Baltimore Orchard Project App

Baltimore Orchard Project App

Facilitating Community

Justin ScruggsKate CoatesPamela Gibbs

IDIA 61205.09.16

To design an engaging mobile application for individuals seeking grow and enhance his/her

connection to the community through the building of individual and communal knowledge

of the local fruit and nut tree populations.

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GOAL

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Through preliminary research we found...

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Unsplash, n.d.

Young adults are known as being the most likely demographic to use technology as a means of connecting to others.

These “individuals use social-networking sites to experience selective, efficient, and immediate connection with others for their (mediated) interpersonal communication satisfaction and as an ongoing way to seek the approval and support of other people” (Urista, Dong & Day, 2008).

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(“Grandparents-Child,” n.d.)

Despite the common misconception that older adults (55+) are adverse to technology (Arning

and Ziefle, 2006, 2008; Melenhorst et al., 2006), they are also one of the most likely demographics to bring others into the fold when it comes to personal and technological devices and/or endeavors (Kurniawan, 2008)

through their pursuit of personal connection and/or assistance.

As of May 2013, “88% of 50 to 64 year olds, and 57% of Americans 65 years old and older reported regular internet use (Fox & Rainie, 2014;

Zickuhr, 2013).

6(WSJ, 2015)

Though low income and low literacy population is the demographic most likely to not to have access to the Internet at home, they tend to be heavily dependent on mobile technology.

“49 percent of children living in households with incomes of less than $15,000 had access to a computer at home, while households bringing in $75,000 or more almost reaches 94 percent (Zichuhr & Smith,, 2012). Furthermore, those with “no college experience, and lower household income levels are more likely to say that their phone is main source of internet access” (Pew

Research Center, 2012).

We focused our efforts on creating a digital environment for individuals who are statistically most likely to initiate interest in others -- young adults and older (55+) adults -- as well as the large percentage of low literate Baltimoreans.

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Keeping these demographics in mind...

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Through our extended research we uncovered some prevalent heuristics & industry

practices that we used moving forward with our application design...

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Young Adult PersonaThomas Eggers

“I like finding new ways to connect with people using social

networks.”

Older (55+) Adult Persona Charles Salley

Low Income / Low Lit Persona Briana Jackson

“Lots of text makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like things that make me feel like I’m

dumb. They get deleted.”

“Community is important to me,

especially now that I am retired. I guess I am just looking for a

way to be more involved in it”

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For Young Adults Top 5 Heuristics

1. Utilize spaces that promote community.

2. Build off of established connections.

3. Focus on mobile devices.

4. Provide only a few options.

5. Create a sense of social community.

For Older (55+) Adults Top 5 Heuristics

1. Keep it simple.

2. Make it personal.

3. Facilitate a sense of community/belonging.

4. Avoid distraction unless used deliberately to transition attention.

5. Use recognition over recall.

For Low Income / Low Literacy Top 5 Heuristics

1. Write actionable content.

2. Display content clearly.

3. Utilize graphics and audio whenever possible.

4. Provide feedback.

5. Engage users.

Investigated Apps: Charity Miles Investigated Apps: Pillboxie; iCanFit; Words with Friends; Cityville

Investigated Apps: myfamily

The Paper Prototype 1

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Our Methodology

We tested our paper prototype on six users: ● 2 Young Adults (1 male, 1 female)● 2 Older (55+) Adults (1 male, 1 female)● 2 Low Literacy / Low Income Adults (1 male, 1 female)

Each paper prototyping session included one facilitator/computer, one note taker, and one user.

To ensure consistency across sessions, each session used the same introductory script, user consent form, and user task sheet.

THE FACILITATOR / COMPUTER

Facilitator role:

● Introduced the session via the script. This script included:

● Conveying general introductions● Obtaining the signed consent form● Describing methodology ● Introducing the concept of a task list

● Concluded the session with a brief wrap up, including:

● Likes / Dislikes / Recommendations● Appreciation for having participated

Computer role:

● Revealed tasks to the user one-by-one ● Manipulated the paper prototyping

components in accordance with user action● Note: When filling this role, the user could only

interact with the prototype without outside assistance

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THE NOTE TAKER

● Used note taking sheet to:

○ Indicate task fulfillment ■ Green = successfully completed■ Yellow = completed with difficulty■ Red = task failed (needed assistance)

○ Write down general observations or user comments

○ Note pertinent info (i.e. demographic information)

○ Capture parts of the session facilitator/computer may have missed via audio/video recording

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THE USER

● Read and performed the tasks as revealed by the facilitator/computer on the user worksheet

● Indicated with their finger what actions that he/she wanted to take on the paper prototype

● Vocalized anything that was unexpected, confusing, helpful, etc. for the note taker to capture

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6 successfully completed the task

One user wanted ability to add photo when creating account => Added this in

Two users would have benefited from having password requirements visible during password creation => Added auto pop up on entering password field

Task 3Create a post about a tree.

