Questions List

What was the problem and hypothesis?

What was my role and how did I collaborate with my team?

How did I decide on my solution?

What is the proposed solution?

How does my solution answer the question?

What were the challenges I faced?

How did the solution affect the users and the business?

What did I learn?

My role:

• User Research 
• UX Design

Team:

• Received outside feedback from other UX Designers at various points in the process.

Interviews: 

To gain a deep understanding of our users' needs and preferences, I conducted ten interviews using a script and analyzed the collected data. The insights I gained informed my user-centered design by identifying pain points, gaming preferences, and preferred methods of accessing arcade games. Prioritizing user feedback allowed me to create a user-friendly and engaging product that meets their needs.

Working Assumptions: 

I synthesized the information I gathered from my interviews. First, I reviewed my research to identify emerging themes that captured key insights I gained from the interviews. I then clustered my ideas using sticky notes and grouped similar concepts together to create five main categories: users needs and behaviors, community care crew, technology and design, partner organizations, marketing and outreach, and impact and sustainability. Finally, I selected ideas from the interviews that stood out as being the most impactful.

• User Needs and Behaviors: By providing users with volunteer opportunities that match their interests, skills, and availability, the platform can increase user engagement and satisfaction, resulting in more long-term and meaningful volunteering experiences.
• Community Care Crew: By leveraging its network and expertise, Community Care Crew can facilitate partnerships and collaborations that benefit both users and partner organizations, leading to a stronger and more connected local community.
• Technology and Design: By creating a user-friendly and personalized platform that utilizes location-based services, the platform can enhance the user experience and simplify the process of finding and signing up for volunteer opportunities.
• Partner Organizations: By engaging and supporting partner organizations, the platform can create a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship that promotes social impact and community development.
• Marketing and Outreach: By effectively promoting and engaging the target audience through various marketing channels, the platform can increase user acquisition and retention, resulting in a more active and vibrant volunteering community.
• Impact and Sustainability: By measuring and continuously improving its impact and sustainability metrics, the platform can ensure its long-term success and maximize its social impact on the local community.

• Community Care Crew website aims to effectively connect college students and adults with meaningful volunteer opportunities in their local community
• The website serves as a tool to help users learn about volunteer options and connect with their local community
• The platform primarily targets busy college students and working adults who may struggle to find suitable opportunities for volunteering
• By providing a streamlined and user-friendly platform, Community Care Crew addresses the challenge of navigating various volunteer organizations and programs
• The website offers a range of volunteer options, making it easier for users to find opportunities that match their interests and schedules
• Through the platform, users can learn about the impact of their volunteer work and connect with other like-minded individuals in their community
• By connecting individuals with volunteer opportunities, Community Care Crew aims to encourage more people to make a positive impact in their community through volunteering.

• Undefined or ambiguous project goals:  The ambiguity in the initial stages of the project, where the solution was unclear until after the propositions were created, caused confusion and uncertainty on how to proceed at each step. 
• Project limits: The project mandated that the end product be a website and for Community Care Crew.
• Limited budget/resources: The project had a limited budget, which made it challenging to incentivize participation in testing. Additionally, relied on guidance from external sources.
• Time constraints: Limited time to complete project.

Solution:

• Creation of a platform to connect college students and adults with local volunteer opportunities
• User-friendly interface with easy navigation and filtering options
• Incorporation of feedback and recognition features to keep users engaged
• Utilization of peer advice and time-saving tools to improve user experience

Impact on Users:

• Increased ease and convenience in finding suitable volunteer opportunities
• Greater ability to make a positive impact in their local community
• Opportunity to develop skills and gain experience relevant to future careers
• Feeling of recognition and appreciation for their efforts

Impact on Business:

• Increased user engagement and satisfaction with the platform
• Potential for partnerships and collaborations with volunteer organizations and programs
• Possibility for expansion and growth of the platform to other communities or regions
• Enhanced reputation and positive impact on the community

Community Care Crew website was created as part of a directed project by Google.

During the UX project, I learned several important skills and gained valuable insights into the UX design process. Some of the key things I learned include:

1. Importance of user research: Conducting user research to understand the needs, behaviors, and pain points of your target users is critical to developing effective user-centered solutions.
2. Value of iterative design: UX design is an iterative process that involves prototyping, testing, and refining solutions based on user feedback. Iterative design allows for continuous improvement and ensures that the final product meets the needs of the users.
3. Significance of usability testing: Usability testing is an essential step in the design process as it allows designers to identify and address usability issues and make sure that the product is intuitive and easy to use for the target users.
4. Need for collaboration: UX design is a collaborative process that involves working closely with stakeholders, developers, and users to develop solutions that meet business goals and user needs.
5. Importance of empathy: UX design requires empathy for the users and their needs to create solutions that solve their problems effectively.

Overall, the UX project provided me with a valuable opportunity to apply UX design principles and gain practical experience in the field. I feel more confident in my ability to design user-centered solutions and collaborate effectively with others, and I look forward to applying these skills in future projects.