My Roles & Responsibilities
- UX Design: Sketching, Wireframing, Prototyping, Discount Evaluation
- UX Research: Literature Review, Competitive Analysis, Survey, User Interviews, Task Analysis
Tools Used
- Qualtrics
- Figma
- Miro
Project Context
- Fall 2022
- Design-based class project
- Team: Kathi Tran, Namit Kapoor, CJ Marguin
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Problem Space
Moving into an apartment with new people, especially when it's your first time living without your parents can be quite a learning curve. It's easy for students to neglect cleaning in the midst of their studies, sleep, and social life. Many students also never learn proper kitchen safety skills before moving out of their childhood home. This app is a great way to learn proper safety habits and obtain awards for doing so!
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Solution
Sparkle is a fun and easy way to encourage students to create correct and continuous cleaning habits when sharing their space with others.
Gain points by completing daily tasks!
- Complete a task by taking a picture of the task when it's done
- Filter the task list by clicking on areas in the digital render of your kitchen area
- Points move you up the leaderboard and can be redeemed for coupons
Send a nudge to remind your roommates to finish their chores!
- Nudges are a friendly, non-confrontational reminder
- Two nudges can be sent two hours apart per task; if the task isn't completed after the second nudge, offer to take it and get the points yourself
- Don't forget to check on your nudges as well
Expand your kitchen safety knowledge and gain points!
- Check out more information on certified food safety websites
- Answer the question of the day correctly and get more points
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The Approach
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Define
Societal Implications
Financial limitations are always important to consider when working with college students. Creating a solution that will be affordable as well as adaptable and location accessible will help cover some of these financial differences.
Public health is another concern this solution could improve upon. The goal is to improve sanitation in order to decrease food-borne illnesses.
Socio-Technical Context
Many students have improper knowledge of kitchen hygiene habits or simply lack motivation to maintain correct habits. However, there are some mobile applications available that track cleaning habits and household chores. Implementing effective features of current solutions while designing for the user group and considering stakeholders is important when creating a solution to improper kitchen hygiene.
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Research
To begin our research phase we conducted a competitive analysis by looking at two food storage apps: No Waste and Food Keepers. However, after this stage, we realized our topic was too broad and needed to be narrowed down. We decided to pivot our focus to kitchen hygiene habits of undergraduate students at Georgia Tech living in on-campus apartment housing.
Survey Analysis
We analyzed the survey results using Qualtrics a found a few major statistics.
Task Analysis
These task analyses helped us understand the process a user goes through and the options they might encounter while completing a task. Making a visualization can help us see where the process is complicated so we know to look into those areas.
Preparing dinner
Cleaning up after a meal
INTERVIEW ANALYSIS
To analyze our interview data, we created an affinity map in Miro. This helped us understand broader themes in the student's kitchen hygiene habits.
Findings
From all of our research analysis, my team and I compiled 8 major research findings.
Design Requirements
Based on the 8 research findings, a list of design requirements was made. These guided our design concepts and kept us focused on our users' needs.
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Design
Based on our research findings, my team and I used the Crazy 8 method of brainstorming and came up with 10 unique solutions. We then discussed and voted on the top two ideas that covered the most design requirements and were feasible to make.
Storyboards
When deciding on these final concepts, we created a storyboard for each one to showcase how it would help improve kitchen hygiene. This exercise allowed our team to visualize how these products would work as a more developed solution.
Competitive cleaning app storyboard
Soap dispensing disposable sponge storyboard
Out of these two final design concepts, my group and I decided to move forward with the mobile app design. This choice was made because the concept fulfilled more of our design requirements than the other concept.
Visual Design Language
We completed a visual design study comparing three contemporary cleaning applications. We also looked at cleaning brand colors for inspiration. One major consideration we had was to make the app as accessible as possible. In our design language was done by checking the color contrast in our palette and using an accessible font.
Prototype
Before we dove into prototyping, my team and I created workflows to map out how a user would walk through different tasks in the app. We then used those workflows to build the screens and interactions in our prototype in Figma.
Onboarding
During the onboarding process, the users will get a brief overview of what the app is used for. Then, they log in with their Georgia Tech SSO and confirm their profile information. The user will add their roommates and then capture images of their kitchen area to let the app create a digital render.
Onboarding workflow
Onboarding prototype screens
Continued... Onboarding prototype screens
Leaderboard Tab
The leaderboard shows users their personal and building rankings. Here they can also check their history of completed tasks as well as tasks that are pending approval. Swiping left shows them their awards which are coupons they can collect and redeem to use at food places on campus.
Leaderboard workflow
Leaderboard prototype screens
Tasks Tab
In the 'Tasks' tab, users can complete daily tasks that are automatically divided between them and their roommates. They can also look at their roommates' tasks and send them a nudge. If the user gets a nudge from a roommate, they can check and complete that task in this tab.
Completing a daily task
Completing a daily task workflow
Completing a daily task prototype screens
Nudging a roommate
Nudging a roommate workflow
Nudging a roommate prototype screens
Completing a nudged task
Completing a nudged task workflow
Completing a nudged task prototype screens
Resources tab
In the 'Resources' tab, a user gets to answer a daily question about kitchen hygiene to gain more points. They also have other resources to search if they want more information.
Answering a question workflow
Resource tab prototype screens
Profile tab
Users can find their settings and a complete list of approved task history in this tab.
Checking task approval history workflow
Profile tab prototype screens
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Evaluation
With our working prototype, we conducted a discount evaluation with 4 users. Our goals were to test whether the product fulfilled two of our design requirements, time efficiency, and improved sanitation. Each user was sent a google doc containing two tables of task-based questions. They were instructed to fill out the table as they walked through the app and my team and I were there to answer any questions if needed.
Analysis
To analyze our evaluation, we created an affinity map on Figjam from the responses. Our 63 sticky notes led to four overarching themes which were 'Things that are working well', 'App has issues with time-efficient requirement', 'More personalization and flexibility in features', and 'General interface improvements'.
Results
Our analysis gave us a list of 7 findings, 4 for our requirement of time efficiency and 3 for our requirement of improving sanitation.
Future Iteration Recommendations
Based on our findings there are many improvements my team would have liked to make if we had more time. Here is a list of design implications we would recommend carrying out for the next steps of the project.
- more autonomy in creating the tasks list (keeping the automatic division of tasks)
- changing the checkbox to a camera icon in the Tasks tab
- instead of the 3D render, use images of a real kitchen as well as hot spots to click on
- make the daily question a pop-up in the home screen when you click into the app
- including more specific information on food safety and good kitchen hygiene habits in the resource page
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Reflection
During this group project, I gained valuable insights about my working style and learned how to effectively collaborate with others. I discovered that I am more productive when I begin working on tasks as soon as possible. To maintain a balanced workload, my team and I divided up each deliverable and assigned tasks accordingly. However, we faced a challenge when one member did not complete their assigned work, despite taking on fewer tasks initially. To ensure we met the deadline, my team and I stepped in to fill the gap, and we successfully submitted our work on time. Afterward, we held a formal group meeting to address the issue and prevent it from happening again in the future.
Moreover, this project enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of the UX design process. I learned that it is crucial to keep research organized and clear, to facilitate a smooth transition from research to design and avoid miscommunication. I also realized that seeking feedback from users throughout each step of the design process is an essential UX practice. Starting with a low-fidelity design can save time, as users' feedback can guide the design process and help avoid making multiple changes later.
Overall, this project was a rewarding experience working alongside teammates with diverse backgrounds and strengths. We collaborated effectively, learned from each other, and enjoyed the journey as we progressed.
