Background
Volunteer effortlessly, connect with a purpose. Find tailored opportunities, join a passionate community, and make a difference. Shape a better world, anytime, anywhere. Impact lives and ignite change with Karo, the intuitive app for volunteering and altruism. Join now and make your mark!
Scope
User-centered design, User research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Visual design, Interaction design, Information architecture, Usability testing, User interface (UI) design, User experience (UX) design, Graphic design, Typography, Color Theory, Design Thinking, Motion Graphics
Role
As the sole Product Designer for my capstone, I led user research, interviews, sketches, mid-fidelity screens, user testing, final screens, and created a compelling visual identity.
Tools
Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, After Effects), Figma, Zoom, Balsamiq
Duration
Jan 2023 - May 2023 at Parsons School of Design
Primary Desk Research
I gauged from my competitive research that these apps either have a back-end platform for volunteering organizations or if they focus on the user, it's more to do with causes rather than quick activities. They also have a lengthy participation process that buys more user time & lacks efficient ROl. This in turn leads to fewer first time user conversions & lesser app retention.
Focus Group Interviewees
INTERVIEWS
7
ADULTS
5
VOLUNTEERS
4
TIME ZONES
3
STUDENTS
2
ENTREPRENEUR
1
Meta Insights
96% of prime interviewees said that they desire to volunteer & engage in altruistic activities but are unable to find engaging platforms due to spiritless resources.
User Tests Feedback
It's quite challenging to find your community while engaging in altruistic activities to keep it fun & persistent.
Carolina B
Entrepreneur
I have limited time on my hands but crave to carve out some to volunteer. Quick tasks from the comfort of my home would be a game changer.
Tanvi W
Designer
Can I volunteer for the most random things like assisting at the museum? I love new suggestions.
Pranay M
Student
Myriad Key Questions
How Might We
Ease the process of organizing or scheduling volunteering activities for participants?
How Might We
Assist people with finding & clubbing time from their weekly schedules to volunteer?
How Might We
Maximize volunteer satisfaction & interest by enabling them to customize their volunteering preferences?
How Might We
Match people with similar interests & find their community in a new location?
Create an engaging
How Might We
Help people find the right recommendations at the right time as per their volunteering interests?
How Might We
Create an engaging volunteering experience that enables people to volunteer at their convenience & find a community in the process of doing so
How might we create an engaging volunteering experience that enables people to volunteer at their convenience & find a community in the process of doing so?
Through rapid sketching sessions with peers, we generated diverse concept ideas in just 5 minutes, expanding our innovation and idea base for the Most Viable Product (MVP). I contributed features like an Altruistic Activity Recommender, Quick Tasks for home-based engagement, finding niche task communities, and a Nudge feature to invite friends to activities. These sessions were instrumental in fostering creativity and pushing the boundaries of our MVP development.
Lo-Fi Design Sprint
I utilized mid-fidelity prototypes before proceeding to high-fidelity designs. These prototypes struck a balance between detail and speed, enabling efficient iterations. They helped scope my MVP, validating decisions and refining features based on feedback from stakeholders and users.
Mid Fidelity Prototype
User Feedback from the second round of Usability Testing
“The random flow is a great idea! I literally want to be suggested random little good deeds every day.”
Aarya G
Software Engineer
“The location screen should be mandatory in the beginning with a profile quiz.”
Pranay M
Student
“I really like the different scrollable shapes. Makes it more engaging to use rather than just a drop-down."
Fahila M
Student
“Instead of the traditional calendar view, it'd be nice to only show me available dates in a sequence.”
Tanvi W
Designer
“How can we connect with the community not in my friend list? Add a screen for Explore Buddies along with their activity history.”
Carolina B
Entrepreneur
“Do you want to consider a new name for Buddy Hour as it could get confusing? You could try AnyBuddy or CommunityNexus.”
Lynn K
Professor
Systems Map & Scoping MVP
The system map guided the scoping of my MVP and provided a clear pathway for each feature in my app, ensuring a well-structured and organized user experience. It also helped me narrow down on my top rated features as per my usability tests.
