Level 2 Case Study
Foundational mobile app design
Overview
Level 2 is an early stage startup providing a platform for an alternative economy. I was brought on as their first product designer to create their visual branding and logo and to design the foundation of their iOS app, specifically focusing on the land sharing section. I was responsible for conducting the entire UX process and designing everything from scratch. I did not work off of any previous design work, so everything included in this project has been created by me.
Introduction
Level 2 is an early-stage startup that seeks to be a 'one-stop platform for an alternative economy,' and they plan to offer a platform that includes a sustainable marketplace, a gardening land sharing section, expert advice and DIY guides, and community investment opportunities. My main objective was to focus on the land sharing section in which land owners can offer their land to land seekers for the purpose of gardening. I began by having several calls with the founder to better understand the aims of the startup and the business needs of this project.
Offering sustainable products.
Opening unproductive land for gardening.
Expert developed DIY guides.
Providing local investment opportunities.
Research
In order to understand how I could create a product that works for Level 2 users, I first needed to understand how land sharing would work, what is out there already, and how Level 2 can stand out. I began by conducting secondary research and followed this by conducting competitor analysis, a survey and user interviews.
Secondary Research
Through research, I found that by and large, land sharing apps and sites appear to be concentrated on providing land sharing for the purpose of camping or staying on someone’s land for an overnight(s) stay. There are only a few land sharing sites for the purpose of gardening and they appear to be under developed and very local to the place they are situated in. Despite the few competitors, there is demand for a service like this. The pandemic created a new wave of garden enthusiasts and sparked a change in this space. Research shows that people searching online for gardening tips and tricks has increased by the millions. There are over 40 million acres of unproductive land concentrated in backyards and properties alone in the U.S. and many millions more around the world.
Competitor Analysis
With few competitors out there, I identified some direct competitors but also analyzed businesses who have similar concepts. I focused largely on design, features, and structure of their websites and/or apps. Through this process, I learned more about common features and areas where Level 2 can stand out.
Provisional Personas
I created provisional personas for potential Level 2 users. I specifically thought about the land sharing section, but considered them as possible users of the app as a whole.
User Surveys & Interviews
I began by conducting user surveys to understand more about user perceptions around a service like this and how they would interact with it. I then conducted user interviews with six people who were identified by the startup as potential users who have expressed interest in the service offerings. This process helped me to understand the needs and wants of a Level 2 user, specifically a user of the land sharing section. All participants interviewed were interested in having a garden of their own, but they do not have the land themselves. Through this process, I learned that the following items are most important to users:
1.
Location (no further than 1 hour)
2.
Varied payment options (cash, skill exchange, produce sharing, free)
3.
Reviews (specifically of the land owners, but also of the land seekers)
4.
Open communication (expectations outlined and agreed upon by all parties)
Define
Throughout this stage, I was able to take my findings and define a Level 2 user. I then created an empathy map to delve into a day in the life of the persona. Finally, I created the sitemap for this section of the app and followed this by a user flow.
User Persona & Empathy Map
I created one user persona based on the motivations, frustrations, wants, and needs of the interview participants and survey respondents. I then imagined what a typical Saturday morning might be like for the user and I created an empathy map around their pains and gains and what they would be hearing, seeing, thinking, feeling and doing.
Sitemap
As I'm focusing on the land sharing section, I built out the sitemap specifically for this as well as the profile section.
User Flow
Using the sitemap for the app structure and the personas to guide decision making, I created one user flow.
Design
Throughout this process, I was working on defining and designing the visual identity for Level 2. After gathering inspiration and conducting further research, I created several logos, color palettes, and font combinations that I presented to the founder. I then pulled this together into a UI kit and sketched out rough versions of the app screens and then created digital wireframes to test on users.
Logo
I sketched out several logos and in consultation with the founder, decided to go with a honey comb style logo. This is often a symbol of permaculture and a shared or collaborative economy and I wanted to bring this in to the design for Level 2. I designed the logo in this way to represent connectedness, which the app aims to do through all of it's service offerings.
UI Kit
The color palette for Level 2 was created to feel fresh, energizing and vibrant. The other design decisions in this UI kit were made to create a cohesive identity for Level 2.
Wireframing
I began by sketching some wireframes and then digitizing them. I focused on the land sharing section at a very high level and wanted to concentrate on the process of navigation and on the land profile pages, filters, and subsections.
Test & Iteration
I conducted usability testing at the wireframe stage. Since this is a new product and I wanted to better understand users' expectations in terms of content and navigation, I decided to conduct testing on the wireframes so that I could really focus on these key items and improve the product at this stage.
User Testing
I recruited three participants for usability testing. Participants were told the following scenario (which came from the user flow):
You joined the Level 2 app with your two flatmates. They told you about it the other day so you already created an account and you created your team together. You are all based in Paris, France and you’re looking for a plot of land around 25 sq. meters on a property less than an hour away. You’ve all decided that you’d prefer to pay in cash and you want a bathroom and water source. You would like to book the land for the season. Your flatmates have tasked you with finding a place and requesting to book.
User Testing Results
All of the participants were able to go through the flow and request to book. Each participant noted areas that they liked and that they considered 'user friendly.' This process helped me to learn about areas for improvement and new areas to explore, specifically around the filters, team options, and booking.
"I’m 50/50 if I should look for property first or my team first, but I figured if I join a team then I can pin to a team board where everyone can view the favorites."
"I would like to be able to organize the results somehow. Maybe for price (low to high), or closest to farthest away, or others."
"I would contact the host if I’m interested. I would want to look at it in person before booking. After visiting and liking the location, I would then click on request to book."
- User Participant #1
- User Participant #2
- User Participant #3
High-Fidelity Screens
After conducting user testing, I made some high priority changes and then selected several screens to turn into high-fidelity app screens. I also created an app download landing page for Level 2 as well.
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Final Thoughts
Creating the branding, iOS app foundation, and responsive app landing page for Level 2 taught me more about the designing from a blank canvas and working in the startup space. I provided Level 2 with a clean and user-friendly foundation for their land sharing section of their iOS app.
In terms of design next steps, I would like to continue testing and iterating and fully design the rest of this section of the app. Building off of the user testing, I would like to:
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Iterate and retest filters
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Further build out the teams integration into the app
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Continue building out and designing new app screens
An extended and updated version is available, please reach out if you would like access!