Vela

A case study about the UX process

Vela is a web application that helps people to browse weather forecast during sea sports with ease. Vela is a case study about the UX process. The challenge was to provide beautifully displayed and easy to understand wind, wave and weather reports, forecasts and statistics for sailors, windsurfers and passionate.

1.Listen to the user

User Interview were conducted to obtain qualitative data.

a. What are the negative and difficulties that user could face when using a similar product?

~~Complex data~~ When you have to dig through stacks of data searching what you need.
~~Forced to choose~~ When you can’t choose if you want to look at a map or want to read a dataset.
~~Safety First~~ When data are not reliable and you feel yourself not safe at sea.

b. What are the goals, behaviours and attitudes of users?

~~Complex data~~ When you have to dig through stacks of data searching what you need.
~~Forced to choose~~ When you can’t choose if you want to look at a map or want to read a dataset.
~~Safety First~~ When data are not reliable and you feel yourself not safe at sea.

2. Meet personas

After interviews and research analysis it was time to synthetize. Welcome Claudio, a young and occasional sailor!

3. Information Architecture

It was necessary to understand how to organize pages and content. Saying it wisely: a map to place the map to place the weather.

4. Wireframe & Testing

Vela Web app has profoundly changed thanks to user testing (and hard work too).

Here you could observe the evolution of the app Dashboard.

~~From Lo-Fi to Pixel Perfect~~ The processes of wireframing, prototyping and testing were seamless.

~~Simplified palette~~ There were two colours, but legibility issues prompted a simplified palette.

5. Iteration & Validation

Vela Web app was not born perfect. Done is better than none, iterated and validated is well done.

Here you could find two examples of iteration.

Changing filters

~~Before~~ Users had difficulties in tapping on refine search and on submenu. Filters have to be immediately available.

~~After~~ It was all too cluttered and difficult to tap filters: best to have buttons to choose from.

Adding recover password
to login process

~~Before~~ Users were frustrated by do not have any possibility to have their password recover immediately.

~~After~~ recover password added behind the log in button as a text link. Sometimes validation processes could also save from distraction.

6. Hi-Fidelity and Prototyping

It’s time to celebrate and put the best suite we have and meet some features and characteristics.

UX is a process

Without research a webapp is just a bunch of mockups.

Observing users was essential to understand how a very specific product is used. Iteration is a way to understand how to prioritize intervention on a digital product based on heavy user testing and user interviews.