UX Research & Product Design Case Study

Background

Women Who Ride is a digital product that I conceptualized, researched, designed and created as a mobile app. It is a social network for individuals who identify as women, femme or non-binary that ride motorcycles. The app brings together this demographic in cities throughout the world to share their mutual passion of motorcycling. With a GPS locator to search other motorcyclists profiles, rides, clubs and events, the app connects its community to plan and explore.

My Role 

User research, market research, information architecture, content strategy, creative writing, user experience design, interaction design, wireframes, responsive design, logo design, brand development, visual design, icon design, responsive user interface design, usability testing, test interpretation and iterative design.

Project Scope

• Design an end-to-end app for iPhone devices

• Execute and manage my own project

• Design a brand identity and logo that reflects the audience's values as well as my mission

• Create an app with four main sections:

  • Individual motorcyclist profiles

  • Clubs

  • Rides

  • Events

Tools 

Sketch, Invision, Marvel, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Google Forms, Pinterest, Slack, Trello and Skype.

Motivation 

In 2012 I traveled to New Zealand where I purchased my first motorcycle. On that bike I toured the country on my own for seven months. It was a movement meditation.  Enveloped in nature I toured the country's two main islands exploring mountains, deserts and winding coastal roads. My motorcycle adventures continued in the Alps of Italy, the countryside of Slovenia and the coast of Croatia.

 In 2015 women comprised 14% of motorcycle owners in the United States. Although motorcycling is a male dominated activity there are similarly passioned women. My goal is to support this community by providing a platform to connect, plan and take action. 

RESEARCH > STRATEGY > DESIGN > TEST

UX RESEARCH

Methodologies

• Survey

  I created a survey regarding motorcycling and socializing. The survey was taken by 55 individuals who identify as women, femme or non-binary.

• Competitor Analysis

  Analyzed direct and indirect competitor mobile apps and websites for information architecture and navigation.

• Personal Interviews

  I conducted five in-person interviews of the target audience learning about their journey into motorcycling, their desires and their pain points.

Survey Data Percentages

At the projects inception I had various ideas for ways in which to develop the app. I created a survey to gain insight and validation into my potential users primary interests and concerns.

strategy

Persona

In design thinking empathy is key. I created a user persona; a realistic representation of my key audience for the Women Who Ride mobile app. A user persona addresses the major needs of the archetype user.

App Map

A core part of UX design is determining the product's organization and navigation. To do this I created an app map. The app map reads from left to right, top to bottom.

Design

Wireframes

I made wireframes, the architectural blueprint of my apps design, to show the information hierarchy and lay out the elements of each page.  I made a prototype of the wireframes. I tested it repeatedly to confirm that my design was well organized.

Branding Elements

Logo,  watermark, word mark, color palette, a motorcycle icon, the app icon and font were created to establish a brand representing Women Who Ride. I sourced and curated the photos used throughout the app. 

User Interface Design

All branding and design elements are consistently implemented throughout the mobile app. Below are a few of the apps key screens.

TEST

Affinity Map

A prototype of the app was tested by potential users. Insight was gained into their success and failures while navigating the app.  The affinity map visualized their feedback. It aides in prioritizing the next iterations of the app. I returned to my designs and made improvements, catering to my user needs. 

The prototype was tested and the app was iterated for improvements multiple times. The product has been developed to the point where users find the app to be intuitive and enjoyable!

Prototype

A prototype is an interactive mock-up of a digital product. It allows users to navigate from screen to screen and use a limited amount of functionality.

Going through the prototype gives you a tour of app. You will progress along a specific path, seeing the apps main features.

Click on the blue hot spots to move forward through the prototype. 

Next Steps

The next feature that I might integrate into the app would be an advanced way of filtering notifications.  

The creation of Women Who Ride as a company and mobile app is actively being pursued. A business plan has been established. I applied to an accelerator that funds start-up companies.