RESEARCH

To better understand users' needs and swimming habits, we first designed and conducted an online survey to get a general picture of their behaviors. Following the survey, we conducted interviews with two users to gain deeper insights into the findings. Before these interviews, we carried out a pilot interview to prepare for the main discussions.

Data collection

Analysis

After collecting all the data, we moved to the analysis phase. We conducted a thematic analysis of the main interview, chosen due to the qualitative nature of the data. We organized the identified themes into relevant categories using an affinity diagram and then explored potential correlations between them.

Our findings revealed that weather conditions were the primary factor influencing our target audience's choice of swimming location.

RESEARCH

Following the data collection and analysis, we identified a clear information need within our target group. The most fundamental requirement among users was access to information about water temperatures and weather conditions.

Functional Requirements

• Display the water temperature

• Display the weather conditions at the beach

This is the use case we developed concerning water temperatures, including the main and alternative flows, along with an accompanying sequence diagram.

Use Case

Sequence diagram

RESEARCH

System Requirements

Prototyping

We applied usability testing and received formative evaluation on the low-fidelity prototypes. The prototypes were evaluated through an assessment with users from our target group, students aged 18-25 years. The goal was to gather user insights to enhance the design's relevance.

The plan was to conduct user testing after implementing the design and technical aspects. However, due to API challenges, we presented alternative prototypes with limited functionality for early feedback.

DESIGN

Emphasizing an agile approach, we conducted the user test while continuing to develop other features and designs using more high-fidelity prototypes such as wireframes.

Feedback

For the usability test, we presented users with a fully functional app, aiming to gather summative feedback. The features that were implemented were a favorites list, search engine, and menu bar.

The task sets we gave the users were:

Add a beach to favorites → Find the favorite list → Return home

Search for "Huk" → Register a swim for that beach → Return home

Evaluation

Users experienced minor difficulties during evaluation, noting that the font size was too small for their preference. They also suggested increasing the text contrast. We took this feedback into account and implemented the changes in the final iteration.

DESIGN

DESIGN

The Application

RESULTS

Final Takeaways

What I learned through this project was the importance of involving users throughout the entire process. I realized the necessity of thorough research to provide accurate time estimates, as unforeseen events can affect these estimates, highlighting the need for flexibility. I also gained insight into the limitations related to implementation and the value of maintaining a product backlog for prioritizing and categorizing tasks. Flexibility and adaptability proved to be crucial, and we applied agile methodology effectively while collecting data. Lastly, evaluating alternative options can lead to greater efficiency.

RESULTS