inktrail
Inspired by a year of distance and being homebound, inktrail is an app meant to encourage exploration and connect us to each other.
Project Details:
Team Members: Single person design team
Duration: Spring 2021 (6 weeks)
Tools Used: Figma and Adobe Illustrator
Category: UX Design and Research
Problem:
There are limited opportunities for people to meet and connect with others outside of work and school. A lot of what does exist is strictly mediated digitally, creating experiences for people that feel awkward and insignificant.
Solution:
inktrail is a scavenger hunt-based app where people look for letters written by others. It allows people to "meet" in a physical setting and in a personal way all while sending them on an adventure.
"How might we use shared experiences to connect people to the physical world and each other? “
Research
I conducted a series of 1-on-1 interviews to collect information with 6 users aged 18 to 60. Each lasted around 30 minutes. I wanted to know how people respond to things like shared experiences, travel, sentimentality, and virtual/in-person activities. This study would allow me understand why people feel connected to others the way that they do and how that connection is built and narrow down who my target audience is.
Affinity Mapping:
Research Findings
People like getting to know others.
Unsurprisingly, just simply sitting down and chatting with someone is how people prefer to bond with others. It’s comfortable and doesn’t require too much planning or energy.
Virtual settings are not preferred.
Virtual meetings (even pre-covid) were often discussed negatively by participants. Some described it as feeling like just another barrier. Most meetings that happened online didn't last very long or felt insignificant.
Games can facilitate socialization.
Games can incentivize people to participate and engage with new people. They're also useful in breaking down barriers and make people feel more comfortable.
People have complex emotions regarding aloneness.
Being alone was a source of anxiety for most participants. However, some felt a sense of empowerment after doing something like traveling by themselves.
Pen Pals are making a comeback. (Based on Observations).
During the course of the pandemic, I've seen several instances of pen pal programs being created in clubs or people requesting a pen pal through social media.
People are sentimental.
More often than not everyone collected something. It was usually a cheap, small item and there was always an association with a place. If it was a gift, they would be able to tell you who exactly gave it to them.
People like novelty.
They want to do what hasn't been done before or what will never be done again.
Brainstorming Solutions
I brainstormed solutions based off of insights I gained through the interview process. I thought of letters as a solution. Letters have the potential to break down barriers we find in-person without the awkwardness of virtual meetings. There is a large degree of sentimentality and novelty associated with them. Like a present, there is an excitement around opening a letter for the first time. Due to their personal nature, they're something you keep.
In terms of app experience, Geocaching and Pokemon Go were two apps I was particularly intrigued by due to their usage of game elements to get people to explore the outside world.
Combining those elements I got to inktrail.
Wireframe
I wanted the visual style of my app to be inspired by printed media. The colors I have chosen for my app were inspired by old paper, ink (duh), and things like wax seals.