Adventures in UX

A journey of creative self-discovery through an immersive 10 week course.

[tunnelcatsrule]

Oh wow...

I definitely didn’t keep this up, which should be a warning to all those immersive students: You very quickly run out of time!

For anyone who wants to see where I ended up, check out my portfolio website at www.shalynoswald.com, where you can find links to my finished projects, as well as detailed processes and data files.

Happy UXing!

[tunnelcatsrule]

Project 2 Wrap-up!

This project was massive and I got caught up a lot in it since I had a hard time keeping a direction since I felt pulled in all different.  Many ups and downs but essentially I put put out something with which I’m pretty happy.

Future UXDI-ers reading this: Don’t give up, and if things are rough be sure to just talk to your classmates.  Chances are they are feeling the same way and just knowing that and talking through your issues with your process will help put things back into perspective.

On to the STUFF!

We got into Github so I put a bunch of stuff on there.  Here is my InVision prototype: http://invis.io/KS3DXQ5MQ

The idea was that you could access the same items from several areas since quite a few of the items confused people trying to sort them into just one category.  Why fight it?

I’m including my Presentation but I’ll wait until my review to post my retrospective in case I didn’t do it properly I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea :)

shalynoswald.github.io/Shalyn Oswald Project 2.pdf

It was an interesting project and it was so much data I found it hard to keep track of it all.  I beginning to see what I feel helps me and what doesn’t really work for me, so that’s definitely a good thing.

Enjoy!

[tunnelcatsrule]

Week 2 Wrap-up

This week we learned a bit about Omnigraffle and Sketch, as well as about open and closed card sorting... boy did we learn about card sorting.  It was actually pretty fun, but a lot more time-consuming than you’d think.

All this is leading into Project 2: Create an e-commerce website for a given brand.  I got New York Costumes, which I had never heard of before, nor had I been to the actual store.  Their site actually doesn’t even have any way to purchase items online; the link to shop online takes you to another website and company altogether!  As well, the items we got for card sorting were ...interesting to say the least!

Pictures and more after the bump.

The beginning of an open card sort!  The pet costumes make me laugh every time.

Visiting the physical store to get a feel for the place.  There were many feels.  Mainly spoOooky.

Makes total sense!

Closed card sorting has started.  Where will the dice fall?  I mean... the items be placed..

Learning it all.

Will try to update about layout theory next week.  This week was absolutely packed with information.  If there is a way for the brain to actually dump out memory to fit in the new info you would probably see the concept of sleep and relaxing being tossed out from my ears.  Fun stays, though.

[tunnelcatsrule]

First digital sitemaps via Omnigaffle today, along with some feedback.  I feel like this entire week has just been on feedback.  My ears are still ringing.

[tunnelcatsrule]

Week 1 - Chaos in the Making

They weren’t joking about the emotional rollercoaster you go on throughout this immersive.  I seriously have gone up and down so many times, but I feel like I am really learning a lot and felt super accomplished by the end.

This week we worked on creating prototypes for apps by conducting user interviews with each other, sketching, using programs such as POP and Marvel, and then testing them.  The end of the week consisted of 7 minute presentations on the apps and our process.  It was a LOT of work for less than a week of work, and I was actually still sitting in GA HQ until around 11:30pm on Thursday.  But, actually, despite all of the work I had a great time and I feel like I really learned a lot about myself and UXDI.

The app I worked on was for the weather and I felt a little confused at first since I just about never use any kind of weather app.  The only thing I ever use is the widget on my phone, and even then I just rely on either being told that that the weather will affect me or I just look outside of the window.  In fact, I kind of stumbled upon my app idea through the thought of creating something like looking out the window, but better.  What I mean is that my app would give you more information than just looking outside, but takes about as much effort.

I didn’t just come across this idea on my own.  In some stroke of chance or luck I happened to conduct interviews with 6 people, 5 of which just about never used weather apps, much like myself.  I don’t know if it’s cheating if I work on something as part of the ‘target user group’, but there definitely areas that I worked on that I might not care as much for, and there were areas where I wish I had improved and spent more time.  I realized that I spent a LOT of time in the thought and analyzing phase, and then the prototype phase, and a lot less in the presentation phase, which I somewhat regret, as my presentation wasn’t as engaging as I had hoped it would be.

In all honesty, presentations of any kind scare me.  I am definitely new to them and I get the basic premise, and I felt as comfortable as I could (everyone was very supportive of one another), but I can’t really control those shakes as much as I like, and my lack of preparation definitely had an affected my performance. Just something for me to work on!

I was thinking of posting my POP prototype link, but I am a bit wary about it. Either way, I’m looking forward to this next week, and am afraid for my sleep schedule!

Feedback is an area I need to work on as well, both giving and receiving.  I think I’ll have to keep this list as my wallpaper for a while.

Before my presentation.. I didn’t even get to use those notes, they stopped sticking!

Caw!

[tunnelcatsrule]

Attempting to organize the chaos!

[tunnelcatsrule]

Day 1, it’s on already!

