UX Research and Design
Step-by-Step
a UX project about being a new arrival
Step by Step
Welche Bedürfnisse und Wünsche hat ein Neuzugang in einer unbekannten Stadt?
Methoden
brainstorming, surveys, analysen bestehender apps
Scope
layout, logo, visuals, wireframe, ux research, personas
Goal
Eine App die Neuzugängen hilft sich in einer Stadt zu orientieren
Impact / State
prototyp work in progress
Empathize
Wer zieht um und warum? Und welche Gründe gibt es eine fremde Stadt zu besuchen?
Grundlegend habe ich drei Typen definiert: Besucher, Immigranten und Umsiedler. Während Besucher in den meisten Fällen nur kurz in einer Stadt bleiben, werden Immigranten und Umsiedler aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach für einen längeren Zeitraum bleiben oder ihren Lebensmittelpunkt sogar in die Stadt verlegen. Der Unterschied hierbei sind Menschen die aus anderen ländern kommen und Menschen die bereits im Land leben.
Interviews
Um im späteren Schritt Personas erstellen zu können, habe ich Interviews durchgeführt und für diese Ziele und Fragen vorbereitet. Grundlegend waren meine Ziele:
Warum ziehen Menschen um? Wer zieht um?
Welche Erfahrungen haben Menschen mit Umzügen gemacht?
Welche Herausfoderungen gab es in der neuen Stadt zu meistern?
Welche Hilfsmittel wurden verwendet um sich in der neuen Stadt zurrecht zu finden? Wurden Apps verwendet?
- Wie waren deine bisherigen Erfahrungenmit Umzügen?
- Wie hast du dich in der neuen Stadt gefühlt?
- Welche Läden hast du zuerst aufgesucht?
- Welche Sachen die du kaufen musstest waren besonders wichtig?
- Kannst du beschreiben, auf welche Probleme du gestoßen bist?
- Kannst du beschreiben, wie du dich als Neuankömmling gefühlt hast?
- Mit welchen Hilfsmitteln hast du dich in der Stadt zurecht gefunden?
- Wie hast du nach Hilfsmitteln gesucht und wie einfach war das?
- Kannst du beschreiben, wie deine Nachbarn dich aufgenommen haben?
- Kannst du mir erzählen, wie du die ersten Kontakte geknüpft hast?
- Mit was hattest du hier am meisten Schwierigkeiten?
Personas
The following Personas are based on research and interviews but do not represent real people. Any similarities to real people are unintentional.
Mechatronics technician in development at BMW Munich
Thomas moved with his wife Silke to Munich recently. He has no experience living in a city of that size and he does not know where he can find supermarkets and stores. Trying his best at work and managing and maintaining a good relationship is somewhat overwhelming for him. Especially because he struggles finding his way around the city.
Let’s take a look at how one day in Thomas’s life can be:
06:19
Thomas wakes up. Silke is still asleep, she doesn’t have to get up until the third hour of today’s class, so he doesn’t try to wake her up, takes a shower, and brushes his teeth while running coffee through the machine in the kitchen. He would like to have a really good coffee machine, but now old Melitta from Silke’s parents has to do it until the one from Oschatz was forwarded to their new apartment.
07:42
Thomas is standing in the traffic jam on Georg-Bauchle-Ring. The traffic flows at a walking pace at most, and he still has almost from the 304 to his new workplace! If he’s late, that’s not a great impression during the probationary period.
12:01
After picking up a bollocking from his group leader, he’d better leave earlier the next time, Munich is just like that, people live there, unlike in the east where he is from, Thomas is very happy about the lunch break. The colleagues want to order outside and ask Thomas about his favorite shop. He joins the general mood and claims he likes Thai, even if he doesn’t like spicy food.
15:51
Finally the end of the day. Thomas is the last to leave the office and make his way back. Silke sent him a WhatsApp, please bring some things with him. Hardware store, groceries, and soap. Thomas then goes into the rush hour to look for that.
18:29
Home at last. The house is still a dream, an old house in Pasing, nicely situated, beautiful garden, and affordable. But it took Thomas a long time to gather the stuff. Pure stress in evening traffic. And Silke is in a bad mood that it took him so long, she had actually hoped that they would cook together, but then did it herself and was correcting vocabulary tests when Thomas shows up. He eats alone.
