons of each, and eventually decided which one would be best for us to use, or maybe a hybrid design which incorporated ideas from each.
Whilst coming up with designs, we took inspiration from some of the DIMs we developed. We especially looked at the envisioned flow model in order to understand the entire work practice and workflow. We took into account some of the barriers which we highlighted in the flow model and thought of ways to overcome these barriers with our designs. We also took into great consideration our persona which we created: Jerome Johnson. We thought about aspects which he might particularly like when using StreetSmart and tried to incorporate these features which would give the user a superlative experience. We eventually came to a decision of having three different module tabs which separated content into three unique pages: "places," "map" and "journal." As mentioned, we each came up with our own designs for how we thought each of these elements should look and then discussed as a group the different ideas. As a result, this was the process for how we came up with the designs for StreetSmart.
Workspace and Materials
As mentioned, our group typically meet in person. We are quite loyal to our third floor Rice Hall meeting spot, however last week, we were lucky enough to make our way into Mechanical Engineering study room, thanks to Jeyi! Usually we all bring paper and pencils to write and draw with. However, sometimes we utilize online design software such as photoshop illustrator, Figma, and others to display our individual ideas to the group. There is a big TV on the third floor of Rice which we tend to connect to with our laptops so group members can view our designs easily. We sometimes draw out and illustrate our thoughts on a whiteboard to make it easier for everyone to see what is going on. Also, this allows for people to contribute more efficiently by either saying out loud their thoughts or coming up to the whiteboard to draw it.
Client Feedback on Sketches
Once we finished coming up with all our sketches, we decided to get some feedback on them from our representative user, Alex Howell. Alex was quite pleased with most of our work and noticed our focus on trying to keep the app as simplistic and user friendly as possible, whilst still having many useful features. He especially liked the terms we would use to describe certain features of our app, such as "places," "map," and "journal." These vernacular terms create natural mappings for the user where they understand how the interface will change depending on what button they press.
Despite liking our designs, he had some suggestions which he thought we might want to take into consideration. He first mentioned making the journal feature public, and allowing for users to interact among each other. Fundamentally, it would act more like a social media app where users share their stories and photos, and where others can like and comment on others posts. He emphasized, however, that if we were to do this, to make sure there is a setting to allow for users to be private, since a lot of users care about their privacy and settings, and don't want all their data being propagated to everyone else.
Photos of Team at Work
Scans of Selected Sketches