Week 5: Information Architecture

Reflections

This week I presented my app idea along with some Balsamiq wireframes. A question was asked about why the user can’t book travel tickets directly through the app as opposed to the existing redirection to the service provider’s website. I explained that my user research indicated a preference for booking directly with service providers on the grounds that customer service interactions would be simpler if something went wrong. Although I’d like to integrate the booking feature from within the app, my research suggests that users wouldn’t feel confident using it.

Having spent a while sketching and drafting low fidelity wireframes, I began experimenting with high fidelity versions this week. By looking at colour, layout and style options, I found myself noticing various details I hadn’t before considered. For my designs I’m using Figma which I’m having to learn from scratch. In the past I’ve experimented with graphic design software, but I admit that learning how Figma works has been a steep learning curve. Luckily I’ve found lots of helpful videos on LinkedIn Learning and YouTube that have enabled me to build my knowledge and confidence.

Looking towards navigation planning, I’ve been studying various smartphone apps to find inspiration and understand the construction of certain elements. I’ve found that wireframing aided my understanding and formulation of the information architecture. Although my user flow diagram offered similar benefits, the illustrative nature of wireframing made organising and conceptualising the user experience easier from my point of view. One hurdle I had this week concerned the way users navigate through the app and if this should be done using a navigation bar or back buttons. In researching existing apps, I noticed the use of back buttons is infrequent compared to navigation bars. With that in mind, I elected for a contextual navigation style meaning various features and pages will be accessible depending on the current app screen.

Finally, I conducted my first ever card sort as a means of validating my information architecture assumptions, as well as to discover any anomalies generated by participants (Sherwin 2018). The process of choosing which cards to include was a little confusing and I made a poor decision by choosing the hybrid card sort method. This meant that participants had two existing categories and the option to add categories of their own. Unfortunately, this caused confusion which resulted in people only sorting cards into the predefined categories, creating miscellaneous categories or simply abandoning the card sort altogether. It was slightly helpful to see what cards had been classed as miscellaneous, however, due to the small sample size, I’d have been better opting for an open card sort where users could simply create and name their own categories.

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Challenge Activity

Onboarding

The goal of my prototype is to demonstrate how the app can help you plan a journey and be completely organised in the lead up to the day of travel. Throughout the user’s journey (from the point of first thinking, “I want to go to X”), the intention is to plan and consider every aspect of physically getting somewhere and how this can be achieved stress-free.

My draft onboarding is benefit-oriented to convey the app's intended purpose and persuade the user why they need it. I did this over three screens to maintain the user’s attention while still offering the option to skip if desired. When users reach the homescreen for the first time, I think it may be useful to offer tooltips throughout the app for familiarisation. I’ll include this in my early prototypes and gauge its effectiveness through usability testing.

Barriers to Adoption / User Success:

• People already use other mapping apps to plan their travel

• People already travel without many difficulties

• People may not travel that often and aren’t familiar with the potential stressors

Sign Up/In Requirement

Users will not have to sign up when they initially open and explore the app. When they open the app, they’ll be taken through the onboarding, offered tooltips, and then see a list of pre-made journeys on the home screen. This will allow users to click into each, explore the features available and build an understanding of how the app could benefit them on their travels. When they go to select “plan a journey”, they’ll be asked to sign in or create an account, thus enabling them to save any journeys they start planning. I think this approach would work better than using empty states as the user can interact as though their travel plans were already created. The aim is to hold their attention and have them experience as much of the app in the first minute or two of downloading.

Navigation

Think about which kinds of navigation designs are appropriate for your prototype assignment.

Global would be like using a navigation bar with icons along the bottom of the screen. I’ve considered this but feel that users will interact with different features of my app based on the progress of each element. There are too many features or points for consideration to have these on a navigation bar: it would look messy.

Local navigation has been used on the home screen, where users can select the “+” icon with the option to plan or edit an overall journey. I chose this method to make efficient use of space as these options wouldn’t be used that frequently.

Inline navigation wouldn’t be useful in my app as there won’t be any large blocks of text. Although there may be the opportunity to use it on a terms and conditions page, I likely won’t be using this method.

Contextual navigation can be helpful to show users how they’ve got to where they are in the process. I’ll use this by offering users a back button with a label for the previous screen. Furthermore, users will be provided navigation options from within their journey cards. For example, the dashboard icons indicating network coverage, packing list progress or ticket booking progress etc., will lead to separate screens revealing those features.

Faceted navigation will be used to an extent in the journey planning section. I intend for users to be able to define important journey factors (i.e. environmental impact, price, duration) by way of a slider button.

Supplemental navigation will be used sparingly throughout to provide users with more information or tips where necessary. There will also be supplemental sections in the account/settings section.

Card Sorting

Having conducted a card sort with eight participants, I used the data to validate my information architecture assumptions and to identify any anomlaies / outliers in the data.

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References

SHERWIN, Katie. 2018. ‘Card Sorting: Uncover Users’ Mental Models for Better Information Architecture’. Nielsen Norman Group [online]. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/card-sorting-definition/ [accessed 18 May 2022].

THEA, Sophie. 2020. Blue and White Information Sign. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/y3ZcWAgVphU [accessed 26 Jan 2022].