Project: Grove Guardian
Role: UX Designer
Duration: March 2023 (3 weeks)
Endangered species app for a conservation effort.
Project for Google UX – Certificate
Project Vision
Grove Guardian is a product that helps users donate their time or money to a cause to protect an endangered species of tree. It uses gamify concepts to help entice users.
Challenges
1. Create an easy method for users donate their time or money to a current conservation effort
2. Design a cohesive interface so users can use gamification concepts to entice donations
3. Have users clearly understand the gamify concept.
4. Create a method that is easy for users to engage, either donation or time/ ad watch / game
Kickoff
In this project, I took a goal-direct approach as to not lose focus on the purpose of the project. I asked myself a few questions. Using these question helped me start my designs as well as inform me as to what I should be asking during research.
“What is the product and who is it for?”
“What do our primary users need most?
“What challenges could we face moving forward?”
Affinity Map
I conducted interviews to find what user needs existed. A primary use group was found through research, was working with adults who had interest in conservation efforts.
This user group confirmed the challenges users may have while interested in donating. But research also revealed how important it is that the app had gamify concepts to entice users to engage with the app more often and allow users to donate their time (playing games) and or money.
Meet the Users
Name: Michael
Age: 40
Occupation: Zoologist
Shane Martinez is a dedicated zoologist with a strong academic background in zoology and wildlife biology. He possesses a profound fascination for the animal kingdom and is committed to studying and protecting wildlife and their habitats. Driven by a passion for conservation and ecological sustainability, he combines scientific research with practical fieldwork to contribute to the understanding and preservation of diverse animal species.
Name: Ana
Age: 33
Occupation: Arborist
Ana is a highly skilled biologist and arborist with a strong academic background in plant biology, botany, and ecology. She possesses a deep passion for trees, their conservation, and their impact on the environment. Driven by a commitment to environmental stewardship, she integrates her extensive scientific knowledge with practical field experience to promote the health, sustainability, and preservation of tree populations.
Competitive Analysis
Our key competitors, are companies that use NFTs (Non-Fungible-Token) or similar concepts to entice users into donating their time or money to conservation. NFTs help users donate by attributing a value to a digital item. Though we use gamify concepts instead we still use the tree as a symbol of value which encourages users to donate. More trees saves equals more conservations efforts.
Current competitors are companies like wildchain and wildearth that provide these NFTs for conservation efforts. Along with some gamify concepts.
But here are some of the aspects of these companies that we also want to capture.
Fun | Personality | Reward for donation
Preparing the Journey
I constructed a user flow chart of the app. This helps me understand way the users can interact with the product. This also helps me see navigation through user goals.
Iteration
After creating our prototype from low fidelity wireframes, I prepared a 5 questions survey for participants to fill out before we began conducting a usability test. We asked 5 different participants to run through different scenarios in our prototype to gather feedback to use for my next set of design iterations.
Users want to donate quickly
Users needs clarification between different games.
Have an improved section for collections in history section.
Wireframes
Create a method for user to donate their time/money for a conservation effort.
Explain the gamify concept to the user in a digestible way.
Make sure users have an easy time donating their money to the cause for those who don’t want to donate time.
Create a compelling experience for users for them to keep donating/play games.
Style Guide
Using green to represent the trees themselves felt necessary. Different shades of green can be used through the app. As well as scenic art background depending on what the tree of the season is.
Takeaways
As my first project designing for food delivery I feel i’ve learned much through this process. Amusement parks was something I enjoyed while I was younger and it was a great experience looking through the lens of a designer while on this project. The idea of using personas as a hypothetical to better inform myself of solutions, as well as aligning with business goals. Designing with only business goals in mind rather than taking the user into account could easily lead to a failed situation.
