App and design system for Native Woodland Trust

As the final exam project we were given the scenario of designing for Native Woodland Trust. The Native Woodland Trust is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) “dedicated to the preservation of Ireland’s remaining ancient woodlands.”

 

Brief:

Creating a logo and style guide for the marketing department

Designing, building and releasing an Android application, starting from low-fidelity designs and progressing to high-fidelity designs

Conducting usability testing with real users to ensure the prototype´s effectiveness and reporting findings

Developing a design system to provide guidance for other designers and developers

The task was to make an app where you could view different sites and trails that exists. The research of the existing and similar organizations was difficult, as it was hard to navigate and find the information wanted. I therefore started to research sites like AirBnb and HostelWorld, as they are well-known for their user friendliness towards having many options and navigating between these. This was similar to the scenario for Native Woodland Trust - only that the product was different. I therefore built the layout based on inspiration from these sites, as well as navigating the brief from the "client".

The front page is as mentioned based on apps showcasing hotels available. I also wanted to include both sites and trails at the front page. This is based on user research, where it was discovered that some users might use the app only to search for a specific trail - it didn´t matter which location it was in. Others wanted to choose site first. Here they will have both options easily available, but also easily divided.

After having designed a high fidelity prototype, it was time for user testing. The app was tested through metrics such as completion rates to evaluate the success of finding and sorting information. In addition, satisfaction ratings were used to get instant qualitative feedback from users after having tried the app. They were asked to rate the user experience from 1-5 and give reasoning behind.

The final task was to make a template for a Design System as well as filling in the basics such as logo, color, typography and button usage.