Gateway - Uncover Hidden Gems App
Uncover Hidden Gems in the City That Never Sleeps
In the hustle and bustle of New York City, people are often looking to find nearby attractions that are off the beaten path. Widely used apps tend to focus on popular attractions. Finding gems by scrolling through what seems to be a never-ending list can be overwhelming. Scanning all of the comments and reviews, many of which are lengthy, out-dated, or questionable, can be time consuming. Gateway aims to connect New York City locals and visitors to hidden gems through various paths of recommendation. You can uncover gems by using the daily Tap to Unveil feature, searching by Distance, Discover or Categories, and exploring Finds by Friends.
User Research Insights
New York City is filled with top-notch experiences, but there are also endless hidden gems waiting to be discovered. To find out what is important to users when searching for places to visit, I conducted five interviews with New Yorkers and people who frequent the city. I learned that most users’ apps of choice when finding things to do are Instagram and Yelp. As they passively scroll, many well-known and trending locations show up. While a lot of this can be interesting, accounts do not always make necessary information clear, such as the name of the location, address, operating hours, etc. Instead of trending locations, sometimes users just want to find a place off the beaten path for more unique experiences.
Market Research
After my user research, I analyzed a few of the platforms that were mentioned during the interviews and read user comments on the App Store. Below is a compilation of pros and cons from both user and market research in regards to finding hidden gems.
Based on the information I gathered, most users are interested in finding new experiences, but popular attractions in mainstream apps often overshadow these hidden gems. Users are busy and tend to scroll passively on various apps throughout the day. If they find something piques their interest, the essential information is not always transparent or up-to-date. Sifting through reviews can be overwhelming, and some users are skeptical of the authenticity.
From this research, I was able to create two user personas that represent the target users of the product.
Prefers to do more thorough research.
Prefers to spend as little time as possible looking.
However, both like the idea of recommendations through personal preferences and knowing which spots their friends have visited.
User Flow Exploration
To define the user experience, I explored two user flows that map out different ways to find hidden gems on the app. The flows helped me map out the necessary steps to go from point A to point B and steps in between.
Design Exploration
While building out the wireframes, I decided to focus on the Today’s Find flow as it is one of the app's more notable features.
Based on the initial feedback from my wireframe explorations, I started going back and forth between low and high-fidelity designs. It was easier for me to visualize the layout after adding more contrasting and detailed elements.
Prototype User Testing
With all the feedback I gathered while iterating the wireframes, I created the prototype below and conducted two usability tests. The goal was to ensure that users could complete the specified tasks and identify any issues of concern regarding the user flow or visual design.
Task: Unlock Today’s Find, review information, and save it to the Good Finds Collection.
User Testing Feedback
Users thought the app was easy to use but highlighted a few things that could enhance the user experience.
Having more than just one hidden gem unveil per day
A map to see all of the bookmarked locations
Allowing bookmark collection collaborations
Larger cards and text in bookmark collections for better visibility
Using more colors in addition to green
Visual Design
Takeaways & Next Steps
Utilizing user and market research is essential to create a product that stands apart and finds solutions to users’ problems. Although I only had a few users test my prototype, I could see that user testing is critical in gathering feedback to create a successful or improved product. With more time, my next steps would be to incorporate the user's suggestions into my design and another round of prototype testing. I would also like to dive deeper into friend-sharing features, as the level of interest in this area was high.