My role
I was responsible for designing the user interface, interactions and features for the final app
Timeframe
November 23 - November 25; 54-hours
Introduction
Overview
Sync the City is an annual 54-hour event held in Norwich, bringing together entrepreneurs, designers, developers, graphic artists, and business professionals to collaboratively build and launch new startup companies.
I worked with a 12-person team that included developers, entrepreneurs, business professionals, and other designers. I was one of two UX designers on the team, and we worked together to conceptualise, design, and present our app idea to a panel of judges. The judges chose our idea as the winning entry.
Problem
Children nowadays are often spending excessive amounts of time consuming meaningless content online. Furthermore, parents are not spending enough time with their children because of the numerous distractions provided by technology, as well as the cost of doing an outdoor activity together as a family can be too high.
Solution
Trailblazers is an app designed to enhance meaningful family time outdoors. It achieves this by offering interactive quests that engage both kids and adults, using various technological features such as AI, AR, voice activation, camera functionality, and GPS location services. The quests within Trailblazers are themed and feature a learning aspect by using AI to deliver information about the historical and environmental context of the surroundings.
Our team leader's initial pitch included the idea of creating a family-oriented app with interactive quests. The app's final result was created through brainstorming with the team to find a solution.
Stage 1
Research
During our time working together with limited resources, I focused on the design aspect of the project while the other UX designer took on the responsibility of conducting user research.
Through user research, our team identified several themes of interest for kids, gained insights into how kids respond to problem-solving and challenges, learned about the types of activities kids enjoy, and understood how parents typically plan and organise outdoor activities.
These responses influenced the way that we designed the interface and features of the app.
- Our research revealed that challenges and problem-solving activities should strike a balance for children. If tasks are too difficult, it leads to frustration, while overly simple tasks can result in loss of interest.
- We found that children also do enjoy time spent outside and generally prefer to be outdoors.
- Parents often struggle to plan and organise meaningful outdoor activities that would engage the whole family.
Stage 2
Designing
The design focus of the app was to be appealing and user-friendly for both children and parents. Since the app would be used on the go, special attention was given to making everything visually clear and accessible for children. This included using large elements with good colour contrast to enhance readability and engagement. We also used short, concise text to guide users through the app efficiently, ensuring that interactions remain engaging.
- The initial few steps of the app would be set up by the parent. They would have the choice to choose quest length, theme and radius.
- Quests were designed to be engaging to the children by using children-friendly copy and engaging visual characters.
- Minimal copy and buttons are used throughout the interface to direct children's attention to the main task.
- Based on our user research, we found that getting a reward is important to keep the children engaged and excited about activities. To support this, we designed a reward system based on completed tasks.
Outcome
We presented our project to a panel of judges who inquired about our business model and the overall user experience. Following the final pitch, we were honoured to be selected as the winning team of Sync the City 2023! This was an incredible experience; I found myself completely outside my comfort zone, putting my UX design skills and knowledge to the ultimate test while working with a team of diverse talents. Working alongside business professionals, developers, and UX mentors provided me with invaluable experience and insights.
Watch our final pitch video