Task 1Register with the app.

Task 2Find & subscribe to a tree.

5 successfully completed the task; 1 with difficulty

Two users clicked find or attempted to filter without entering zipcode / location info to bring back results => Added error message

Appreciated provided app feedback

3 successfully completed the task; 2 with difficulty; 1 failed

Three users struggled with handwritten/ handdrawn format and either couldn’t distinguish the Facebook-like type field => Modified to indicate type field more prominently & increase legibility

Two users revisited the tree profile under “Find trees” first (more roundabout) => Included ability to add post there too

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Four users used the graphic to reach the tree profile.

One low-lit user clicked on a tree with an action and hit “Take Action” rather than “View” and then used menu to reach tree profile,

One older used the messages in the subscription feed to link back to a tree profile

Task 6Send friend request.

Task 5View who is also subscribed.


Three users had confusion regarding “Friends” versus “Community” tab => Added explanatory screen when entering friends page; provide clearer indication when inside of a tree profile


One older user was confused if this was on the tree profile or within the Friends tab => Change star icon into word form because it’s not translating

One older user didn’t understand what the task was asking.

Task 4View a tree profile.

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5 successfully completed the task; 1 accidental task skip

Task 9Find & request Matt’s friendship.


Three users could not find the menu without guidance and/or extensive search => Use word menu rather than hamburger menu icon


One older user felt prototype didn’t have enough detail to succeed => Added more detail

Task 7View facts about the tree.

Task 8View all in-app friends.

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Three users had trouble finding the event filter due to styling reasons => Make filter look more like a button than a title for the calendar

Three users clicked the event itself rather than the ellipsis => Change ellipsis to “View” or have entire event be a link to follow user expectation

Task 12Change your password.

5 successfully completed the task; 1 accidental task skip


Task 10Register to attend May 16th event.

Task 11Share an event via email.

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One user clicked “push notifications” first; labeling confusion => Break up settings into chunks to find things easier

Task 15Accept event invite.


Three users had trouble with understanding notification icon => Use word notification as well as the icon

One older users had trouble with understanding difference between posts on a feed and notifications => Use word notification as well as the icon to draw attention & increase clarity


Need indicator when a notification comes in for prototype => Added after 1st session

Task 13Change your email notifications.

Task 14View personal notifications.

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One older user first attempted to use the Friends tab instead of Messages tab


One user indicated more detail was needed to be more successful => Added detail

Task 16View the personal message.

Task 17Search for a personal message.

The Digital Prototype 2

Our Methodology

We tested our digital prototype on six users: ● 2 Young Adults (1 male, 1 female)● 2 Older (55+) Adults (1 male, 1 female)● 2 Low Literacy / Low Income Adults (1 male, 1 female)

Other testing methods remained consistent from the paper prototype session with slight modifications to the introductory script and user task sheet.

The digital prototype contained the most up-to-date paper prototype revisions following user feedback.

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Task 3View a subscribed tree.

Task 1Register with the app.

Task 2Find & subscribe to a tree.

6 successfully completed the task 6 successfully completed the task

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Task 6Send friend request to Ally H.

Task 5View who is also subscribed.


One user had difficulty aligning this task with the community tab => Proposal to change the verbiage to align more strongly with what that area contains or educate first time users (include on screen explanation of tab contents)

Both older users had trouble understanding back arrow => Return to on screen menu bar similar to app navigation


Task 4Create a post about that tree.

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Task 9Request Abby B.’s friendship.


Both older users missed the button on the friends page and went to the notifications area to do this task => Allow this task to be completed in both areas. Make the button on the Friends page much more prominent visually.


Task 7View all in-app friends.

Task 8Accept the new friend request.

