COVID Navigation
This work uses a human-centered design approach to develop a COVID application that allows users to access the latest COVID-19 information quickly and accurately and feel safe in their daily choices. The method includes conducting user research, determining target audience needs, and investigating current dashboards and applications.
Scope // Foundations of Human Centered Design
Role in Team // Concept, Research, Design
Duration // One Semester
Tools // Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, Google Forms
CONTEXT
BACKGROUND // “Prevention is better than cure,” and having a knowledge of how to prevent the disease is needed to fight against the disease. In this current COVID pandemic, there is a need for an application that allows users to view the situation around them. In todays' era, people need to step out of their homes for their day-to-day activities. One primary concern that a user thinks is "If it is safe to travel?" or "If people around me are vaccinated or not?" These questions led to the foundation of this work. This study aims to give the users the ability to check the COVID stats near them, assess the severity of the situation, and make an informed decision if it is safe to travel to a particular location.
PROJECT GOALS // COVID-19 applications have been popular ever since the pandemic in March 2020; however, none of the applications have all the information users seek within one platform, such as vaccination information. This project aims to provide the latest COVID-19 information quickly and accurately to the general population that allows them to feel safe in their daily choices. This study is framed on the design problem “How might we feel safe about our daily surroundings during COVID-19 especially when it comes to traveling to different places?”.
METHODOLOGY
To achieve our research objectives, we incorporated five phases of the human-centered design process methods, as follows:
-
The empathizing process helps understand and identify the target audience and the users’ needs for developing a COVID application.
-
Defining process determines users’ goals, needs, and design problems with the collected information.
-
Ideating helped generate and brainstorm solutions for the identified problems by sketching.
-
Prototyping involves exploring and developing the design of a new application based on ideation sketches.
-
Lastly, prototype testing with users to analyze users’ satisfaction and effectiveness
Empathizing helps identify users' needs and features for a COVID application. Preliminary research led to an understanding of the limitations in current dashboards and applications, followed by brainstorming different ideas and components for the proposed design. Secondary research narrowed down the users by asking questions such as how often do they google "covid cases" and how often do they base travel plans or daily decisions based on the number of COVID cases around them. Results from 108 participants showed that 74% of participants wonder about people around being vaccinated, 75% believe that having quick access to COVID related information will benefit them, 74% find it easier to take information throughout the visual representation, 85.2% use private vehicles as a method of transportation, and 55% make travel plans or daily decisions based on the number of COVID cases around them. The ideation process involves a design research team gathering to discuss the results of surveys and interviews to create a storyboard and personas, as well as implementing scribble sketching to find patterns amongst the team’s ideas.
PROTOTYPE
The team developed a high-fidelity prototype with two critical components: navigation and COVID-19 related data. Navigation includes daily confirmation that the user does not currently have COVID, assistance with navigation between two points, and letting the user know if they might interact with a current positive COVID-19 case. The search function is straightforward, with the user searching for a location, selecting the correct location, and choosing the mode of transportation before receiving directions. The application provides a count of active COVID cases on the route and other information. It also stores the user's COVID-related data and monitors any symptoms if exposed to an active case.
EVALUATION
Usability and feedback surveys led to the collection of nine responses. All participants agreed the app was simple to use. The results indicate that participants completed a task efficiently using the app. In addition, the app is easy to learn, intuitive, and finding information is straightforward. Also, participants' feedback stated that an initial tutorial could be helpful with a slightly more organized home page. The app encompasses all the features required by a user, thus removing the need for using multiple apps.
CONCLUSION
This project faced many limitations, such as a small sample size and limited access to different categories of people. The resulting prototype consisted of the general population based on location, and multiple iterations were not conducted after the first usability test. With the rise in COVID-19, there is a need for a single-stop application that gives live updates on COVID-19 data and statistics, serves as a navigational tool, and stores user information, including vaccine records. The research-based COVID-19 prototype using human-centered design allows users to be updated on the COVID-related information near them and make informed traveling decisions using a one-stop app.
