

CASE STUDY:
PRICE PATROL

PROCESS OVERVIEW

User Personas
Design Direction
Sketches & Ideation

DEFINE
Digital Wireframes
Preliminary Style Guide
Interactive Prototype

DEVELOP
Usability Testing
Visual Design
Polish & Iteration

DELIVER
Heuristics & Usability
Competitive Analysis
Secondary Research
DISCOVER


DIRECTING OUR EFFORTS
With data in hand and a stronger understanding of context, I assisted our lead researcher in affinity mapping, resulting in the development of user personas - brought to life through secondary research.
I then created a list of design goals, employing these benchmarks as I led feature prioritization utilizing the MoSCoW method. Working with our interface designer, I sketched our best solutions during a collective design studio process, preparing the team for continued digital development.

Above, pain points are used to organize qualitative data gathered from interviews. During the process of persona development, common frustrations were documented extensively, allowing team members to begin ideation by proposing relevant solutions.
DESIGN DIRECTION
With a stronger understanding of relevant context, I worked with peers to quickly organize user data into a series of affinity maps.
Research had stalled our progress, but this last-minute push provided ample avenues for continued development. Significantly, the effort produced two strong personas: Linda and Rebecca.
Acknowledging the need to focus our efforts, I reviewed the results of our heuristic and market analyses, concluding that Rebecca's needs would be better met by existing services.
Working to extend team empathy for Linda's struggles, I reviewed secondary literature, applying relevant mental models drawn from The Paradox of Choice to better understand her thinking.
From here, I led the team in collaborative brainstorming, weighing the perceived impact of various solutions against collective time and resources. With too many features on the table, I broke out the MoSCoW method in order to aid prioritization.
We agreed that our first priority should be refinements to the app's existing functionality, and to this end, I developed a series of design goals based on our transcribed meeting notes.
Our next concern was the app's value prop. Based on Linda's unmet needs, we moved forward with mobile integrations chosen to enable efficient use, alongside planning & organizational tools.
With design direction seemingly in place, I delegated exploratory tasks, challenging the team to articulate their vision of the updated Price Patrol. That was when things really went off the rails.


PRIMARY PERSONA:
Linda McMullen
"I want to get the best deals for my family."
OVERVIEW
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49, stay-at-home mother of two
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organized, resourceful, and caring
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lower then average tech empathy
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values family, community, and personal growth
BEHAVIORS
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keeps a daily journal, and a bulletin board for scheduling
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volunteers with the PTA and other local organizations
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runs errands, does chores, acts as family chauffeur
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budgets household expenses, preferring to shop local
PAIN POINTS
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inability to find specific products or product details
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time-intensive process of driving between stores
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limited working memory when comparing options
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self-directed stress of thinking she could have planned better (maximizer personality trait)
BRINGING LINDA TO LIFE
USER STORIES AND SECONDARY RESEARCH
Our perception of Price Patrol's intended end user was illuminated by outside sources, including mental models developed by prominent psychologists and stories communicated in user interviews. While more detailed findings can be found in the relevant process articles, the following details fostered the most crucial empathy.

THE PARADOX OF CHOICE
Synthesizing research from influential American psychologists Herbert A. Simon and Barry Schwartz, it became clear that Linda, with all of her obsessive planning, perfectly exemplified the Maximizer role.
In contrast to satisficers, maximizers are similar to perfectionists, and attempt to make the ideal choice in every situation. Tending to compare options endlessly, they think through innumerable outcomes before perceiving the "correct" alternative.

DEMOGRAPHIC REALITIES
While Linda may not be the first to admit it, her age is not a negligible factor. Being 49, she may have trouble with her vision, requiring affordances in the realms of interaction and interface design.
Additionally, Linda's technological context is not particularly well-developed. While she may have no difficulty understanding the benefits of using a smartphone, she's less likely to feel fluent in its unique language and conventions.

USE CASE SCENARIO
Linda's husband Barry is a prototypical satisficer, content with the first suitable choice. Thus, Linda takes matters into her own hands when planning a large purchase, forming the basis for our testing scenario.
With Christmas on the horizon, Linda plans to surprise her family with a brand new HDTV. With a budget of only $800, she wants to keep tabs on a trusted brand, but likely can't afford to buy until prices drop in the lead up to Black Friday.
RESEARCH SUMMARY
KEY INSIGHTS & TAKEAWAYS
While more detailed findings can be found in the relevant process articles, the following big picture items proved integral to subsequent ideation and development.

BRICK & MORTAR SPECIALIZATION
With the majority of competitors fighting for the online shopping space, I believed a strong focus on brick & mortar retail might be Price Patrol's best shot at differentiation.

IMPORTANCE OF
BRAND IDENTITY
While conservative branding was exceptionally common, one notable rival made the case for distinct personality - attracting a devoted user base with its unique and entertaining tone.

MAPPING &
METAPHOR
Price Patrol didn't speak its users' language. From the unformatted time and date info used on store detail pages to the clip art submarine logo, the app's value was often lost in translation.

LACK OF MOBILE
INTEGRATIONS
Unlike the majority of competitors, our app wasn't taking advantage of platform resources. Price Patrol's limited functionality kept its experience feeling more in line with desktop web.




