VELA
Personalised surf spot recommendations based on ability level and preferences.
Problem Statement
"How might we provide users with personalised recommendations on surf spots around them, as it is hard to know where to go based on raw weather data, especially when not experienced in reading surf forecasts."
User Interviews
The interview participants consisted of three people, from the age of 21 to 54, each using surf forecasting sites regularly.
I wanted to find out:
What problems they have with the sites they are currently using
How easy it is for them to understand the forecast information and what would help them to understand it better
What situations they are currently using forecasting sites in
Findings
Most people have trouble getting valuable information from raw forecast data, as setting it into context without a detailed spot description, including the optimal conditions for that surf spot is difficult.
Users also miss the ability to set a filter with personal preferences, or their ability level, to get personalised recommendations on surf spots.
Defining the problem
Users need a way to receive personalised recommendations on surf spots based on their preferences, and a detailed overview of each spot including an “optimal conditions” display.
These are features none of the competitors currently offer
User Personas
I created one user persona for each extreme use case. One experienced surfer, who needs to see very detailed forecast information, and one surfer, who needs a lot of guidance in finding the right surf spot.
Ideation
As I had a good understanding of the users, the content, and the context, creating the Information Architecture was next up.
Prototype
With clearly defined goals and a solid structure, I drew up the first low-fidelity wireframes, iterating, and turning them into a digital and clickable, mid-fidelity prototype and prepared for usability testing.
Test, Test, Test
I wanted to observe the learnability and intuitivity of Vela with first-time users and see where, and what kind of error occurred.
Objectives:
Observe participants while creating an account to see if I can streamline the process
Measure how successful users are at setting their preferences in the filter and receiving recommendations for surf spots
Identify problematic areas and possible improvements of the navigation structure to increase learnability
Assess if I can improve the way forecast information is displayed to make it easier to understand for users
Issue 1
Description:
Users can not identify the filter button
Severity:
High
Solution:
Move the button to a more highlighted location
Evidence:
66,7% of participants had trouble finding the filter feature
Issue 2
Issue 2
Description:
Users want to create an account in the login screen
Severity:
Low
Solution:
Clearly divide login and signup process, taking inspiration from bigger companies like Google
Evidence:
33% of participants tried to create an account on the login screen
Issue 3
Issue 3
Description:
Users want to find surf spots by using the search bar instead of the map, therefore not being able to set the filter
Severity:
Medium
Solution:
Turning the spot map into the home screen, users are immediately prompted to use the filter on the map while still being able to use the search bar to look for specific surf spots
Evidence:
33% of participants tried using the search bar instead of the map
Designing for good
During the process, I collected frequently used components, fonts, grids, icons, and colours, and created a custom design system, which you can take a look at here.
Try it out yourself!
What I have learned
As this was my first end-to-end design project, I have learned to trust the process. That said, this was not my most important learning. I realised how important it is to fully understand the people you are building this product for. It is their problem you are trying to solve and their pain points that motivate you in finding solutions. I have also realised how much I love helping people achieve goals and how fulfilled I feel when something I have built helps them in doing something they love