ROLES
My Roles:
User Experience Designer, User Interface Designer, Client Management
DELIVERABLES
UI/UX Deliverables:
Competitor Research, User Surveys/Interviews, Personas, User Journeys and Task Flows, App Flow Diagram, Low-fidelity Wireframes, High-Fidelity Mockups and Prototypes, Usability Tests
TOOLS USED
My Tools:
Justinmind Prototyper, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator
Overview
Rent a paddle board from the palm of your hand with your mobile smartphone. We engineered the concept into reality and developed a fully automated paddle board rental system similar to ride sharing or rental services like Uber and Airbnb. From IoT hardware devices made smarter with cutting edge mobile apps and software behind them; solar paneled & secure paddle board station-stands, smart locking mechanism for both the board and the paddle, on-board GPS and on-board 4G LTE connection as well as native iOS & Android mobile apps, web application and a backend operating platform.
PADL’s rental service allows users to rent and unlock paddleboards from the app. A map shows all the available locations. To unlock a paddleboard, users select the one they want and follow the step-by-step prompts on the screen. The paddleboards are equipped with a leash, paddle and a life jacket at reasonable hourly rates.
Problems
Many don’t have access to paddle boards due to their size.
Many rental companies are either expensive, time consuming, or at capacity.
Current competition has no membership options.
Safety concerns.
Proposed Solutions
Create custom hardware that communicates with our software for easy access.
Show inventory and incorporate a “reserve board” function.
Create affordable plans/memberships for all to enjoy.
Post safety videos and FAQs for educating the users.
User Persona
Research
The research process began with an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape to gain insights into how other apps and companies are tackling similar challenges. This competitive analysis provided a foundation for understanding industry standards and identifying potential gaps in the market. To further refine our approach, we conducted user surveys, which played a crucial role in quantifying customer needs and preferences. These surveys offered valuable data points that informed our design decisions. Finally, we organized one-on-one interviews with target users to delve deeper into their individual experiences, uncovering specific pain points and unique requirements that the app would need to address to ensure a seamless user experience.
Findings
Seamless Experience: Users want to park and have everything ready with minimal effort, emphasizing the need for a streamlined process from arrival to activity.
Pricing Alignment: Insights into users' pricing expectations for renting paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes helped set hourly and membership rates that meet their willingness to pay.
Safety and Guidance: Safety and clear instructions are top concerns, making it crucial to provide detailed guidance to ensure user confidence.
Easy Retrieval: Users value simplicity in retrieving and returning equipment, highlighting the need for a user-friendly process in accessing storage cages.
App Flow Diagram
Visualizing a User-Centric Experience
Rapid sketching allowed me to explore design patterns common among apps in the competitive or similar landscape, helping to understand which needed to carry over into PADL to ensure familiarity. This also helped identify screen types that could serve multiple functions, as well as swiping/touch gestures that would likely be the most intuitive.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Low-fidelity prototype testing helped in understanding the user’s expectations of the app. By studying their actions, opening up dialog with them, and observing pain points, it led the way to lay the foundation for a fully realized high fidelity prototype. Small details such as actionable and consistent iconography, and consistent paths to get back, would become important elements of the design system.
Visual Design
A simple, clean, and trending sans serif font helped users to have quick digestion of all app information. The color scheme was chosen as an ode to the ocean, with a sea foam green, and a bright sunset accent color to draw the eye to actionable buttons and links. The iconography that was used is a modern line-style artwork which helped the minimal design, leading a user to each section without feeling overwhelmed by unnecessary design flair.
PADL in Use