Find a Community within your niche interests to make altruism & volunteering a fun activity
Saves you time by recommending quick altruistic activities in your vicinity.
Random Altruistic Task Recommender to help you volunteer from a number of options
Quick activities from the comfort of your home that span between 10 minutes to an hour
User Journey Map
The user journey helped me carve out ideal situations for Karo's users. In this instance, I've used an international student as my target user as depicted in the map herewith.
The MSCW Framework
Applying the MSCW framework to Karo was instrumental in streamlining feature prioritization for UI design. By categorizing features into Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won't-Have, the team efficiently met user needs, focused efforts, and prevented scope creep. This structured approach ensured user satisfaction and successful product outcomes, guiding the team towards a well-balanced and impactful app development process.
Onboarding
Onboarding is a crucial app feature, essential for engaging users and retaining their attention. A seamless onboarding experience should be both self-explanatory and captivating. Employing Hick's Law, a powerful UX design principle, my entire app incorporates the "power of three" concept. By limiting choices to three options, users can make decisions efficiently. This approach is evident throughout the app, including the Speed Deed Feature, where simplicity and user-friendliness are paramount. Emphasizing Recognition over Recall ensures a smooth and enjoyable user experience, fostering satisfaction and encouraging users to remain active and involved within the app.
Final High Fidelity Design
Karo's journey was truly surreal and enlightening. At the start, I felt lost in the fast-paced app world, unsure of the digital product to create for societal impact. Eventually, I realized that giving back and volunteering brings genuine happiness - a core desire for any human being. This roller coaster ride taught me the immense power of a user-first approach, embracing the iterative and boundless nature of designing. Usability testing proved vital in crafting an intuitive UI for the right audience. Months of effort led to widespread appreciation for Karo's high-fidelity prototype, a shining example of thoughtful & intuitive app design.
Speed Deed Feature
The innovative Speed Deed feature addresses a fundamental issue faced by volunteers and individuals—time constraints. Many struggle to find the time for altruistic endeavors, resulting in a missed opportunity to create a positive impact in the world. Speed Deed offers a solution by presenting categorized tasks as 'Offline' or 'Online,' accommodating individual preferences. Users can time themselves with 3 flexible options, aligning with their most productive timeframe. Embarking on their difference-making journey, Speed Deed becomes the catalyst for transforming intentions into meaningful actions, bridging the gap between the desire to help and actually making a difference.
Calendar Feature
The calendar feature emerges as a vital component, evident from usability tests, with scheduling as a primary task. Two calendar views are available: The List View for effortless micro-management - adding, editing, or deleting upcoming events stacked in a list format, and The Holistic View for a comprehensive monthly or weekly glance, aiding proactive planning. Seamlessly manage your schedule, enhance productivity, and embrace organizational prowess with these dynamic calendar views.
Karo Karma Feature
Karo Karma - Your ultimate personal dashboard awaits you, providing a comprehensive view of all your activities and upcoming tasks within the app. This platform serves as your perfect record of the Karma you've earned, thoughtfully categorized to include Hours Spent, All Activities, as well as cherished Memories captured through photographs and videos. And that's not all – your profile seamlessly integrates into this enriching experience.
Stay organized, motivated, and inspired as you journey through life's accomplishments with Karo Karma by your side. Embrace productivity, relish treasured moments, and plan for the future, all within this empowering platform.
Interact with Live Figma Prototype
Any Buddy Feature
Discover the power of the Any Buddy Feature—connecting you with nearby companions who share your passions. Embrace like-minded individuals from your area or niche preferences, united by the common goal to 'Make an Impact. Anytime! Anywhere!' Forge meaningful connections, seize opportunities to collaborate, and influence positive change. With this feature at your disposal, creating a lasting impact in your life and beyond knows no boundaries. Whether in your local community or across the globe, be part of a supportive network driven by shared interests and a commitment to making a difference—wherever you are.
