PostUp: Remote Work Made Easy
How can we make the search for remote working spaces more efficient and satisfying?
PostUp: Remote Work Made Easy | IOS Mobile App | Product Designer
PostUp: Remote Work Made Easy | IOS Mobile App
Why a Sprint?
A sprint is a useful design method for teams who are low on time and need to quickly validate designs. I decided to use Google Ventures (GV) design sprint method for a remote working app which took 5 days in total to complete.
“PostUP” is a design sprint exercise scenario created by Bitesize UX. Bitesize UX has provided a kickstart kit including the project brief, initial research highlights, persona, and an interview video with a remote worker.
A diagram outlining the timeline of a GV design-sprint.
The Problem
Freelancers and remote workers alike heavily rely on public places to get their work done. The process of finding adequate public spaces, especially in an unfamiliar neighborhood, be cumbersome and time-consuming.
Remote workers often report the struggle to find places with reliable Wi-Fi, bathrooms, little background noise, and that are not crowded.
It’s often difficult to know ahead of time which coffeeshops in an area will be suitable for remote work.
Objective / Constraints
Objective:
To make it easier for remote workers to find great public places to work from.
Constraints:
- Because users were on-the-go, the platform will be an IOS mobile app.
- The app would have to help users find places that already exist.
- Constraints:
- 1. IOS Mobile App
- 2. Places that Exist
- 3. Monthly Fee
When asked to relate their “Experience of finding a public place to do remote work from,” interviewees relayed several prerequisites for a good remote working spot:
- Reliable (Free) Wi-Fi
- Available outlets
- Accessible restrooms
- Adequate space (not crowded)
- Quiet work environment
"Wi-Fi and bathrooms are the most important thing I look for, especially if I plan on working there for a full day." -User
Users currently approach this problem by using Google Maps to locate coffee shops. Additionally, users frequently express frustration at the lack of:
- Photos detailing the space
- Lack of information about amenities (wifi/bathrooms)
- Unreliable information about hours of operation
- Lack of information about table availability
Users typically use Google Maps to find nearby remote working spots.
Reviewing Research
Who is our User?
Behavior
- • Nina works from home but spends at least 3 days a week traveling around the city.
- • Nina often has a few hours between meetings, and tries to find places where she can sit down and get work done.
Nina
32 Years old
Freelance Copy Writer
Boston, MA
Frustrations
•Nina often spends more time looking for a place to work than actually working.
•Nina will find a place to work and settle in, only to realize there's no a reliable Wi-Fi signal, no restroom, or that she must spend money to stay there.
Nina
32 Years old
Freelance Copy Writer
Boston, MA
Goals
•Nina wants to spend less time finding public places to work from and more time working.
•Nina wants to find places that have the basic amenities she needs to do her work.
Day 1
How Might We....?
Nina’s pain points/goals provided the basis for the objectives of this sprint:
• Spends too long searching for a remote working spot
• Struggles to find remote working spots with reliable amenities.
• Get insight from other remote workers.
Therefore how might we:
- 1. Let users efficiently identify adequate public places to work?
- 2. Allow remote workers to exchange tips and advice?
Day 1
User Map
I decided to ‘start’ at the end of the sprint and map a potential end-to-end user scenario for a remote worker.
This would give me a clear guide by which I could base all of my future design decisions.
A Similarity Matrix shows the proportion of the participants who grouped any two cards in the same category.
Day 2
Ideation
Six sketches highlighting the features of three relevant apps
Lightning Demos
I tested out several apps and websites for inspiration. This was not limited to just remote working apps. The goal was to document the successful features of each “Demo”. Luckily there currently exist apps related to this problem. Those include: ‘WeWork’, ‘Liquid Space’, and ‘Work From’.
Eight quick sketches exploring eight different solutions
Crazy 8’s
Once I had analyzed the features, I spent 8-minutes quickly sketching eight variations of the different screens. This exercise is meant to stimulate creativity and limit inhibitions.
A storyboard sketch of the different steps involved in achieving the user scenario.
Solution Sketch
After choosing the most promising features from the previous exercise, I created a 3-panel story board showcasing the different steps involved in the primary user flow.
Day 3
Decision Day (Story Boarding)
Distance matters, which is why users use maps as a representation of the proximity of coffee shops. The success of this project relies on having clearly labeled amenities, many photos, busy times, and noise level.
To prioritize this, I decided on a scheme where 1/2 the screen serves as a map, and the other as a preview of spaces.
A detailed storyboard sketch of the different steps involved in achieving the user scenario.
Day 4
Prototype
Upon initiating the app, the user is shown a map which defaults to their current location, and a carousel of nearby coffee shops that summarize pertinent info.
Initial Screen
The filtering system exists to efficiently search for locations by distance, rating and available tables. These were parameters that most matter to the users.
Filter Screen
The location and amenities screen expands to show all available amenities, and has a carousel of clear images showing what the space looks like.
Work Space Screen
Upon deciding on a location, the user hits the call-to-action, “Get Directions” in order to generate the most efficient path to their destination.
Directions Screen
(Video) Find Work Space / Get Directions Flow
Day 5
User Testing
It was time to validate my assumptions with users I had reached out to on day one.
The main characteristics of the test subjects were as follows:
- Male or Female ages 18-40
- Works Remotely
- Uses a GPS app regularly
- Is on the internet at least 10 hours a week
Precautions should be made not to lead the user to draw certain conclusions over others.
The task given was to: “Find and get directions to a work space of your choosing nearby.”
The interviews went quite smoothly, and I felt the introduction was helpful in easing the users into handling the prototype. I took extensive notes and reviewed the outcomes:
- Users were able to complete the tasks, with the exception of a few tasks.
- Participants stated that it’s easy to use even for first-time users.
A usability report, categorized by severity, detailing the different issues users had while testing.
Day 6
Lessons Learned
On day 6 I revisited the prototype to fix some of the issues reported above such as :
- Removing the filter by rating function
- Adding a “Reviews” Section
- Adding the ability to rate by amenities
- Fixing the ability to exit the Filter slide-up
The final screens after implementing feedback from the user tests.
Takeaways
It’s easy to get carried away designing features that your users will ultimately not find helpful. I found this out the hard way by including a filter for “Available Tables”: an assumption that ended up not being validated.
Despite the few hang-ups, I found the GV design sprint to be a very efficient design methodology. Its result-oriented process will force your team to make decisions regardless of the viability of those designs. There are fewer resources used, and the lack of time invested means less risk for your team. It will certainly be a process I will implement in future workflows!