Rationale and Presentation

The target audience that the Sherpa app is focused towards is New Zealand trampers/walkers in small groups of 1-3 people, with a beginner to medium ability. It looks at first trying to prevent an emergency by providing vital information in assisting users that get lost or injured on the track, and by the periodically sending tag points to DoC that users have tagged on to. Secondly, in an emergency the same information such as weather conditions, nearby resources (shelter, water) and live alerts (such as slips, track closures) would be able to be easily accessed in an emergency. 

In the event that a user is incapacitated or has an empty phone battery, the user will appear as idle between two tag points, and if the next tag point isn’t reached within a recommended time, they are contacted by a DoC Ranger. The user in two taps from the home screen can also initiate this function. We have chosen a simple map style, with information ‘layered’ over the map to create as little confusion for the user in an emergency with regards to where they are in the app.

Updated design

Skeuomorphic or flat design?

Through investigating what the clear differences and benefits are between skeumorphic and flat design are, we have decided that we want our app to have a flat design look with the usability of skeumorphic. From our user testing we can achieve this, through creating buttons that are bolder and have a more 3D look to them. We have also added small drop shadows/glows to different elements in order to make them appear touchable by the user.

User testing summary

Through our user testing we have found that some main elements need to be changed to improve the user experience. Text needs to be enlarged, buttons need to be known by the user that they are pressable, and icons prominent enough on the map. We will make these changes and re test with the same and also different users

User testing

Tuesday user testing feedback

Tester 1

-Sider needs to show scale in settings
-Make the Emergency
-Blue location button needs to be clear
-Circle outline for tags?
-Alerts need to be more engaging
-Remove button for emergency
-Emergency settings improvement
-Make everything larger
-Design screen for notifying someone.
-More purpose to what happens if someone got lost,how would you see the data?
would it notify some one?
-Use tags as a different shape
-Show that your location
-Show what happens on the other side
-Make everything bigger.text,graphics
-Send them a link with the map. So they don't need the app only mobile number.
-Remove high-low for weather.Add in wind speed and rainfall.
-No flat design?pins?
-Create a web page for doc ranger

Tester 2

-Back arrow on emergency
-Tag icons look like emergency
-Empty circle for future tags
-red colour = emergency
-Make pins clickable for more information
-Change weather for more information
-Warning button in the not on the end

Klaus meeting week 5

Feedback

-Doc button/be consistent with design.

-Settings button change to symbol

-button size/ enlarge

-Cut out double up on name and contact number in settings

-Have an intro to the app about tagging and filters that only shows once

-loose the info on the track that is behind your location

App structure

1st app design

Settings

Main app

Colour pallet

Site map

Logo/Name brainstorm

Design inspiration

  

 
 

 

Improved Concept

After our interim presentation we realised that we may have got a bit off track with our idea, and it was recommended that we go back on our first concept that we had in the first week of an app that tracks your location throughout a tramp through near field communication 'tag on' points. We will continue to prototype and mind map this idea until we are happy with it.

Interim-Wireframes/sitemap

Site map 2

Discussion with Klaus

After discussing with Klaus about our app, we realised we needed to focus our target audience to one group, and to one feature - done well. Klaus gave us an indication towards a possible target audience, professional hikers/trampers that climb competitively. We looked at how we could track their progress and their 'peaks' climbed while still being usable in an emergency.

Target Market

The target audience that the Sherpa app is focused towards is New Zealand trampers/walkers in small groups of 1-3 people, with a beginner to medium ability. Also, the users of this app would most likely be doing a day or at the most overnight tramp/walk on popular routes. It looks at providing these users with enough information to first avoid most common emergencies, but in the event of one to survive it as well. Also, it aids by assisting a user in the background in the event that they are incapacitated or have a flat phone battery.  

Interim new concept

Research