POGOH is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit bikeshare program designed to provide residents and visitors with an eco-friendly and affordable transportation option. Riders can easily rent bikes from various stations across the city, promoting sustainable urban mobility. Despite its mission and the convenience it offers, POGOH has been facing challenges with user retention. The program's commitment to sustainability and community service remains strong, but addressing the factors contributing to the drop in user engagement is crucial for its continued success and growth.
I managed every aspect of this project solo, from concept to handoff. I navigated through discovery, research, design, and testing, all while adhering to a tight, self-managed schedule to meet the deadline.
POGOH, operated by a local non-profit, faces funding constraints compared to bikeshare programs in other cities, occasionally leading to user expectations not being fully met by the app. My goal is to identify a problem and propose a cost-effective, straightforward solution to mitigate user drop-off.
We want to know how people decide what to watch and how they watch it so that we can create an app that fills a market gap. To answer these questions, I will use three different research methodologies:
I analyzed several bikeshare apps from different cities and identified features and functionalities where they excel, highlighting areas where POGOH has opportunities for improvement.
I conducted surveys among Pittsburgh residents to gather insights into their bikeshare usage. This data guided me in conducting follow-up interviews to delve deeper into their experiences and perspectives.
I interviewed five bikeshare users, including some who rely on the program as their primary transportation. These participants varied in their technological proficiency levels, ensuring insights into making the app user-friendly for all. Using affinity mapping, I organized interview responses to identify recurring themes and issues. Among all participants, common themes included difficulties with the rental process, praise for the bikeshare program accompanied by wishes for overall app improvement, and frustrations with the lack of convenient stations.
Based on my research, I crafted Points of View (POV) statements that captured what people were saying. Then, I turned those insights into How Might We (HMW) questions, flipping challenges into opportunities for solutions. After considering several options, I selected the one that most closely resonated with the feedback gathered from surveys and user interviews.
Using the POV statements and HMW questions as a foundation, I constructed a persona profile to reference throughout the design process. This helped to ensure that the product resonated with the needs, goals, frustrations, and pain points.
We want to know how people decide what to watch and how they watch it so that we can create an app that fills a market gap. To answer these questions, I will use three different research methodologies:
I analyzed several bikeshare apps from different cities and identified features and functionalities where they excel, highlighting areas where POGOH has opportunities for improvement.
I conducted surveys among Pittsburgh residents to gather insights into their bikeshare usage. This data guided me in conducting follow-up interviews to delve deeper into their experiences and perspectives.
I interviewed five bikeshare users, including some who rely on the program as their primary transportation. These participants varied in their technological proficiency levels, ensuring insights into making the app user-friendly for all. Using affinity mapping, I organized interview responses to identify recurring themes and issues. Among all participants, common themes included difficulties with the rental process, praise for the bikeshare program accompanied by wishes for overall app improvement, and frustrations with the lack of convenient stations.
Based on my research, I crafted Points of View (POV) statements that captured what people were saying. Then, I turned those insights into How Might We (HMW) questions, flipping challenges into opportunities for solutions. After considering several options, I selected the one that most closely resonated with the feedback gathered from surveys and user interviews.
Using the POV statements and HMW questions as a foundation, I constructed a persona profile to reference throughout the design process. This helped to ensure that the product resonated with the needs, goals, frustrations, and pain points.
Upon synthesizing my findings, it became clear that POGOH has numerous potential features to consider for implementation. Given our limited budget, I prioritized selecting one with the greatest impact and the lowest financial investment. This approach allowed me to reserve other features for potential future implementations.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
Upon synthesizing my findings, it became clear that POGOH has numerous potential features to consider for implementation. Given our limited budget, I prioritized selecting one with the greatest impact and the lowest financial investment. This approach allowed me to reserve other features for potential future implementations.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
Upon synthesizing my findings, it became clear that POGOH has numerous potential features to consider for implementation. Given our limited budget, I prioritized selecting one with the greatest impact and the lowest financial investment. This approach allowed me to reserve other features for potential future implementations.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
I developed user flows to illustrate the key pathways users will navigate while interacting with the app.
Upon synthesizing my findings, it became clear that POGOH has numerous potential features to consider for implementation. Given our limited budget, I prioritized selecting one with the greatest impact and the lowest financial investment. This approach allowed me to reserve other features for potential future implementations.
I adjusted a Material 3 kit with Kismet's branding to keep it simple for the development phase.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
I developed user flows to illustrate the key pathways users will navigate while interacting with the app.
I recruited five participants for unmoderated user testing, asking them to complete 2 tasks to uncover any potential UX or flow issues before advancing to high-fidelity wireframes. Success was measured by participants completing all tasks within a reasonable timeframe with minimal to no errors.
Wins
Opportunities
All users completed the task effortlessly, requiring minimal iterations. I enlarged the text in the fee disclaimer and adjusted the wording of the confirmation button to instill confidence in users that they followed the in-app instructions and correctly docked their bikes.
After multiple rounds of user testing and design iterations, I am confident in the proposed feature's potential as a high-impact, low-investment solution. Additionally, I have identified promising future features for potential implementation.
Lessons learned:
Increase the frequency of user check-ins and regularly introduce new features, particularly those aimed at addressing barriers that may discourage users from re-engaging with the product.
