Find and execute jobs nearby. 

Summary

iOS app + Web tool

Jyve is a mobile platform for users to find, reserve, and execute jobs at nearby CPG retailers. As the startup's first designer, I worked closely with the founders to translate their initial concept into a fully functioning pilot iOS app and WEB admin portal in 12 weeks. The product is currently live and is used daily to perform thousands of jobs per week. 

Process

1. Define core product features
2. Visualize product architecture
3. Design prototype iOS wireframes + WEB admin portal wireframes
4. User test and identify pain-points
5. Iterate solutions and redesign

Problem

Identify and prioritize all necessary features for product v1.0.

Solution

I led the Jyve team through a brainstorming exercise to identify all the possible features and actions a user needs to find, reserve, and execute a job. I then built a collaborative GoogleSheet for our team to identify and rank the product's required and optional features. Team members were able to:

• Add / remove / edit features
• Rank features by priority
• Flag features as required or optional
  
  
   

Problem

Translate our list of features into a network of logical, dead-end free, user-flows. 

Solution

I used LucidChart, a collaborative visual task-flow diagramming software, to map and sequence each feature in relation to one another. Translating each feature into a visual object that comes before, after, or simultaneously relative to another enabled our team to understand a hypothetical user's flow of possible actions. We worked through multiple iterations on these diagrams with the goal of reducing the overall number of choices and clicks, trimming away redundant connections, and locating dead-ends.  

Problem

Design a visual interface that enables a user to access and perform the product's features.

Solution

Working from the LucidChart diagram, I marked each point in the flow that required a unique screen. I began with a rapid round of low-fidelity wireframes to define basic layout, interface, and information architecture concepts. These wireframes are crude, but aim to successfully communicate the product's big ideas to our team and investors. 

Problem

• Not enough information displayed for a Jyver to commit to an action
  eg. When a job expires, whether or not the store is open today, the full address of a store location, etc. 
   
• Reduce # of clicks
  eg. The filter in this round of design requires the user to first click Filter, then select $ or #. We decided to optimize this flow and have the filters sit directly on the map. 
   
• Buttons and assets are unnecessarily way too huge
  eg. The back button is the size of my thumb. This was unnecessary and wasted screen real estate. My client predicted that much more information would need to be displayed as we learned more about the product. She was totally right. 
   
• Limiting the entire app to two colors (Jyve Red and #FFFFFF) restricted our ability to codify active / inactive states and information clearly.
  eg. The minimalist in me wanted to try accomplishing an entire design with two colors. This turned out to be a huge mistake, see Arrested Development. A perfect example of the problems that arose with this palette was that users found it difficult to understand which dot on the map represented a Job vs. 'My Current Location.' We agreed to explore more aesthetically flexible versions in the next rounds.

Solution

I worked with my client to identify areas for improvement. While I can admit that I am an OCD aesthetic detailer, I recognize that my priority when working as a product designer is to make sure the product actually does everything it needs to do. I value elegant user experience over elegant style - always. So we took a few steps back to analyze whether or not the designs truly convey all the necessary information for a Jyver to easily find a job, reserve it, and execute it. Here are some of the big issues that needed to be addressed:

I went back to the drawing board after processing this feedback and took another stab at the design. We agreed to strip away unnecessary styling and push that off to a later release, focus on the fundamentals, and get a design that optimizes the Jyver's ability to do their job with minimal obstacles.