NewsHartford UX/UI Companion App Design
This project was created to serve as a companion app to the existing New Hartford, NY website. The app design aims to meet residents’ needs while on the go. It is mainly focused on signing up for activities and finding information in a more efficient way. I went through many iterations of prototyped screens to complete the final design, also meeting user issues that were previously found.
My Contributions:
Analysis of current website content & structure
Creation of information architectures
Creation of user flowcharts
Creation of paper prototypes
Conduction of user testing with paper prototyped screens
Final presentation of high-fidelity prototypes
The Process
The process involved the analysis of the current New Hartford website. Based on this analysis, I created an information architecture to represent the current site structure. I then created a proposed information architecture, focusing on web best practices. An information architecture of the proposed companion app was also made. Based on the app’s target audience, user flowcharts were made depicting the needs of user groups and the possible interactions they would have with the app. Paper prototypes meeting necessary structure and user needs were also created. Using these prototypes, I conducted user research. to find further usability issues with the design. All of this research was put together to craft the final high-fidelity prototype.
Tools Used: Adobe InDesign, Sketch, Zoom
Information Architecture
Current Website
Proposed Website
Proposed App
This user flow is a sample of multiple flows I made to represent different user groups of the NewsHartford app.
Paper Prototypes
User Testing
I conducted user testing including 4 tasks specific to the NewsHartford app for actual participants to complete. This test was an insightful study because of the realistic data that came from observing participants' actions with the paper prototype. The tasks were as follows:
You are part of a town board meeting coming up and you would like to know when it is and its last meeting minutes. Find the meeting information, including its most recent minutes, upcoming date, and location.
You are a new resident to New Hartford and would like to find out more information about its local businesses. Locate information on the restaurant Georgio’s, finding their hours of operation and reading their ratings
You are a mom focused on finding a summer activity for your son. You want to enroll him in a sport, so you decide to check out what Parks & Rec offers. Locate the available town summer children’s sports and register your son for one. Add this to your calendar and notify yourself for future.
As a senior citizen, you want to find town senior events to meet people your age at. Please find an open senior activity and favorite it, then view your favorites list to ensure it’s there.
Prototype Findings
Discovery
The following issues, identified from various user research tests, were found within the paper prototype:
Content information being expected in differing categories
Further information and details being shown in multiple clicks
Inconsistent location of actions and personal information
Recommended Solutions
Combined Activities and Community page, offering information on activities, events, and businesses in New Hartford and neighboring towns
Profile page being updated to include all personalized aspects
The Home calendar being updated to show further information and details per day
The favorite action being consistent across screens and confirmation pages
High-Fidelity Prototyping
Home Flow
Activities Flow