QYsea underwater robot - Taking the first step to build an ecosystem

My role

• Role: Senior interaction designer /Duration: 3 months (2016)
• As senior interaction designer, I was responsible for conducting user research, creating interaction design and presenting project results.

Project goal

Design the first version of companion app for underwater bot.
*see http://www.qysea.com/cn.html for more information.

Approach and result

Research/User interview - Learn about the needs of expert outdoor users and business use cases for underwater robot.

Five interviewee types over photos: yacht owner, expert diver, underwater photographer, beach tourist and drone hobbyist — Who we interviewed: five kinds of outdoor users, from yacht owners to drone fans

Table comparing beginner and expert users on mindset, ability and how they share — Beginners and experts want different things, from playful ease to technical control

Slide listing beginner use cases, usually served by resorts and dive centers, and what the app should offer — Beginner use: mostly through a middleman, so the app should enrich the experience

Slide listing expert use cases such as finding fish and surveying sites, with owners operating the robot themselves — Expert use: hands-on operation, so the app should act as a tool

Synthesis - Identify key functions for launch and provide advice on business development roadmap.

Two circles contrasting a robot with content against a larger ocean guide with a robot-plus core — Growth path: from robot companion to a wider ocean exploration guide

Stacked blocks from basic robot functions up to a rich content platform with the two concepts bracketed — Product positioning: start with core tool features, grow toward a content platform

Table comparing two app concepts, an underwater exploration tool and an ocean guide, by tone and goals — Concept 1 versus concept 2: a professional tool or a knowledge platform

Timeline arrow from a basic version to tool to platform, with function, service and social steps below — Road to growth: polish core functions, then services, then social features

Design - Create app structure/ information architecture and detail interaction flows.

Three grey wireframes of the chosen concept: menu, explore page and community feed — Concept 2 key pages: menu, explore and community, sketched as wireframes

Diagram of the app frame with a menu, explore and community screens linked by swipe gestures — App structure: swipe between explore and community, with a menu on the side

Design - Create visual design.

Two visual directions side by side: Explore With ME splash and feed screens, and a Fifish P4 device screen with community feed — Two visual directions for the app, one editorial and one product-led

Fan of eight dark app screens including device control, discover map, community, story editor and menu — Eight key screens in the final visual style, covering device, discover and community

Work done @ ARK Innovation Consulting / 2017

Design consulting @ ARKJenny LeeApril 24, 20172016–2019

Works

QYsea underwater robot - Taking the first step to build an ecosystem

My role

Project goal

Approach and result