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One user clicked within the last name field, recognized an error in first name, returned to first name field but then inner label for “lastname” indicator had vanished so didn’t know what info was meant to be entered there and skipped the field => Corrected this issue during testing so the form field descriptors were always present in these instances

Task 12Change your password.


One user entered a users name instead of their email address => Add an error message if form fields are not correctly filled out


One user wanted to look in the privacy section to complete this task before successfully navigating to the general section => Ensure clarity of categorization (would require further testing to further evaluate if current hierarchy is appropriate)

Task 10Register to attend May 16th event.

Task 11Share an event via email.

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Both older users focused on the word notifications in the task and navigated to the notifications area of the app before returning to settings and completing the task => Could possibly be due to lack of focus and a bit of stress in a monitored setting

Task 15Reject the friend request from

Tom. 6 successfully completed the task 6 successfully completed the task

Task 13Turn off your email notifications.

Task 14View personal notifications.

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Task 16View the unread message & respond.

Final Recommendations 3

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Moving forward we recommend...

● Ensure that navigational items are not hidden or abstracted○ Paper prototyping indicated the need to avoid iconographic-only cues regarding navigational items. Adding textual

accompaniment for menu items assisted but digital prototyping revealed that an always present lower navbar tremendously aided efficiency and understanding. This fact was reaffirmed when we transitioned away from an always present internal tree profile navigation for our digital prototypes, causing some users struggle more than within the digital prototypes.

● Continue investigation of gamification features such as digital badges ○ Our testing was only able to very briefly touch on the concept of using fun badges attained after completing certain

tasks (ex. Wiley Weeder Badge) to motivate the app users and bridge a connection between real world action and in-app participation. These publically-facing badges could be used as a means of competing with others and increasing feelings of self-accomplishment. Incorporating this could provide great benefit for all user groups we investigated.

● Provide feedback (but also allow a way out if that feedback is not wanted)○ While most users benefited from feedback, those more experienced users (or those who believed themselves to be) felt

as though feedback could be annoying. Keeping page explanations limited to first time usage is important as well as allowing users the ability to quickly opt out of notices such as task completion feedback.

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Additionally…

● Keep elements and underlying architecture simple and intuitive○ The use of consistent, clean and intuitive design practices to increase users comfort within their digital environment. The

practice of properly scoping the amount of material to present to the user, and grouping different functionality in logical and consistent ways. This practice helps to not overwhelm the user with options, as well as allows an experience that allows an organization to target across a broad spectrum of demographics.

Thank you.

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ReferencesArning, K., & Ziefle, M. (2006). What older users expect from mobile devices: an empirical survey. In Proceedings of the 16th World

Congress on Ergonomics (IEA). Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Fox, S., & Rainie, L. (2014, February 27). The Web at 25 in the U.S. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/27/the-web- at-25- in-the- u-s/

Grandparents-Child Photograph. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2016, from http://mypage.siu.edu/~SIU850019459/img/Grandparents-Child.jpg

Kurniawan, S. (2008). Older people and mobile phones: A multi-method investigation. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 66(12), 889–901. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2008.03.002

WSJ Poverty Rates Graphic. (2015). Baltimore’s Demographic Divide. Retrieved May 7, 2016, from graphics.wsj.com/baltimore-demographics

Urista, M., Dong, Q., & Day, K. (2008). Explaining Why Young Adults Use MySpace and Facebook Through Uses and Gratifications Theory. USA.

United States Census Bureau. (2015). Quick facts: Baltimore city, Maryland (county). Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/24510

DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B. D. U.S. (2014). Income and poverty in the United States: 2013, Current population reports, Census Bureau, P60-252.

Child Trends DataBank. (2015). Home computer access and internet use. Retrieved from: http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=home-computer-access

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Appendix

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User Profile: Marcus Smith

Profile

Age: 19 years oldLocation: Baltimore, MD (Living in a row home with the mother of his child Krystal-17 years old, her 2 sisters and mother)Marital Status: UnmarriedEducation: GED Diploma; just accepted to Stratford to pursue his Associates of Applied Science in Advanced Culinary ArtsOccupation: Arraber Apprentice/Cook/Student Financial Status: $18,000 per year Personality: Outgoing, hard-working, determined to succeed at all costs Hobbies: Taking his Krystal and 2yr old son Bryce to the park, reading, cooking, going to the moviesTechnical Skillset: Comfortable with simple tasks; signed up to attend a few classes offered by Enoch Pratt Library in preparation for school

