Free Up
Mobile App, UX / UI Design
Role
UX Research, UX / UI Designer
Overview
This is a story on the design process of creating Free Up, an app that allows people to give and receive unwanted or unused items within their community.
Project
We had 2 weeks to complete all UX research and UI design for this individual project for our final challenge in the Ironhack UX/ UI Design Bootcamp.
Problem Statement
Landfills are continually growing and the world is burdened with excess waste. People have an abundance of unwanted or unused items lying around their homes. They lack the knowledge and resources about what to do with these items in order to give them a second life. The aim of the project is to create a mobile app that allows users to reduce their waste.
Project Goals
Become an established brand in the Spanish market
Create a loyal and constant customer base
Use technology to reduce waste and create a culture of sustainability
Differentiate from competitors through innovation
Research Methods
Customer Interviews
Information Architecture
Market Research
User Persona
User Journey/ Flow
Prototyping & Testing
Focus Areas
What are the challenges or barriers for app use and adoption?
What is essential for a great user experience?
What are the target markets current habits?
What are users’ unmet needs?
Key Customer Needs
Give / Receive
Users find it important to be able to give unwanted and unused items the chance at a second life, but don’t have the resources to do so.
Community
A key pain point was that users don’t want to travel far and have the need to create a sense of community and local culture of sustainability.
Collaboration
People expressed their shortness on time and need to be able to communicate and collaborate with others in a fast and easy way.
Reuse
Users are environmentally conscious and look for ways to reduce waste and lower the carbon footprint.
Solutions
After much investigation and research including; market research, user surveys and interviews, usability testing, and wireframing, the following solutions were found to solve the problem that my target users are facing according to their needs, all while making sure that they are provided the best user experience possible.
Post an item
This feature allows users to quickly post items that they want to give away. It can be personalized, allowing users the option to add photos, a description, and condition. By choosing a meet up location, date, and time to complete the transaction, givers can organize according to their timetable and avoid a long process of coordinating complicated schedules or pick up times.
Search for an item
With an advanced filter system, it’s easy to find items tailored to the needs of each user. Filter by condition, item type, or location to get the desired results. Users can add their location and choose a range to find results nearest to them. This creates a sense of community and allows users to find the items that they are looking for, and saves them the time and hassle of traveling long distances.
Reserve an item
Users can view photos, descriptions, and the condition of items they are interested in. They also have the option to message the giver or reserve directly by choosing a time and date from those available.
Takeaways
With a very tight deadline of 2 weeks, it was important to prioritize features of the app and focus on the most important first. Users had an important role in this, and through my investigation I was able to assess their precise wants and needs and make sure they were being met.
As for next steps in the future, it would be important to implement a system that allows you to send items by post for a small fee in order to broaden the market and reach an even more expanse clientele.
Click below to see full description and case study for Free Up.
Next Project