Good Deeds App & Responsive Website
Good Deeds is a platform you offer goods and services. In exchange for donating things that you no longer need or providing services, you earn virtual credits that can be used in the marketplace. Good Deeds have two primary target users: college students/recent grads and Professionals who have been in the workforce for a while.
Project Duration: July 2022 to September 2022
The Problem
A lot of people need a helping hand but not many are willing to help without being rewarded.
The Goal
Design a FREE app to support those in need by offering goods and services in exchange for goods and serviceswanted/needed. (This site is already up and running, with no app in the works.)
My Role
UX designer leading the app and responsive website design from conception to delivery
Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs, determining information architecture, and responsive design.
User research: Summary
I developed interview questions relating to donating, which were then used to conduct user interviews. Most interview participants reported that they shouldn’t get some4thing in return for donating as that is the whole point of it, but they did say that getting something in return will encourage more people to donate. The feedback received through research made it very clear that users would be open and willing to donate their time and items if they had access to an easy-to-use tool to get connected and get something in return.
Persona 1
Problem statement: Sarah is a recent college graduate who needs cheaper products and services because she can’t afford them.
Persona 2
Problem statement: Paula is a Client Manager who wants to mentor young professionals because she wants to make a change in this world.
Digital Wireframes
After ideating and drafting some paper wireframes, I created the initial designs for the Good Deeds app. These designs focus on giving users an easy way to find what they want/need. It is an upgrade from the current web app.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
To prepare for usability testing, I created a low-fidelity prototype that connected the user flow of viewing an item/service and messaging the seller as well as the user flow of creating a listing.
Usability Study
Findings
Mockups
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Based on the insights from the usability studies, I applied design changes to be able to see your credits on all screens rather than just on your profile
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Based on the insights from the usability studies, I applied design changes to be able to request a item or a service.
High Fidelity Protoype
The high-fidelity prototype followed the same user flow as the low-fidelity prototype, including design changes made after the usability study.
Accessibility Considerations
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Clear labels for interactive elements that can be read by screen readers.
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Easy access to categories to help define the primary task or action for the user.
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Simple layout for creating a listing
Site Map
With the app designs completed, I started work on designing the responsive website. I used the Good Deeds sitemap to guide the organizational structure of each screen’s design to ensure a cohesive and consistent experience across devices.
Responsive designs
The designs for screen size variation included a mobile app, a responsive desktop website and web app. I optimized the designs to fit specific user needs of each device and screen size.
Takeaways
Impact:
Users shared that the app made people want to donate and volunteer more because the outcome was getting something else in return. One quote from peer feedback was that “this is a smart way of getting people involved in a generation of give and take.”
What I learned:
I learned that even though the problem I was trying to solve was a big one, diligently going through each step of the design process and aligning with specific user needs helped me come up with solutions that were both feasible and useful.