What can we do to help save endangered species of frogs from going extinct?
Background
Let's Save The Frogs (LSTF) is an organization that helps to find ways to help conserve endangered species of frogs. The organization needs a tool to help people learn about endangered frogs, and what they can do to help. LSTF's primary target users include pet owners, animal care agencies, children, teenagers, young adults, and adults who are concerned about the rate that frogs are becoming endangered and extinct.
Project Duration: September 2022 to October 2022
My Role: UX Designer Leading the app and responsive website design from conception to delivery
Responsibilities: Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and hi-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, iterating on designs, determining information architecture, and responsive design.
The Problem
A frog’s habitat is the environment in which it feeds, shelters, and breeds. If it cannot find suitable habitat, the frog will not survive. Habitat loss is the greatest threat to frogs. The strategy team at LSTF has identified the lack of awareness about the types of frogs that are endangered, and what can be done to help save dying species of frogs.
The Goal
The goal is to design an app that will improve education on the different species of frogs that are endangered and going extinct and to help provide ways to help these endangered frogs.
User Research: Understanding The User
I used LSTF data on the rate that different frog species are becoming extinct to develop interview questions, which were then used to conduct user interviews. Most interview participants reported that they didn't know different frog species were becoming extinct so fast. The feedback received through research made it very clear that users would be open and willing to work towards reducing the rate that frogs are becoming endangered if they had access to an easy-to-use tool to help guide them.
Persona Development :
Based on the research insights, I developed a primary persona demonstrating our target users, especially their goals and pain points
Competitive Audit:
An audit of a few competitors' products provided direction on gaps and opportunities to help the LSTF app.
Ideation
I did a quick ideation exercise to come up with ideas for how to address gaps identified in the competitive audit. my focus was specifically on the user flow for the donation and adoption process.
Starting The Design Process
After Ideating I moved forward toward creating the initial designs for the Lets Save The Frogs app. These designs focused on delivering guidance where people can learn and donate to help endangered frogs.
Wireframes:
Usability Study:
I conducted a usability study to identify problems in the design of the wireframes for the app. Conducting usability studies help uncover opportunities to improve and learn about the target users' behaviors and preferences
Study Type: moderated usability study
Location: USA, Remote
Participants: 5
Length: 15 - 20 min
These were the findings uncovered by the usability study
1
Contribution
people want ways where they can help the organization by adopting and donating
2
Navigation
People had some difficulties navigating through the app
3
Getting Involved
People liked that there were ways that you could get involved in their communities to help
Let's Redefine The Design
Based on the insights from the usability studies, I applied design changes such as adjusting the layout of the home screen. I decided to change the layout to give the app a more up-to-date look.
Mockups:
Responsive Web Design
The designs for screen size variation included mobile, tablet, and desktop. I optimized the designs to fit specific needs of each device and screen size
Going Forward
Impact:
Users shared that the app made it seem like they have a better understanding on what they can do to help save endangered frogs.
What I Learned:
I learned that even though the problem that I was trying to solve was a big one, diligently going through each step of the design process and aligning with specific user needs helped me come up with solutions that were both feasible and useful.
Next Steps
1
Conduct research on how successful the app is in reaching the goal to help save endangered frogs.
2
Add more educatioal resources for users to learn about what they can do to help in their communities
3
Provide ways where users can share their own personal stories of how they helped endangered species of frogs.
Thank You!
Thank you for your time reviewing my work on the Lets Save The Frog app! If you'd like to get in touch my contact information is provided below