Limitations

Does not have access to computer at home- uses library computer which has restrictions length of use at one time, and hours of availability; has cell phone but plan is low cost, thus limited data plan

Personal Goals:

1. To provide neighborhood with access to healthy food alternatives-neighborhood is riddled with corner stores, fast food joints, and liquor stores, which all lack fresh produce

2. To learn about new foods, be introduced to new recipes and ways to prepare meals with unexpected ingredients; loves to add such information his cookbook-aspires to be a Master Chef one day

3. To somehow use his volunteering as a resume builder/internship

4. To keep himself occupied and focused; does not get pulled back into his old lifestyle- did a short stint in “juvie” for selling drugs, or ever see the inside of another detention center

Low Income Profile

User Profile: Brianna Jackson

Profile

Age: 15 years oldLocation: Baltimore, MD (Lives with her widowed grandmother, a retired teacher of 28 years, who she loving refers to as “Big Mama”, her best friend and cousin Tanya-15 years old, older brother Charles-16 years old, and dog named Oreo because he is black and white)Marital Status: N/AEducation: Baltimore Community High school, 9th gradeOccupation: Student & a very proud Senior Girl ScoutFinancial Status: N/APersonality: Bubbly, inquisitive, eager to learnHobbies: Eating ice cream, biology, art, dancing, singing, gardening with Big Momma, and going to the poolTechnical Skillset: Comfortable with technology

Limitations

Enrolled in math and reading tutoring offered by the No Child Left Behind Program of the Enrichment Center in Baltimore- so complex applications cause confusion, discomfort and disinterest; intimidated by too many words/too much information-makes her feel dumb and overwhelmed; needs guidance on what to do next.

Personal Goals:

1. To challenge herself by learning something different/new

2. To get a head start on her service learning-requirement needed in order to graduate high school

3. To complete her Take Action Project with the Girl Scouts-come up with the “dopest” idea ever to do as her Girls Scout Brownie Project

4. Take action projects are sustainable and address a root cause of an issue; they make the world a better place for more people or a much longer time (Girl Scouts, 2016)

Low Literacy Profile

User Profile: Thomas Eggers

Profile

Age: 26 years oldLocation: Baltimore, MD Marital Status: MarriedEducation: Bachelor of ArtsOccupation: Youth Pastor in Baltimore CityFinancial Status: $32,000 per year Personality: Outgoing, responsible, optimistic, encouragingHobbies: Listening to podcasts, going to shows, church functionsTechnical Skillset: Understanding of basic internet usage skills, Microsoft Office, some Photoshop experience. Uses his smartphone and laptop computer consistently to post to social media for work purposes, plan youth group activities, and communicate with youth

LimitationsSchedule affects what goals he has while interacting with technology

Personal Goals:

1. To leverage his youth’s social media and mobile device use and gear it toward building relationships

2. To cultivate an atmosphere of social responsibility, not only within his church community, but the community in and around Baltimore city at large

3. To discover activities for his youth group students that will get them involved with philanthropic tasks

Young Adult Profile

User Profile: Charles Salley

Profile

Age: 65 years oldLocation: Baltimore, MD (Co-habits townhome with daugher and 3 grandchildren )Marital Status: DivorcedEducation: B.S. in Economics from UMBCOccupation: Recently retired from financial planning; Currently part time caretaker of grandchildrenFinancial Status: $50,000 per year Personality: Typically a friendly people-person; Recently has become more depressed and lonely post retirementHobbies: Gardening; Reading; Watching grandkids; Spending time outdoorsTechnical Skillset: Average skillset on desktop computer especially on familiar programs used when working; Owns smartphone but less knowledgeable of functionality

Limitations

Personal Goals:

1. To discover a newfound sense of community within Baltimore city

2. To increase internal feelings of self-worth post-retirement

3. To make societal impact

4. To instill similar passions as himself in his grandkids (i.e. gardening, reading, etc.)

5. To find opportunities to engage with other adults during the day (not only after standard work hours)

6. To find opportunities to “stay sharp” Older Adult Profile

Baltimore Orchard Project App

Technology

Transcript of Baltimore Orchard Project App