Project duration
Project duration
July-Aug 2023(5 weeks)
Embedded Files
My role
My role
UI/UX designer from conception to delivery
Problem
Problem
Sustainability Has a Problem, There’s No Easy Way to Share
Sustainability Has a Problem, There’s No Easy Way to Share
In a world where sustainability and environmental responsibility are increasingly important, people often find themselves with leftover or rarely used items, like extra bread buns from a party or a unique-sized screw needed only once. Buying new or throwing away these items contributes to waste, even when others in the community could benefit from them.
That’s where the Give & Get app comes in. It’s a simple, mobile-friendly platform that helps neighbors share unused or one-time-use items with each other. Whether you're looking to give something away or borrow something temporarily, the app makes it easy to connect, reduce waste, and build a more sustainable community.
The Solution
The Solution
Where's the App for Borrowing or Sharing Instead of Buying?
Where's the App for Borrowing or Sharing Instead of Buying?
GIVE & GET is a user-centric mobile application that connects neighbors and empowers them to ask for, gift, or borrow items within their local community. The app will feature an intuitive and straightforward interface, ensuring users can navigate effortlessly and accomplish their desired actions efficiently. By leveraging the power of mobile technology, the app will provide an optimal user experience, catering specifically to the needs of sustainable resource sharing.
Competitive Analysis + The Gap
Competitive Analysis + The Gap
Gaps in Accessibility and Usability Among Competitors
Gaps in Accessibility and Usability Among Competitors
Apps like Mooch, Buy Nothing, and Facebook Groups support community sharing but each has significant limitations. Mooch lacks search filters and isn’t ideal for larger communities. Buy Nothing focuses solely on gifting, with limited functionality for searching or borrowing. Facebook Groups are not designed for item sharing, making them cluttered, unstructured, and hard to navigate. Overall, these platforms are either too narrow in focus or lack the user experience needed for efficient, sustainable exchanges.
User Interviews
User Interviews
Discovering What Users Value: Community, Sustainability, and Simplicity
Discovering What Users Value: Community, Sustainability, and Simplicity
I spoke with 5 individuals interested in connecting with their neighbors to share, gift, or borrow items. The primary goal of these interviews was to understand their motivations, needs, and pain points when engaging in local item exchanges. I then created empathy maps to synthesize key behaviors and insights, which confirmed initial assumptions about GIVE & GET users while also revealing deeper values around sustainability, community connection, and convenience. These findings directly informed the app’s user personas and guided the overall experience design.
Persona
Persona
Graphic Designer | 49 years old
User Story
Sarah is a busy graphic designer who recently relocated to the city with her family. Living in an apartment complex, she’s eager to feel more connected to her neighborhood but finds it difficult to initiate meaningful interactions. As a working mom, she values time-saving solutions and seeks efficient ways to manage daily responsibilities. She’s drawn to community activities like potlucks and playdates to help build relationships and support networks for her family.
Goals
Goals
Find a reliable and convenient way to connect with neighbors
Build a stronger sense of community and mutual support
Share and borrow items as a way to reduce waste and promote sustainability
Pain Points
Concerned about the safety and trustworthiness of exchanging items with strangers
Struggles to find opportunities to interact and form real connections with neighbors
Needs
Needs
A secure and trustworthy platform for borrowing and lending items
Easy-to-use tools that fit into her busy schedule
A supportive digital space that encourages neighborly engagement and mutual help
Clear communication features to coordinate exchanges and build rapport
User-flows
User-flows
Task 1:
Task 1:
From home page go to the search page:
Search for an item with the search tab and see if it is available or not.
Search for an item by selecting a category and see if it is available or not.
The Style Guide
The Style Guide
Wireframes
Wireframes
To enhance the user experience and design process, I iteratively drafted multiple versions of the app screen to address customer pain points effectively. Considering the user's primary goal, I prioritized the home screen's layout and interactions to ensure a seamless experience.
I chose this draft and I ensured to base screen ideas as the initial design phase progressed on user research feedback and findings. In addition to making the app compatible with assistive technologies, easy navigation was a key user need that had to be addressed in the designs.
Testing+ Improvement
Testing+ Improvement
key improvements I added to my design
key improvements I added to my design
In the initial design, the platform lacked the capability for users to apply filters when perusing posts. Recognizing the need for enhanced user experience, I added filters to customize viewing based on preferences.
I included "GIVE" and "ASK" choices at the post's top, granting users easy access. Simplifying further, I changed the tab colors on the "ASK" page to avoid confusion and added the title of the item instead of "GIVE" and "ASK".
After some research, I figured out that users want to be able to send a message directly to the person who gift the item and get more information. Instead of having to find the message icon at the bottom and then searching for the giver's name, it would be simpler for them to just tap on the "Direct Message" button right below the post.
Accessibility considerations
Accessibility considerations
1. Screen readers
To add alternative text to images for the visually impaired
2. Icons
To make navigation easier, icons were used.
3. Images
To help all users understand the designs, detailed imagery is used to represent the items.
The final screens
The final product
The final screens
The final product
After I conducted a usability study from wireframes to mockups, the designs were influenced by the results of the study. The research showed which elements of the mockups needed to be improved through the usage of a high-fidelity prototype.
Conclusions + Lessons Learned
Conclusions + Lessons Learned
Wrapping Up & What I Learned
Wrapping Up & What I Learned
Users of the Give and Get app often feel that their needs are well taken care of, as the app provides them with an excellent experience right within the application.
During my work on the Give and Get app, I discovered that the initial concepts for the app were just the starting point. I continuously worked on enhancing the app by considering its user-friendliness and gathering feedback from friends and colleagues.
Our intended users appreciated the app's design, finding it easy to navigate. They also enjoyed the captivating graphics and how the information was presented in a clear and organized manner. This iterative process of improvement ensured that the app evolved to meet the needs and preferences of its users, providing them with a satisfying and enjoyable experience.
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