I wanted to add a few pictures but I’m having some issue with my phone at the moments so... that’s a no go! Today we interacted a lot with each other, learning names, backgrounds, and how we work in teams.  Although I did learn a lot from the actual class part, what I wanted to touch on was the experience of the Day 1 Presentation.

In university, having studied English, film, and mass media, I don’t ever remember having to do a presentation.  I think about vague instances where I put my hand up to make a comment, a few class discussions, maybe we have a quick talk about something we worked on or figured out for the class, but never really a presentation.  This was nerve-wracking to say the least, but going through and researching a topic with a group was very interesting, and I got to try out some of the “Class Rules”, such as listening and allowing people to have their own ideas and to collaborate with them.

The idea was to go to an assigned area and figure out who was going there for what, what was the issue, and how could we fix it. Here is a list of the assigned areas, with a few points that the groups hit on:

1.Whole Foods - discussed pain points, interviewed some people, found that the flow congested at getting plates, utensils, condiments, and at the cashier lines.

2. Petco - Went into demographics of customers, prioritize and task analysis (chose specific instance of purchasing and holding heavy items).

3. Barnes & Noble - Poor navigation, cashier confusion, competing with Amazon so they should be more streamlined.

4. Trader Joe’s - Confusing, felt like cattle in the line being herded, the methods were outdated and didn’t allow for impulse buys.

5. Subway - My group, will get into more detail below.

6. Mini Strand - No purpose to the store so there is no user profile to target, no signage or directions, “Not a bookstore until you observe it”

7. Paragon Sports - Line is not clear (people lined up behind mannequins), the 3 minute sign was almost mocking, should use associates for mobile purchasing.

I didn’t get too into the improvement points as they were fairly similar: use technology to help people help themselves!

As mentioned, my group did the subway (the actual subway in NYC, not the sandwich franchise unfortunately!)  Since there were so many things that stood out that needed improvement we decided to stick to one thing: the new direction help kiosk.  The problem with this kiosk is that it is not obvious what it is, it is mostly ads before giving any relevant information (like the times expected for the trains), it is not intuitive (doesn’t help the user help themselves).  We quick interviewed 20 people asking a set of questions to give us some factual data to back up or counter what we observed.  The questions were as follows:

“Do you know what this is?” “Have you used it?” How often have you used it and for what?” “Have you ever noticed it before now?”

Only 7/20 knew what it was, 4/20 used it, and 2/20 had noticed it but didn’t know what it was.  That leaves 13/20 not knowing what it was and 11/20 didn’t even notice it before we asked them about it.  Even though the people who had used the kiosk said that it was really easy and useful, the fact that most people didn’t even know to use it is a problem!  The solution by out group was to help the user help themselves: by creating visual interest such as scrolling information with subway letters and numbers with arrival/delay information, a button with cues that show where to press to use the map and receive more information, and to reposition the kiosk to an area that is more likely to catch their eye.  The problem is that the ads on the kiosk are so prominent that people have learned to ignore them the way they ignore other ads, but if we focus a little more on the helpful aspects of the kiosk, people are more likely to pay attention, use it, and, therefor see the advertisements as well.

Overall today was interesting and different for me as I usually just keep to myself, so I’m nervous to see how I grow and adjust to this new 10 week lifestyle.  

[tunnelcatsrule]

Pain Points and Design

As a part of pre-work for the UXDI immersive program, we're asked to talk about design, show off some good and some bad, and discuss.  Of course, as soon as I try to think about it my mind goes completely blank, until I remember the assignment I had completed in my application for General Assembly.  The assignment was to take a place we often go, like the DMV or grocery store, point out pain points, and think of solutions to improve or eliminate the issue.  Being that I didn't want to suffer flashbacks from the DMV I chose the grocery store.  Enjoy!

The goal of any business is to make as much capital as possible, and to ensure that they continue to make money regularly. There is a fine line between taking too much of the consumer's money and taking just enough to ensure you make a profit but also encourage that consumer will return to do more business. This is the case in most industries, but it is probably most prevalent for grocery stores and chains where the repeated business ranges from monthly to daily depending on the consumer. Many factors play in to whether a customer returns, what they buy, what they don't, and how likely they would choose to shop elsewhere if the situation presented itself. In the situation where there are a decent amount of grocery stores within five miles of each other there is competition, and so the owners will want to make their store as appealing as possible without sacrificing the bottom-line. In my own observation and minor research into the most hated parts of grocery shopping, I have compiled a short list of 'pain points' in a typical grocery-shopping experience that could be fairly easily improved upon. TL; DR – Labels and apps.

Sale Item Confusion. 

Many people have the issue where they wonder if they have the right item (as products sometimes get left in the wrong area), or if it is the right size, quantity, etc,. Insecurity about these issues can create a lot anxiety and tension throughout the shopping experience, all the way up to the register, especially if you are the kind of person to calculate your total as you go. One way to fix this issue would be to label each item individually, but that would be quite tedious, especially if you have to then remove the label when the sale is over. A better solution would be a phone application that would allow you to scan the actual item to confirm the sale, along with the conditions of that sale (be it to buy a certain quantity, or a limited amount). Not only would this relieve the anxiety, but it would allow the customer to continue their shopping without concern for that item and thus be open to the advertisement of other items for possible purchase. As well, there would be little to worry about at the register and relieve a lot of traffic buildup from customers questioning the item price and having an employee go to check the shelf.

