SunDesk
An app to help you break free from your desk and find great places to work in the outdoors.
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Design an app that helps improve an important aspect of people’s day-to-day lives.
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More than 50% of American adults spend five hours or less outside each week. The number one obstacle to spending more time outdoors is having to work at a desk job. Through my research, I found that 80% of people wish they could spend more time outside because it enhances overall feelings of wellness, provides a change in scenery, and increases vitamin D intake.
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My design was centered around user research, which included a survey and interviews. I learned that the largest hindrances to working outdoors include not knowing where to find amenities like Wi-Fi, power, shade, food and drinks, allotting sufficient time for planning, and keeping track of the weather. I used these findings to build a user-friendly workspace search engine that allows users to filter by their required amenities, save time, and check the weather all in one place. The color palette was inspired by the sun and open sky. The typeface was chosen for its clear digital legibility.
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PROJECT DATE
Spring 2022PROJECT TYPE
App DesignSKILLS
User Research
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Visual Identity Design
PROCESS
02 DESIGN
Taskflows
Low-Fi Sketches
Wireframes
User Testing Round I
01 DISCOVER
Problem
User Research
Personas
04 DEPLOY
Prototype
Future Features
03 DEVELOP
Brand Design
Hi-Fi Design
User Testing Round II
01 DISCOVER | PROBLEM
How might we encourage American adults to spend more time outdoors in today’s fast-paced hustle culture?
More than 50% of American Adults spend five hours or less outside each week. The number one obstacle to spending more time outdoors is having to work a desk job.
01 DISCOVER | USER RESEARCH
METHODS
Online Survey via Google Forms
Live Interviews via Zoom
KEY INSIGHTS
80% of respondents wish they could spend more time outdoors.
Key Motivators for Spending Time Outside
Getting vitamin D, increases feelings of overall wellness, building time into schedule, fresh air, change in scenery.
The #1 obstacle to spending more time outdoors is having to work.
Key Obstacles & Hinderances
Work, bad weather, overwhelmed by preparation and logistics, lack of access to bathrooms and water, lack of destination.
“If there were an easier way to work outside, I’d spend much more time outdoors” - Kelly, 35, NY
Opportunities
Make working from outdoors easier, make planning to spend time outdoors easier (where to go, where to find amenities), help consolidate planning and weather in one place.
01 DISCOVER | PERSONAS
DEFINING THE TARGET AUDIENCE
Using findings from the research, I determined the key characteristics of the target included young working professionals with the ability to work remotely and the desire to spend more time outdoors. With this in mind, I developed two personas to help bring the target audience to life.
PROCESS
02 DESIGN
Task Flows
Low-Fi Sketches
Wireframes
User Testing Round I
01 DISCOVER
Problem
User Research
Personas
03 DEVELOP
Brand Design
Hi-Fi Design
User Testing Round II
04 DEPLOY
Prototype
Future Features
02 DESIGN | TASK FLOWS
02 DESIGN | LOW-FI SKETCHES
02 DESIGN | WIREFRAMES
02 DESIGN | USER TESTING ROUND I
METHODS
Paper Prototypes
In-Person Testing
KEY INSIGHTS
Confusion around the word “Venue.”
Users weren’t sure what Venue referred to, so I changed the language to be more straightforward and say “Workspaces”.
Slow to find the “Add Venue” feature.
While most users eventually got there, the “add” button wasn’t as easy to find as it should be. Some users also weren’t sure if this was meant to add to favorites. I updated language accordingly.
Paper prototypes were a challenge.
While paper prototypes helped with high-level experience feedback, some important interaction elements slipped through the cracks. Next time, I’d create a digital prototype at this stage for user testing.
PROCESS
02 DESIGN
Taskflows
Low-Fi Sketches
Wireframes
User Testing Round I
01 DISCOVER
Problem
User Research
Personas
04 DEPLOY
Prototype
Future Features
03 DEVELOP
Brand Design
Hi-Fi Design
User Testing Round II
03 DEVELOP | BRAND DESIGN
APPROACH
I created a mood board that reflected a clean and modern aesthetic with a nod to the sun and sky. I explored type specimens of different sans-serif typefaces because they provided more flexibility at smaller sizes on mobile devices. Ultimately, I chose Inter due to its flexibility in weight and style variations and it’s friendly appearance. The logo was inspired by the rising sun, and I developed a component library for consistency throughout the app.
03 DEVELOP | HI-FI DESIGN
03 DEVELOP | USER TESTING ROUND II
METHODS
Paper Prototypes
In-Person Testing
KEY INSIGHTS
Hard to see selected icons.
Most users didn’t notice that the icons of selected pages changed colors, so I filled the icon in entirely to make it more of a contrast. This also helped with access.
Hard to select filter checkboxes.
While most users enjoyed being seeing many options at once, the checkboxes were too small and it was difficult to choose desired items. I changed the layout to a drop-down list to make it easier.
Weather page feels busy.
Users liked having access to detailed weather data, but felt the visual design was a bit busy and overwhelming. I simplified the design to make it easier to grasp the important stats.
PROCESS
02 DESIGN
Taskflows
Low-Fi Sketches
Wireframes
User Testing Round I
01 DISCOVER
Problem
User Research
Personas
04 DEPLOY
Prototype
Future Features
03 DEVELOP
Brand Design
Hi-Fi Design
User Testing Round II
04 DEPLOY | PROTOTYPE
04 DEPLOY | FUTURE FEATURES
WHERE DOES SUNDESK GO FROM HERE?
As the app continues to build its workspace library, the app can expand:
Reserving Seats.
For workspaces that fill up quickly, having the ability to reserve a seat for certain hours of the day would be helpful for both users and venues alike.
Discount Offers.
A win-win for users and workspaces venues, being able to offer users a discount at workspaces would drive traffic to workspaces who need it and provide a value-add to app users.
Product Sales.
Sometimes the workspace itself isn’t enough. Having access to purchase accessories like hats, sunglasses, screen guards, sunscreen, water bottles, and more could make the experience more seamless.