MY ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
Head of Product
MY SERVICES
01
Design Thinking Advocacy
Employed design thinking to create a user-focused redesign of the Citizen Rewards app.
02
User Experience Design
Led research and design to create a user-friendly and impactful platform.
03
User Interface Design
Crafted a visually appealing and intuitive user interface for a seamless user experience.
BACKGROUND
Citizen Rewards is a reward redemption platform and companionship app to Citizen Science - an app where users earn points for participating in STEM activities. This project’s aim was to redesign Citizen Rewards and create a user-friendly platform that seamlessly connects Citizen Science efforts with exciting rewards, motivating young minds to contribute to real science and enhance their STEM education.
Discover
The Discover phase kicked off by examining the Citizen Rewards beta app. I conducted a heuristic evaluation and held stakeholder discussions to pinpoint challenges users faced when finding exciting prizes. This user-centered approach provided the roadmap for revamping the Citizen Rewards platform.
The Citizen Rewards beta app's clunky interface hindered user experience. Obstacles included difficult navigation and unclear reward information, impacting overall user satisfaction.
Note: While user data is limited, design improvements based on established best practices were implemented.
Revealing the app's bottleneck
Key Pain Points
Difficulty finding desired rewards
Ineffective categorization and limited search functionality hinder reward discovery and navigation
Unclear value perception
Lack of clear reward pricing and limited user engagement with rewards impact perceived value.
Limited control and customization
Overwhelming navigation and restrictive filtering options limit user control over reward selection.
THE OPPORTUNITY
How might we develop a user-friendly platform that not only encourages exploration and seamless discovery but also equips users with essential tools and unwavering motivation, empowering them to actively and meaningfully contribute to various social causes?
Define
By thoroughly analyzing the Citizen Rewards platform, we identified key challenges and opportunities. We established clear design objectives and explored potential solutions through ideation, laying the groundwork for the redesign of the Citizen Rewards platform.
Research Synthesis
01. User interface
Comparative analysis and stakeholder feedback underscore the need for a modern, visually appealing design that aligns with industry standards.
02. Structure and flow
Evaluation and feedback revealed significant navigation and discovery issues throughout the app, highlighting a need for a cohesive user experience.
03. Positive engagement
Evaluation indicates passive user engagement, necessitating clearer cues and streamlined navigation for a more intuitive experience.
Design Objectives
01
Update user interface
Implement contemporary design for visual appeal and consistency.
02
Enhance discovery
Optimize content filters and search for improved user experience.
03
Reduce uncertainty
Offer real-time information and clear system responses for efficient interaction.
04
Structure and architecture
Restructure content and navigation for improved usability.
Solution Ideation
To define the scope of the Citizen Rewards redesign, I collaborated with the Head of Product to brainstorm potential features and improvements.
High Impact
Prioritize clarity in UI elements
Create categories
Information architecture
Enhanced search functionalities
Status indicators
Modernize UI
Low Effort
High Effort
New / Trending rewards
Badges / Levels
Reward gifting
Low Impact
Personalized recommendations
Group reward types
Donation option
Limited-time offers
Develop
Building upon the defined project scope, the Develop stage focused on translating concepts into tangible designs. Through wireframing and iterative testing, we refined the platform's user interface to ensure optimal user experience and alignment with project objectives.
WIREFRAMES
Key testing results
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
01 Personalized recommendations
Personalized recommendations effectively tailored the user experience.
02 Intuitive navigation
Navigation was designed well allowing for effortless exploration of features and content.
03 Efficient search functionality
The search bar significantly enhanced platform usability.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
01 Enhance status indicators
Provide clear visual cues for reward affordability.
02 Simplify categories
Improve reward organization for easier browsing.
03 Streamline exploration
Refine reward discovery for a seamless user journey.
Deliver
The Deliver stage brought the redesigned Citizen Rewards platform to life. The final product was launched and incorporated key features and functionalities that address user needs and align with project objectives.
Addressing our design objectives
Indicators for reward cost and point sufficiency (grey)
Indicators for reward cost and point sufficiency (green)
Tags for content and lottery
FINAL SCREENS
Reflect
Though the Citizen Rewards redesign wasn't implemented due to shifting priorities, it underscored the importance of adaptability in design. Focusing on user-centric features and clarity for young adults, the redesign had the potential to significantly improve user experience. This project highlighted the value of user-centered design, even when facing limitations on user testing.
CHALLENGES
01 Limited resources
Challenges due to constraints on budget and resources impacted the depth of user research and extent of design iteration which hindered our ability to evolve and perfect the design of the platform.
02 Organizational changes
As company priorities shifted, there was a redirection of focus away from implementing numerous design changes, resulting in a strategic reassessment of project goals and objectives.
SUCCESSES