Unmarked Items/Difficult Labels.

Sale item switch-ups aren't the only thing that can hold up a register line. Oftentimes you will get a new associate who doesn't quite know the product list or isn't as knowledgeable about the fresh/bulk items that the store supplies. There are so many different kinds of apples, potatoes, greens, and don't forget their organic counterparts. Sometimes there are also items that aren't individually labeled (such as nuts and rare seasonal items), and so the clerk is having to guess at the item and its product number, slowly looking through a white roll of words and numbers, or asking the customers themselves for the name of the product. An easy solution would be to provide Kwik Loks with the product for when they are getting bagged. Signs that encourage their use could also be displayed. These bag ties would have a picture of the product on one side and a scan-code as well as the product number on the other. This way the clerk can easily identify that the product that is being scanned is the correct one in the plastic bag without having to inconvenience the customers by holding up the line or asking them the name of the product. Conveniently, Kwik Lok already offers such labels, and so the grocery store would only have to order specific ones according to their own inventory.

*image copied from the website: http://www.kwiklok.com/kwik-lok-label-marketing.php

Unfamiliar Products and Unknown Recipes. 

With the size of grocery stores becoming much bigger and, thus, their inventory much more expansive, it becomes very daunting to the shopper to decide what to buy, what they want to make, and how they will go about it. As well, they may see an item on the shelves that looks good but they feel that they would have no idea what to make with it, or how it would be used. It can be so overwhelming that, oftentimes they will just buy what they are used to because it's something that they know and are comfortable with. But this doesn't move enough product. What if there was a way to get customers to try new things and, thus, move more product off of the shelves? Labels are, again, the solution. Let us use an example: chia seeds. Lately it has been quite popular due to the claims on its health benefits, but even though many grocery stores sell this item it is not so often bought in regular stores as in health stores, mainly because those people that already understand the product will buy it, and those that aren't as knowledgeable about the product wouldn't know what to do with it. Thus we have a product that could sell a lot more if people understood its many uses. A label could do that very trick. An application to scan a code that directs the customer towards many different uses/recipes would be an excellent addition to any grocery store item, but especially to those that seem to be considered more exotic. A way to also save this information, or email it to oneself could be of use as well. Not everyone will have that phone, though, so a label with a few simple recipes and ideas would be useful as well beside it. For those that would love to try new things or who could benefit from certain products but don't even know they exist for that purpose this would be quite useful and would move those rarely-purchased items off of the shelves much faster. These can also change with the seasons, providing links for holiday uses.

A Quick Shop is Impossible.

It isn't just items that need to move quickly, it is the customers as well. Some people truly hate shopping, or they are in a hurry and only need a few items, and so a program that shows a map of the fastest route to all of the items that the customer wants would be of great use. An interactive screen at the entrance where the customer could input the items that they want (there would be a maximum of maybe 10-15 items), and after they are all inputted, a map shows up of the quickest route through the store. The map can then be sent to the persons phone and off they go to grab their items. If this is something you use regularly you will have a difficult time shopping anywhere else, which would ensure an amount of recurrent shopping. This suggestion is one that seems to go against the bottom-line for the store making money, but, in fact, would create a better rapport with the customers and, I believe, would create a better experience overall, inclining the customer to continue returning to that store.

Difficulty Finding Specific Items.

Being that we've already labeled everything and marked their spot in the store for the quick-shop map, we probably have everything we need to create an interactive app for customers looking for specific items as they shop. We don't want them to go to the item without looking at everything else they can buy, though, so the solution comes from the strategic placement of the markers used in the application.

As you can see, the markers are placed in a way that is easy to see closer up, but not from too far, and as you have to look at the numbers you are forced to look at the products. In effect this creates the illusion of a lot more convenience than it actually provides. Thus as the customer feels the slight increase in convenience, their experience becomes a lot more positive and they would look at the store more favorably. A program like this would seem to go against regular business practices but it would actually increase eye-contact with product advertisement.

There are many more 'pain points' felt in grocery shopping, but there are not any simple solutions to those issues. One repeated solutions by customers would be to change where the items are located, but that placement is known to be strategic, as they want the customer to go from one end to the other and get exposed to as much advertisement as possible. As such, these points are the most manageable and would serve to create a more positive and easy customer experience, allow for better efficiency overall, and ensure steady, if not increased, capital in a competitive situation.

[tunnelcatsrule]

And now for something completely different... an intro.

My name is Shalyn and I graduated with a specialist in English, yet I am about to start the UXDI immersive program at General Assembly NYC.  Strange, right?  While I'd normally agree, after meeting my fellow students at the orientation and observing all of their different backgrounds, I have to say that is probably for the best.  UXDI is about the user, but there is never just one kind of user, as there is never just one kind of person.  People from all walks of life stumble upon the internet, use it to varying degrees, and have different computer skill levels.  To be able to understand and adjust to all of these people, we need to be all of these people.  So, with that said, I don't feel out of place, and I just hope that I can absorb the information quickly and be able to apply it successfully.  Wish me luck!