Brite Weather

Process

I developed a weather application that’s a simple solution for finding the current weather conditions at your location right from your phone. The user can get up-to-date weather-related states at-a-glance on their phone. They can then use that information and plan their day accordingly. The phone's GPS will allow for fast and easy use to connect with the local weather conditions. With this weather application, you can select multiple cities, states, or the whole country for weather information.

Define

I started my process by exploring the user by conducting user research to gain insight into their needs. I applied UX methodologies to understand what tasks are needed to accomplish the goal of helping the user understand the weather in their immediate area. I created wireframes and a prototype for a visual representation of these tasks. And finally, I tested the product to find any gaps in the application and fix any issues that arose.

Create/Design

I sketched and created storyboards to understand a user's specific need in a weather-related scenario. I developed wireframes to propose solutions and graphical elements for screens to show the path the user would take to reach their goal. I also created an interactive prototype to test users and understand if the application prototype fits their needs.

User Testing/User Research

I conducted user testing to find design flaws I might otherwise overlook. With user testing, you can gain an understanding into how users interact with your product. And you get invaluable insights into how well the design of your product works.

Results

Several problems arose during the testing of the design. Highlighting the most pressing problem first, with the solutions to that problem listed below:

Problems: Brite weather users performed 6x slower on task 1 than the competition. Task 1 time for Brite weather users took 24 seconds to complete the task. Apple weather users took 4 seconds to complete the same task. The usability goals of this test were not met. 78% of all participants completed the task goals, while only half of all users met the overall goal set for the test.

Recommendations: Add a dynamic element to the interface, such as images that correspond with the current weather at the user’s location — if it’s raining, have a photo of raindrops, umbrellas, puddles, etc… Use photos of the current weather conditions as background images instead of having a gradation in the background. Use icons that are less 2-D, and add some depth and visual interest. Add a tap gesture to the main screen to allow for cycling through different types of weather information quickly.