22:31
Thomas and Silke go to bed after Thomas fell asleep while watching one of Silke’s Scandinavian crime novels. The day was exhausting for him, but it will get better, he is sure of that. He just has to arrive in Munich first …
Sarah Fink, 27,
Elementary Teacher, Biologist
Sarah has been living in a crowded City all her life. She married Yvonne as soon as it was legal. After Sarahs Grandfather died, she inherited his little farm building and decided that she wants to live on the land with her wife and try to set up a little farm. Yvonne can work remotely. Howsoever, this decision is putting some strain on the couple.
Let’s take a look at how one day in Sarah’s life can be:
07:10
Sarah gets up with her wife Yvonne. It’s quiet here in the country and the day starts quite comfortably in the old farmhouse. Yvonne will soon go to work and Sarah wants to use the school holidays to expand the farm. Otherwise, she works part-time at a school in the nearby village and looks after the farm for the rest of the day.
09:30
Last week the chicken coop was finally finished and Sarah has an appointment with the vet to confirm that she can keep chickens. She can still be explained what she has to consider and is given the phone number of a local farmer who can sell her a few chickens. She also drives off to fetch four hens and a rooster.
10:24
On arrival at home, Sarah finds out that the first tomato bushes that have been planted have been destroyed by the persistent rain of the past few days. The snails attack the remains because the remedy against the animals was washed away by the rain. She should have put up the little canopy as Yvonne advised her. But she doesn’t want to annoy her wife about it, now the tomatoes are already broken. Nevertheless, she drives to the nearest hardware store to get material.
12:48
Sarah is way too late! She just wanted to go to the hardware store briefly to get some material. In the country, there is less going on than in the city, but she still got lost because she doesn’t know the area that well!
Yvonne has already called twice. It was agreed that she would cook today and when Sarah stumbles through the door, Yvonne is already back at work and is in a bad mood.
16:30
Yvonne has finished work for today. She is in a good mood again and decides to help Sarah a little more. While looking for her wife, Yvonne notices the destroyed tomatoes. The two women discuss and then it turns into an argument. Yvonne goes back inside and Sarah continues to work outside until the sun goes down. She has no idea about agriculture, she realizes that.
19:42
Sarah comes back into the house. The day was frustrating and her wife doesn‘t want to have dinner together. Yvonne prefers to play with her online friends. So Sarah takes a shower while listening to a podcast about organic farming.
21:20
Completely exhausted by the day, Sarah falls asleep quite early, she has decided to surprise Yvonne with breakfast tomorrow. What she doesn’t know yet is that Yvonne has taken a vacation for tomorrow to help Sarah secure the tomatoes for the next rain.
As a Refugee from Syria, Ahmad tried to escape from the civil war and set up a new life in Europe. He made it to Germany and he is permitted to stay and also managed to get the allowance to work. He is thankful to get help from the government, but he wishes to get a better understanding of language and culture because all this bureaucracy is frustrating and he has difficulties understanding them.
Let’s take a look at how one day in Ahmad’s life can be:
05:45
Woke up early – Ahmad doesn’t sleep well – first of all, Ahmad makes himself a coffee. Then he goes downstairs from his little one-bedroom apartment in a faceless skyscraper to get the newspaper and take a look at his mailbox. He reads the newspaper and WhatsApps – to see how his family is doing, those in Turkey, those in Austria, and those in Syria.
08:11
Ahmad is having breakfast with Simit, this Turkish sesame rings in the nearby café. He asks for butter, jam, and honey. Then he looks at his calendar to see when his appointment was at the office. He is tolerated, but that does not mean that he does not have to continue to hold German offices! Germany and the authorities, he still doesn’t understand.
10:51
After a long time in a crowded waiting room in a building without air conditioning, his number is finally called. Ms. König, his clerk, wants to know how things will go with his residence permit. He’s supposed to do something with his A-L-G-2, but what exactly he doesn’t understand. But since Mrs. König takes a lot of time and is friendly as always, he doesn’t want to say that. He is already very grateful that money has been transferred to him, enough for the apartment, food, and a small television.
.
12:12
The post was finally here. 14 letters, 14 rejections. It just doesn’t work, even Amazon and McDonald’s have canceledAhmad has to make some tea first. That’s not how he imagined it in Germany, that he wants to work, is allowed to work, and then nobody takes him!
14:45
Ahmad surfs Facebook, exchanges ideas with new and old acquaintances, watches videos, and chats with Samira and Mona, his cousins, who made it to Oer Erkenschwick in Turkey. Then one of these invitations comes again to a group, where everything contracts at the sight of the group banner. He deletes the request and blocks the user. That’s enough Facebook for him.
