The CO Everywhere team wanted to test out a new concept. Could we leverage our technology to create an iOS app that focused just on event content? Would there be an audience for that app if we did?
We wanted to test our ideas fast. We iterated frequently, and built prototypes that we could put in front of potential users for feedback.
I began each iteration by sketching. Whiteboard sketches and paper wireframes worked well for internal buy-in amongst the small team.
Screens from early design prototypes
From there I would jump to designing higher fidelity mockups in Photoshop. I used inVision to create design prototypes, and worked with the developer to create iOS prototypes.
Tasks from in-house user tests
Sentiment card sort
We regularly recruited people for in-house user testing. This allowed us to get fresh eyes and feedback on early prototypes in various stages of development.
To help us evaluate if there might be an audience for the app in general, I did sentiment card sorting with our in-house participants. We had done card sorts of this type before with other apps, so I was able to use the results of those as a baseline -- would this app be perceived as more, less or about the same in terms of desirability?
I also ran remote user tests on competitor apps via usertesting.com. We were able to learn what did and didn't work well, and compare reactions to those products against our own prototypes.
Refined designs that made it into the beta version of the app.
All of these in combination allowed us to make informed, quick iterations. We focused in and refined the features that needed more exploration, and removed ones that were not essential to improving the user experience. After several rounds of prototypes and tests, we released a beta version of the app to a small group of testers while we continued to evaluate.
Our conclusion was that we could build an events app, and that there would be an audience for it. But to meet the needs of the audience the company could not just fall back on existing technology — they would have to invest in content curation at a level they were not prepared to do. There were other ideas the team wanted to pursue, and the events app concept was abandoned.
