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Overview
This semester-long project was part of my coursework for INFO4400 (Qualitative User Research and Design Methods) at Cornell University. Collaborating with three user researchers, we employed co-design and experience theatre design methods to design an interactive app prototype that encourages in-person interactions via daily event prompts. This experience encouraged me to increase user-involvement during the user research + design phase and draw inspiration from users' feedback.
Period
February 2023 - May 2023
My Role
User Researcher & UX Designer
Target Problem
Online social media reduces the necessity and amount of in-person interaction.
Excessive reliance on online socialization and external factors (e.g., COVID-19) may cause feelings of depression and social isolation.
There exists online biases such as algorithmic filters.
Out project aims to fill the gap in existing social media channels by promoting authentic face-to-face interactions that are immune to the negative effects above.
User Research Process
Our primary user research methodologies include:
Co-design: brainstorm design ideas and create storyboards to create a shared understanding with users.
Experience design theatre (EDT): validate our hi-fi prototype via improvised mini-theaters.
User Research Method #1: Co-Design
We conducted 3 co-design sessions with 7 participants. Each session had 2 researchers and 1~3 participants. Our participant pool ranged in age from 19 to 27, with 63% (7/11) female representation among all researchers and participants. During the co-design session, we asked participants to write a love/hate letter to their most frequently used social media, brainstormed design ideas, and created storyboards for the chosen idea. After the co-design sessions, we analyzed sketches and recordings to generate design requirements.
Co-Design | Justification
As social media interactions mostly revolve around subjective and private experiences, this method allows us to unravel the psychology, motivations, and behavior of users during online interactions and gain insights into their social media habits, frustrations, and expectations.
Co-Design | Discussed Ideas
All 7 participants suggested a scavenger hunt concept. Other ideas ranged from an animal-finding app akin to Pokemon Go to an app that proposes photography challenges. All finalized concepts incorporated the use of Google Map, similar to Apple's “Find My Friends”, and privacy concerns were addressed with a "user confirmation" system where users could choose whether or not to share their personal information.
Events that ask users to take photos or hang out with friends.
Taking selfies with friends at local stores can get discounts.
Storyboards:
Users can use the "discover me" feature to match with each other during a local event.
Co-Design | Design Requirements
The design should have an event system that lets users participate in events.
The design should constantly propose events that encourage users to interact in person.
The design should display locations and events intuitively.
The system should notify users when someone with similar interests is in close physical proximity.
The design should have a reward system to motivate users to keep interacting in person.
The design should support users to keep in touch with each other (e.g., a chat feature).
The design should give users the authority to decide whether to share their personal information (e.g., an anonymous mode).
User Research Method #2: Experience Design Theatre (EDT)
To validate our initial prototype, we recruited 7 participants to conduct 2 improvised mini-theatres, each focusing on a scenario:
Moving to a new city while searching for communities.
Exploring a familiar place while seeking new friends.
EDT | Justification
By simulating real-life scenarios, EDT can give us more authentic user feedback, addressing aspects that might be easily overlooked.
EDT | Key Insights
Integrated AR technology: Hover the camera over the environment and view users' basic introduction. This enhances quick navigation and information gathering before connections are made.
Privacy concerns: Participants specified that they don’t have issues sharing their “AR tags” with users in the same event. Moreover, the event administrator will check the participants to provide a safe space for the people.
Trait-based matching system: Emphasize common/diverse traits instead of the percentage of similarity.
Icebreakers: To address discomfort in talking to strangers, the system can offer random prompts on shared interests to facilitate conversations during connections.
Removal of likes and dislikes for events: Otherwise the interactions would seek validation.
Initial user survey: To gain user preferences and set up their profile.
User control: A function like “allow connections” to give users control over others.
Selective information sharing: Participants prefer sharing certain information instead of sharing all.
Proximity notification: Notify users if their “desired future friend" is within close proximity.
Final Design & Demo
Google Sites
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