20:30
Several phone calls later, Ahmad made himself a loaf of sardines, onions, and tomatoes. And sighs. His cousin Nihad has found a job, albeit at a Turkish supermarket, but at least a job. Ahmad doesn’t want that, but maybe it’s the way he has to do it. His parents urge him to make up for her, but they don’t want to hear that Mrs. Merkel isn’t quite so generous. And he doesn’t even have nearly 40,000 euros to get them for the sake of others (and then to pray five times a day that nothing happens to them like a Wahhabit).
21:49
Somewhat frustrated and tired, Ahmad falls asleep with the television on.
Fumiko had the chance to go a semester abroad in Germany. She is a good student but has difficulties fitting in and understanding the German culture. She wishes to have some more guidance and maybe find a Japanese community or at least find some new friends. She speaks and understands german very well but is sometimes judged by her appearance.
Let’s take a look at how one day in Fumiko’s life can be:
06:00
Fumiko gets up quite early as usual, even if her lectures don’t start until 9 a.m. She wants to get ready for the day and before she goes to the university, she can quickly phone her parents and brother in Hiratsuka, a suburb of Tokyo. It’s 3 p.m. there because Japan is nine hours ahead. She takes a shower, makes a little breakfast, and gets dressed. Her roommate in the dormitory is still sleeping, so she tries to be as quiet as possible.
07:30
It is now 1630 in Japan and Fumiko is very happy that she can still speak to her parents. Everything is fine at home. Her mother tells Fumiko that they celebrate her grandmother’s birthday on the weekend. Fumiko has no plans for the weekend which makes her sad, but she won’t tell her parents.
09:00
The first lecture for the day at the university begins, it is in German. That doesn’t bother Fumiko, she learned German at school and speaks the language very well. She even got a certificate at school that certifies that she can speak and write German at level B2.
12:40
It’s finally lunch break. Fumiko makes her way to the cafeteria and on the way, she meets a few fellow students with whom she is taking a course that started last week.
14:00
While Fumiko is looking for a few books for a class in the library, she worries about the break. The customs and culture are alien to her, she would like to understand more about them. Unfortunately, the library has nothing about it on the shelves.
16:30
Fumiko has arrived back at the dormitory. She would have liked to have done something tonight, after all, it’s Friday. Unfortunately, all of this is still a bit difficult for her, shopping, tickets for the buses, and finding culture and leisure activities are not that easy and she wants a little help.
21:20
After spending the evening on Netflix, Fumiko gets ready for bed early. She’s hoping to befriend some people next week.
Define
Auf Basis von Interviews und Research ist das größte Problem welches sich für die Neuankömmlinge ergeben hat das Finden erster wichtiger Orte und anschließend die Integration in die Community.
Der Research von aktuellen Apps hat ergeben, dass es ein relativ großes Angebot an Apps gibt, die genutzt werden um sich in der Stadt zurecht zu finden. Manche Städte haben auch eigene Apps um Zugriff auf öffentliche Verkehrsmittel und Nachrichten zu bieten.
Folgende Features sollte die App haben:
- Communitybereich mit Chat und Chatgruppen
- Helpcenter für Freiwillige
- Lokale interaktive Karte
- Fahrpläne und Informationen für öffentliche Verkehrsmittel
- Lokale Events
- Kultur und Nachrichten
Ideate
Das Logo setzt sich aus drei Punkten zusammen, die miteinander verbunden sind. Ähnlich wie bei einem Routenplaner oder abstrakt dargestellt die Verbindung verschiedenster Menschen als Community oder Gruppe. Die Formensprache der Symbole ist rund und der Wortmarke fett, die Anordnung dynamisch.
First Drafts & Iteration
Der erste Entwurf gliedert die drei Hauptbereiche der App in ‚Social‘ ‚Guides‘ und ‚Transport‘. Damit der Nutzer weiß, in welchem Teilbereich der App er sich befindet, sind diese mit den zugehörigen Farben sehr präsent vertreten, was in der nächsten Design-Iteration (unten) nochmals verändert wurde.
Die Prototypen-Erstellung wurde außerdem nächmals zurück gestellt um die Design Aspekte ein weiteres Mal zu überdenken.
The Photographs within the frames are from https://pixabay.com/ and are used to showcase the App and its possible functions.
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