Case Study: Foxhole
CONTEXT
When we go through major life events, most of us get support from our families, friends and even from support groups. Often times, we wonder how others who have encountered similar life events have navigated and dealt with the challenges.
“Humans are inherently social”. We thrive on interacting and connecting with others. The act of sharing experiences fosters a sense of openness and camaraderie.
CHALLENGE
Despite the support offered by our friends and family during significant life events, there are instances when we recognize that only someone who has encountered (or is currently navigating) a similar experience can truly understand and relate to what we are going through. However, it is not always easy to find such a person.
GOAL
To provide a way for individuals to connect based on common life experiences, enabling them to share their stories and exchange valuable resources.
DELIVERABLES
User Research Interviews and Findings
Comparative & Competitive Analysis
Personas
Branding
Site Map
User Flow
Low-Fidelity Wireframes (Sketching)
High-Fidelity Mock-ups and Prototypes
Usability Tests and Findings
Final Wireframes
USER RESEARCH INTERVIEWS
I conducted user interviews with 7 people to gain insights into user behavior and areas of difficulty. In addition, I wanted to explore users’ needs when dealing with challenges associated with significant life events.
My User Research Interview participants responded to a set of 11 comprehensive inquiries that aim to uncover their strategies for managing and coping such circumstances as well as the kinds of information, assistance or guidance they seek while contending with major life events.
AFFINITY MAPPING
I used Affinity Mapping as a method to consolidate and analyze the results of the user research interviews to identify patterns and themes from the participants’ responses to the list of questions.
The results highlighted the users’ strong inclination to connect with others especially with fellow individuals experiencing similar life events as this alleviates the feeling of isolation. They gain optimism and a better understanding of their experience.
In addition, it emphasized the users’ need to gather information concerning techniques for effectively managing and coping with the challenges stemming from these life events.
COMPARATIVE & COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
I conducted a Comparative & Competitive Analysis as part of my research to gain insights into how similar apps are facilitating connections among individuals.
Numerous apps are dedicated to connecting individuals for various purposes such as dating, networking and even forming friendships. A common thread among these apps is their foundation on shared interests.
I compared 3 social apps designed to cultivate friendships among its users. A couple of the apps match people with similar interests and they utilize the swipe feature. Users swipe right to express interest in connecting with the another user, or swipe left if they’re not. The third app takes a different approach by matching users with events and activities based on location. They do not use a swiping feature. Instead, it focuses on facilitating the organization of event that users can participate in to connect with others who share similar interests.
It is worth noting that none of these apps are centered around connecting individuals based on similar life events.
PERSONAS
I developed a couple of personas who represent my target audience. The first persona is a mother of three grown children in her late 40’s. She juggles taking care of her elderly mother, holding down a full-time job, and managing her household. She is left with little room for self-care and often feels overwhelmed and spread too thin with all her obligations. She feels frustrated at times taking care of her mother.
The second persona is a single woman in her mid-30’s recently diagnosed with stage 1 cancer. She sometimes feels isolated. The diagnosis has strained her relationships, particularly with her boyfriend. Despite the challenges, her determination to overcome the illness persists.
BRANDING
To spark ideas for branding, I jotted down a long list of words that are associated with the concept of safe space and friendships. My aim for the app is to establish a secure environment where individuals can connect, share their experiences and cultivate friendships along the way while feeling secure and supported throughout the process.
I read that “foxhole buddies are friends you make for life as a result of a shared significant emotional experience”. This definition aligns perfectly with the kind of connections I envision the users of the app to establish with one another.
With this in mind, I figured, there’s no better name for the app than...
I came across this article that perfectly captures the core essence of the app: In The Trenches - A Foxhole Analogy by Steve Davie
SITEMAP
Patterns and themes revealed from my user research gave me ideas for concepts related the content and functionality of the app. I created a sitemap to organize the content of the app. To develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), key features were required such as user account and profile set up, a list of major life events, a roster of members of each life event, group and individual chat capabilities, resources section, policies page, and Help section that will include the means for users to report any violations of terms of use.
USERFLOW
A user flow helps me create an intuitive design by taking into consideration the users’ needs. The user flow below illustrates how the users will navigate the Foxhole app if they wish to participate in a group chat, chat with an individual
or simply browse shared resources from other users.
SKETCHING
Sketching low fidelity wireframes for key pages helped me visualize the app’s concept. This process enabled me to get a better idea of the app’s features and if they are aligned with the users’ needs.
UI COMPONENT LIBRARY
Next, I gathered components for my UI kit. I chose neutral colors that evoked a sense of calmness and security to align with the app’s overall mood. For the font, I opted for a simple and legible typeface. Additionally, I gathered a collection of icons that depict the life events that will be featured within the app.
HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES AND PROTOTYPE
Given the time constraints, which ruled out a chance for a second iteration, and recognizing the project's focus on building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), I made the strategic decision to proceed directly to developing high-fidelity prototypes.
USABILITY TESTING
To assess the users’ interaction with the app, I asked the testers to complete 4 specific actions within the app:
create a profile
participate in both group and individual chats
explore the available resources, and
report a violation of terms of use
High fidelity prototype testing allowed me to receive valuable feedback not just on the functionality, navigation and flow but on the finer details of the app as well. It gave me a chance to better understand how the users would interact with and navigate the app and successfully complete the tasks I asked them to complete.
Engaging in conversations with the users during the Usability Testing proved to be insightful. This approach not only highlighting potential issues, it sparked new ideas for refinement.
FEEDBACK GRID
I analyzed the data from the Usability Testing utilizing Feedback Grid of what worked, changes required, questions, and ideas. Overall, the concept appears to be effective. There were with only a few modifications required, most of which involve minor changes such as adding text for explanation.
A great idea came up regarding adding an “Others” category intended for life events that are not currently featured on the list. This category will serve as a basis for determining which new life events will be added to the list over time.
FREQUENCY TO SEVERITY MAPPING
I used the Frequency to Severity Mapping to rank the issues in order of importance based on the frequency and severity of the issues that were observed during the Usability Testing.
ITERATIONS
Besides iterations that resulted from the Usability Testing, I often identified areas for improvement as I navigated through the app, leading to adjustments and subsequent iterations.
FINAL USER INTERFACE (UI)
To view prototype of final wireframes, click here.
SUMMARY
When experiencing a significant life event, our natural inclination is to establish connection with others, particularly those who are experiencing a similar life event. By gaining insight on user demographics, their behavior and their needs, I was able to develop a product tailored to these requirements. The resulting app serves as a platform for individuals who are navigating similar life events to connect, enabling them to share their personal stories and valuable insights on how to manage and cope with the challenges associated with these events.
Initially, my project’s main focus was centered on facilitating connections through the chat feature. However, I uncovered another valuable feature where users can actively contribute by sharing resources they have found useful. This resource-sharing capability could offer significant value to other users as well.
In addition, the app aims to cultivate friendships along the way.
My final deliverables are not necessarily “final” wireframes as UX Design involves continuous iterations. As the app evolves, there will always be opportunities for enhancement.