WilliamJDHall
The Inspiration
The Spotted Lantern Fly is an invasive species in the United States. It is indigenous to China and Vietnam and is believed to be introduced in the North East region of the United States in 2014.
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As we will see, many people can recognize the insect, but many don’t know it is considered highly invasive and just how destructive it is to regional trees.
The Design Problems
Many of our users are technically limited, how can we create a design flow that allows people of all skill levels to help us track invasive species?
How can we create one source of content that is accessible, informative, and empowers users to take care of their world?
The Proposed Solution
A mobile app that provides a single source of knowledge for invasive species and and allows users to track them in real time.
Timeline
Week 1 - Discover
User Surveys and Interviews, Competitive Analysis
Week 2 - Define
Personas, User Journey, and User Stories
Week 3 - Develop
User Flows, Sketches, Wireframes, Specification Guide, Branding
Week 4 - Deliver and Test
Component Library, High Fidelity Prototype, Usability Testing, Future Tweaks and Features Based on Feedback
Discover
Who are our users?
Most of our users (80%) want to identify a plant or insect once a week.
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63% say they interact with invasive species at least once a week!
Despite being a highly publicized threat in Pennsylvania, most people only know the common name for the Spotted Lantern Fly.​
Users are most comfortable sharing their Zip Code and least comfortable sharing their address.
User interviews - What else should we know?
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3 of 5 people interviewed do not consider themselves 'Tech Savvy.' Some even insisted we meet in person because they don't do video calls.
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People want to help but get lost researching because information is highly disconnected
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Interviewees could name the Spotted Lantern Fly but could only name 1 or 2 other invasive species
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Some people want to search by keyword
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People want to help!
How are people finding information?
What do these apps do well?
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Species information
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Search by image
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Scientific names
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Save to collection
Where can we improve?
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Local Field Guide
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Identify plants and bugs in the same app
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Provide multiple search results
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Provide invasive status
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Track sightings
“If a website or app is too complicated, or designed poorly, I won't use it. I will use something else.”
Define
Personas
The User Journey
Every user we spoke with talked about collecting information from different sources. Many simply gave up because how hard it was to find detailed, consistent information.
Only the most dedicated users were able to navigate all of the sources listed below to fully understand a species invasive status and impact.
MVP User Stories
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As a user I want to look up a bug based on a picture
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As a user I want to look up a plant based on a picture
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As a user I want to search for an invasive species by keyword
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As a user I want to report an invasive species
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As a user I want a catalog of invasive species in my area
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As a user I want to know if a bug or plant is invasive
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As a user I want to see a map of where an invasive species has been tracked (limited, needs additional research for future features)
Develop
Tools Used
Where it all comes together:
The Species Information Page
Common name first
'Spot it' functionality in header for invasive species
Tagging system for quick information
Stage of growth examples
Threats to the local ecosystem
Heat map of where the species has been spotted so far
Test and Iterate
Feedback from Usability Tests
Verify Image Page
Users understood the flow to the Verify Image Page and appreciated multiple search results.
Users were unsure if the image search results linked to the species information page.
Users appreciate the warning graphic helping them understand that some results were inconclusive, but they could still research them.
Species Information Page
Users understood the yellow 'Spot button in time, but didn't know it was functional at first.
The information tags were often confused for links to information on the page.
My Spots Page
Users understood the 'My Spots' logo once it was pointed out to them, but did not immediately know where the button would lead them.
There was a lot of interest in this feature, but users strongly opposed the app becoming a social media app.
Field Guide Page
There was excitement for the Field Guide and what it could be. Many users were inspired and came up with features they would want to see on this page including:
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Filter by location
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Offline Mode for off-grid use
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New content libraries for different categories like fish, mushrooms, and birds
"Sometimes I don't even know what I'm looking at on Pl@ntNet... But I like this, it's not overwhelming."
Refining in the Future
Tweaks:
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Update icon for 'Spot' on Species Information Page to be more clear​
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Change 'My Spots' and 'Spot' icon to be more clear
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Add 'Location' filter to Field Guide
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Link Species Information Pages together when possible
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Offline mode for Field Guid
Future Updates to Research:​
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Accessibility Markups so the app is compliant with the ADA and Screen Reader Technology
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Explore making Information Tags link to content on the Species Information page
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Redo content to show not just stages of growth, but distinct characteristics for each species and look alike
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In depth map feature for exploration
The Future of 'Spots'
Encourage users to track using coordinate data by allowing them to share Spots.
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Similar to Pins on Google Maps, users will be able to place a spot directly where they are and share it with their friends, families, and networks to help control invasive species.
Conclusion
Final Deliverable
Our prototype was created with these thoughts in mind:
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Make identifying a plant or insect by image seamless and intuitive
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Develop a model for a robust content system that can be expanded
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Allow users to search based on keyword
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Save users history by utilizing 'Spots' and 'My Spots'
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Allow users to 'Spot' and species from the corresponding information page
Final Thoughts
Most people I talked to throughout this process want to help tackle the invasive species problem. But there is so much information that the hurdle to understanding the situation is a major pain point.
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By consolidating data in one centralized location and providing tracking features when users are actively engaged with a species, we can give them the knowledge to better understand the situation and the tools to help us track these species in real time.
