In response to the growing need for a more organized and user-friendly platform for curbside sharing in Montreal, I designed an app aimed at facilitating the exchange of items among the community. This app intends to harness the existing sharing culture in Montreal, where people often leave unwanted items on curbs for others to pick up while addressing some of the challenges associated with this practice.
PROBLEM
Curb sharing is fun! But there might be some concerns.
Goal
How Can I Make This Experience Easier For People?
A mobile app that facilitates the sharing of unused items among individuals within a local community through sidewalk sharing. The app aims to create an efficient platform that connects people within a community, enabling them to easily share unwanted items, reduce waste, and build stronger social connections through the act of sidewalk/curb sharing. It also enables users to create profiles and list items they no longer need or items they are actively seeking, browse through the available listings, express interest in specific items, and initiate communication for coordination.
Research
What makes it so difficult?
Montreal has a vibrant sharing culture, with people leaving items on curbs for others to take. However, this informal system has its drawbacks, including a lack of organization, inefficient communication, and the inability to track the history of shared items.
Unorganized Sharing
The current curbside sharing in Montreal lacks a centralized platform, leading to a disorganized and haphazard exchange of items.
Inefficient Communication
Users resort to leaving items without providing sufficient information about them. There's a need for a more efficient communication channel to inquire about the items and their condition.
Lack of Tracking
There is no systematic way to track the history of shared items, such as how long they've been in use, leading to uncertainty for potential recipients.
Journey Map
To gain a deeper understanding of people's current behavior when they come across an item alongside the sidewalk and to identify potential issues, I created a journey map before delving into potential solutions.
Ideation
Considering the research findings, I made a brainstorming to come up with as many ideas as possible without considering feasibility at this stage. Then I narrowed down the ideas and I decided to provide a fast and easy-to-use app with the following core functionalities.
Simplicity
The app aims to provide straightforward methods for users to search for what they need and easily list items for sharing.
Location-Based Search
The app includes a location-based search feature, allowing users to find items in their vicinity, enhancing convenience and practicality.
Detailed Insights
Users can delve into comprehensive information about shared items, enabling them to assess usability and condition before making a decision.
Encouraging Sharing
The app is designed to actively promote and inspire users to share their items with others, cultivating a collaborative and sharing community.
User Flow
I created an user flow to see how app works.
Wireframes
I created the wireframes and brought a prototype to potential users for feedback.
After the flows were ready I made a basic prototype and asked users to perform a number of tasks. Then I could see where they were having difficulty and where I should improve the product based on real user experience. Then i made some changes after the test.
Add a search page instead of located it on the home page to make searching more effective
Seperate elements each other, change the size and color to make them more readable
Change the color to emphasize to see which page is on
Put categories on the filter page to make users to find better what they look for
Final DEsign
Through iteration and real user feedback, the design evolved into its final form.
Searching for Items Nearby
Once logged in, users land on a map-based home screen that shows nearby shared items. They can scroll, filter by category or distance, and tap on listings to view more details. This layout helps users easily discover available items in their area and encourages spontaneous curb-sharing moments.
Signing Up & Onboarding
New users are guided through a simple onboarding flow. They can create an account by entering basic information and selecting their location to personalize the experience. The goal is to make getting started quick and intuitive, so users can begin exploring and sharing with ease.
Project Takeaways
What did I learn?
This app streamlines the process of item exchange, yet its functionality could be further enhanced by incorporating an option to update the status of items once they have been picked up by a user. This addition would provide users with real-time updates and greater transparency throughout the exchange process, fostering a more efficient and seamless experience. By allowing users to mark items as "picked up," the app can better facilitate communication and coordination between parties involved in the exchange, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and trust in the platform. I listed three alternatives for solving this problem as a future step.
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