Implementing UX Principles to Design a Social Media Platform for Irish Elderlies During COVID Restrictions: A Full Design Cycle.
Product Design
8 min read
2020
User Research
Affinity Diagram
Qualitative Analysis
Wireframe
Usability Testing
Prototyping
Figma
Context
How can we help senior citizens reconnect and enjoy their favourite card game online during a pandemic? This challenge led to the creation of 45 Connect, a social platform designed for 45 card game lovers. As the Product Designer, I worked on a simulated project at university to develop a platform that fosters friendly competition, facilitates communication, and maintains a local, welcoming feel for retirees. Utilising user interviews, qualitative analysis, and usability studies, I designed and tested a low-fidelity and progressed to high-fidelity interactive prototype to ensure ease of use and accessibility for our target audience.
Challenges
We were assigned to a group of four to discuss and agree on suitable approaches for user research methods, record the discussion process, and then design and test our own solutions. During the initial requirements gathering, we recognised that accessibility was the top priority for this project. Therefore, we focused on elements such as font size and the ease of use of the platform. However, our team struggled to agree on the best research method for engaging with users. I personally believed that a focus group would be the most effective way to understand the game and the dynamics of user involvement, while other team members felt that focus groups could be messy and difficult to navigate. After presenting research that supported my decision, along with a detailed plan for the focus group method, I proposed an adjusted focus group approach. Eventually, I convinced the entire team to proceed with a postal questionnaire to prepare participants prior to the focus group. We then conducted the focus group in two smaller sessions, with two team members leading semi-structured interviews.
Define & Ideate
During the data analysis phase, I developed a strong preference for the Affinity Map method to understand and extract meaning from the qualitative data we gathered.
I then presented my findings using personas, storyboards, and a customer journey map. These data presentations greatly aided me in making design decisions at this early stage.
Persona
Storyboard
Customer journey map
An initial mock-up was then generated in Figma demonstrated the main functionalities of the platform. As the findings indicated that the average duration of a 45 game night is 2.5 hours, the original mobile-first approach was abandoned. Tablet frame size was then selected for wireframes.
Iteration
To refine the initial idea of the 45 game application, feedback from usability testing is essential. Four participants were recruited for semi-structured interview via Zoom. We selected two males and two females for gender balance. Two players selected were expert 45 players and the other two were novice 45 players. Two separate sessions were set up for each player and each session lasted over half an hour.
Our goals for the testing were to:
1. Test accessibility of the product for the targeted users
2. Test discoverability and usability of interaction flow
3. Learn about players’ behaviour, especially the features that present the tactics in the game
Categorised Findings
Based on the key findings, the redesign of the registration interface provided extra explanations as shown below. Simple instructions and information should be sent to users when a Club Organiser registers a club in the system and invites club members to join.
A number of 45 game elements were added in the redesign of the game playing interface, such as a deck of cards with the trump card highlighted, the marking of the dealer, personal score and optional Card Rank information for novice players. Following Nielsen’s 10 Heuristics of “match between the system and the real world (Nielsen, 2016), the improvements provided a perspective view of the card display and the swipe up movement to play a card. The addition of personal scoring provided the user significant information regarding the progress of the tournament, and the absence of other players’ score and the optional score board presented the information in an unobtrusive manner. Interactive animation was employed to resemble card shuffling and card cutting.
The redesign also added traditional Celtic elements to bring a sense of local community to the targeted user.
Outcome
Overall, the new design was well received and understood. It contained the basic utility needed for users to partake in an online 45 event. The most prevalent features expressed by users were:
The whiteboard - it provided a physical sense that resembled the ‘real world’ of a parish hall where the game usually took place.
Familiarity with the Chatroom interface. DCU as an “age-friendly” university, would provide free Zoom accounts for all the members of 45 Connect.
Details of the game playing interface, such as the score was only available to each individual user and hidden from the component users; the whiteboard and overall scoreboard switch, etc.
The little butler figure was praised as a thoughtful element, as many users described their 45 night was an “occasion” in their week.
The next stage of the design iteration considered:
On the Login page users should be given the options to play the game without signing up especially when approaching the product for the first time.
A comprehensive game rules and history about the game would be provided under the Help button.
A confirmation feedback lasting a few seconds should be added when users logged into the system successfully.
Interactive animation to resemble card shuffling and card cutting.
Optional Irish folk music was available when user did not wish to chat while playing the game.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.