BUTTERFLY
WHERE EVENTS AND PERSONAL GOALS INTERSECT.
LEISURE ACTIVITY EXPLORER
Problem Statement
Survey
Leisure Activity Explorer
“How might we help individuals discover and book new leisure activities that align with their interests, schedules, and locations? (by offering personalized recommendations, social sharing options, and opportunities to connect with like-minded people).”
Role:
Date:
December 2024 - February 2025
Teammates:
William Steffey, Bianca Walker, Ken
Alvarez, Shilpa Francis, and Atharv Deshpande
Client:
The Muellers, hosts of the podcast “Hard to Make Friends As An Adult,” organize community events across Texas. They want to develop an app to help users discover their activities tailored to individual interests. They need assistance in launching this app to enhance their community engagement.
UX Designer
Research Objectives
Survey Methodology:
We chose the survey method via Google Forms online because we felt it was the best way to capture our respondents’ data. It allowed us to gather and analyze data from a bird’s eye view.
Research Objectives:
Our research objective is to understand user preferences and their pain points and evaluate the current methods of booking events through similar apps.
We targeted a diverse group of respondents from 18-65+, including those with families, couples, seniors, singles, teachers, and those who are disabled. Our goal was to target areas where events could be created on their behalf.
Purpose:
The purpose of the survey was to understand their needs, their experiences, interests, and behaviors while also noting their pain points. All of this information will help us design the app and identify areas where we can optimize its impact.
Competition Research
COMPETITION ANALYSIS, SWOT ANALYSIS, AND SEO ANALYSIS
User Personas, User Story, and Empathy Map
LET’S MEET: Ben & Lucy Hale
LET’S MEET: Frank Johns
Leveraging Outdoor Recreation Trends for Leisure App Design
Outdoor recreation significantly contributes to the U.S. economy, with activities ranging from hiking and camping to festivals and transportation services. This case study analyzes data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to better understand the trends shaping this industry. It identifies opportunities for leisure apps to cater to evolving consumer preferences.
Source of Data:
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) provides detailed insights into outdoor recreation's economic contributions through its Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA). This dataset tracks key outdoor activities' value-added contributions and supporting services.
https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation
Analysis of Popular Activities in the Last Five Years (2019–2023)
I also created a data visualization to illustrate the trends in various outdoor activities by category from 2019 to 2023. This chart helps to provide a clearer understanding of the shifts and patterns in outdoor activities over the last few years.
MVP | RICE Framework | User Flows
BUTTERFLY IA - MVP
BUTTERFLY IA - with Future Features
Based on our objectives, features, scope, and the RICE framework, we’ve identified these as key user flows of the Butterfly App.
Butterfly
Wireframes
User Onboarding (Creating a Profile) and Login by entering the user preferences and Bio.
Setting a goal by selecting the goal categories and time frame to complete the goal.
RSVP for an event and share.
Challenges
Takeaways
The Butterfly project faced several challenges in strategic problem-solving and design iteration. A key issue was creating an intuitive event discovery system that balanced structured Information Architecture with personalized recommendations, catering to users' diverse goals for personal growth and social engagement.
A gamified challenge system was incorporated to maintain user motivation, emphasizing the balance between engagement and simplicity. Ensuring UI clarity and accessibility required iterative testing while designing for future scalability, which posed challenges with features like a reward system and community interactions. Successfully navigating these hurdles strengthened the project's foundation and showcased adaptability in UX strategy and engagement design.
The Butterfly project focuses on user-centered design to create an intuitive event discovery platform. It features a structured Information Architecture and a gamified challenge system to enhance user engagement. The UI prioritizes clarity and accessibility, ensuring a seamless experience. More than just an event-finding app, Butterfly encourages meaningful connections and personal growth. The MVP showcases strategic thinking for scalable solutions, with future plans for a reward system and community page to boost long-term engagement. This project highlights expertise in UX research, gamification, and usability.