COVID Navigation
This work uses a human-centered design approach to develop a COVID application that allows users to access the latest COVID-19 information quickly and accurately and feel safe in their daily choices. The method includes conducting user research, determining target audience needs, and investigating current dashboards and applications.
Scope // Foundations of Human Centered Design
Role in Team // Concept, Research, Design
Duration // One Semester
Tools // Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, Google Forms
CONTEXT
BACKGROUND // “Prevention is better than cure,” and having a knowledge of how to prevent the disease is needed to fight against the disease. In this current COVID pandemic, there is a need for an application that allows users to view the situation around them. In todays' era, people need to step out of their homes for their day-to-day activities. One primary concern that a user thinks is "If it is safe to travel?" or "If people around me are vaccinated or not?" These questions led to the foundation of this work. This study aims to give the users the ability to check the COVID stats near them, assess the severity of the situation, and make an informed decision if it is safe to travel to a particular location.
PROJECT GOALS // COVID-19 applications have been popular ever since the pandemic in March 2020; however, none of the applications have all the information users seek within one platform, such as vaccination information. This project aims to provide the latest COVID-19 information quickly and accurately to the general population that allows them to feel safe in their daily choices. This study is framed on the design problem “How might we feel safe about our daily surroundings during COVID-19 especially when it comes to traveling to different places?”.
METHODOLOGY
To achieve our research objectives, we incorporated five phases of the human-centered design process methods, as follows:
-
The empathizing process helps understand and identify the target audience and the users’ needs for developing a COVID application.
-
Defining process determines users’ goals, needs, and design problems with the collected information.
-
Ideating helped generate and brainstorm solutions for the identified problems by sketching.
-
Prototyping involves exploring and developing the design of a new application based on ideation sketches.
-
Lastly, prototype testing with users to analyze users’ satisfaction and effectiveness
Empathizing helps identify users' needs and features for a COVID application. Preliminary research led to an understanding of the limitations in current dashboards and applications, followed by brainstorming different ideas and components for the proposed design. Secondary research narrowed down the users by asking questions such as how often do they google "covid cases" and how often do they base travel plans or daily decisions based on the number of COVID cases around them. Results from 108 participants showed that 74% of participants wonder about people around being vaccinated, 75% believe that having quick access to COVID related information will benefit them,74% find it easier to take information throughout the visual representation, 85.2% use private vehicles as a method of transportation, and 55% make travel plans or daily decisions based on the number of COVID cases around them. The ideation process involves a design research team gathering to discuss the results of surveys and interviews to create a storyboard and personas, as well as implementing scribble sketching to find patterns amongst the team’s ideas.
PROTOTYPE
The team developed a high-fidelity prototype with two critical components: navigation and COVID-19 related data.Navigation includes daily confirmation that the user does not currently have COVID, assistance with navigation between two points, and letting the user know if they might interact with a current positive COVID-19 case. The search function is straightforward, with the user searching for a location, selecting the correct location, and choosing the mode of transportation before receiving directions. The application provides a count of active COVID cases on the route and other information. It also stores the user's COVID-related data and monitors any symptoms if exposed to an active case.
EVALUATION
Usability and feedback surveys led to the collection of nine responses. All participants agreed the app was simple to use. The results indicate that participants completed a task efficiently using the app. In addition, the app is easy to learn, intuitive, and finding information is straightforward. Also, participants' feedback stated that an initial tutorial could be helpful with a slightly more organized home page. The app encompasses all the features required by a user, thus removing the need for using multiple apps.
CONCLUSION
This project faced many limitations, such as a small sample size and limited access to different categories of people. The resulting prototype consisted of the general population based on location, and multiple iterations were not conducted after the first usability test. With the rise in COVID-19, there is a need for a single-stop application that gives live updates on COVID-19 data and statistics, serves as a navigational tool, and stores user information, including vaccine records. The research-based COVID-19 prototype using human-centered design allows users to be updated on the COVID-related information near them and make informed traveling decisions using a one-stop app.