Unlock the extreme!
XRW is multifunctional web application and IOS mobile app, for skydiving enthusiasts and dropzones.
Role, team & time
Our team
Front-end: 5
Back-end: 2
Design:2
Product manager
Account manager
Database admin
My role
Product design lead
Timeframe
Summer - Autumn of 2021
The brief
Challenge
The client provided initial wireframes for a skydiving app. However, market research revealed the need for additional complex features across various platforms, including separate apps for the business owner and dropzone staff. We collaborated to refine the design and implemented an iOS-style interface as per the client's request.
IOS application
The app offers advanced search, direct communication with drop zones, seamless booking, and a pre-owned gear marketplace for skydiving enthusiasts.
Web application
Drop zones benefit from a dedicated management panel within the app, including features such as inventory management for specialized skydiving equipment, automated booking and scheduling, a dedicated ticketing system, CRM and e-commerce management, as well as manifest, aircraft, and staff management.
The research
User interviews
We interviewed 12 users from one of our main competitors to identify their needs, pain points, and the features they value.
What features would make you feel comfortable buying used gear within a skydiving app?
Have you ever bought or sold used skydiving equipment online? What were your biggest concerns?
Do you ever plan group jumps with friends? If so, what challenges do you face using different apps?
How would you prefer to communicate with drop zone staff before booking a jump?
What information do you find most important when searching for a drop zone?
What aspects of booking a skydiving jump do you find most frustrating?
How do you want an app to be helpful with equipment maintenance an safety?
… And what we heard
Nina
Dubai- 24
Just show me prices, amenities, and availability in plain English!
Mani
Dubai- 21
"Trying to work out jumps with friends using different platforms is a nightmare. We need a central hub to find drop zones together and manifest or somewhat similar "
Daniël
UK - 39
"Right now, booking jumps feels like it's stuck in the Stone Age.
Dann
Dubai- 43
"There are sketchy characters out there selling used gear online. An in-app marketplace with secure payment would give me peace of mind."
Davo
Dubai- 31
"Wouldn't it be great to chat with drop zone staff or instructors directly through an app? It would save so much time.
Parker
32
"Jumping solo is great, but sometimes you crave community. An in-app forum to connect with other skydivers would be fantastic."
Manoj
UK- 35
"Keeping track of worn-out gear is a chore. An app that helps with equipment maintenance reminders would be a lifesaver."
Foad
Dubai- 28
"Jumping with a new coach can be intimidating. Seeing their profile and ratings within the app would definitely help build trust."
Kim
UK - 26
"Finding the perfect used jumpsuit is like finding a four-leaf clover online. Advanced search filters in an app would be a game-changer."
Quantitive takeaways
Out of the users use ebay as platform to buy or sell equipments.
Of the users use dropzone websites to book their jump.
Of the users has to call dropzones in order to get more info.
Only 3 use social media or forum like platform to connect with other jumpers.
Of the users enjoy arranging their tasks without contacting anyone verbally or through messages.
Key findings
Verification of our Hypothesis:
Jumpers DO need a reliable platform to deal gears.
Jumpers prefer to book and reserve their services without call or texts.
Being able to check out/compare jump prices are a priority.
There is a gap between provided info on dropzones and jumper's needs.
User persona
My Skills and Expertise
Appartement: Your Cloud-Based Community Hub Appartement is an intuitive, cloud-based platform designed to streamline communication within your community. It serves as a comprehensive hub where residents and property managers can engage, share information, collaborate, and address issues efficiently.
Tim Burt
B2c- (jumpers)
Age
36
Education
PR Bachelor
Status
Married
Occupation
Office coordinator
Location
London
Personality
Organized
Encouraging
curious
Social
curious
Thrill seeker
Goals
Get pregnant as natural as it can get
Get quality care to solve fertility issues
Frustations
Painful procedures
Costly and long treatments
Needs
Comprehensive plan for all aspects of fertility treatment.
I need to be able to understand, follow and check my progress while in treatment.
I do better when i have a plan for my daily goals.
John doe
B2B- (dropzones) web app
Age
24
Education
B.E Engineer
Status
Single
Occupation
Engineer
Location
London
Personality
Thinker
Cautious
Stressed
Goals
Improve overall lifestyle quality
Get quality time with health specialist that fits her needs
Frustations
Busy life makes it hard to follow through all of my health concerns
I don't know what female concerns might be a problematic issue for me!
Needs
Eat healthier according to my own body needs.
I need a check-up to improve my cycle and hormonal levels.
Easy to use testing with a clear report that i can discuss with a specialist.
Keep track of health and life goals during time.
We were ready to begin UI design based on finalized wireframes, but our client requested numerous new features. The main challenge was ensuring a seamless user experience by optimizing information architecture and user flow to avoid conflicts within the interface.
We believe that it is possible to live in a world where every product or service is designed with an easy-to-use experience in mind
We believe that it is possible to live in a world where every product or service is designed with an easy-to-use experience in mind
GoXRW
DesignSystem
Our client made a strategic choice to leverage the iOS design system for the first phase of his mobile app. This approach offered several advantages.
Firstly, the established iOS design language is known for its user-friendliness and intuitive navigation, ensuring a smooth learning curve for users familiar with iPhones and iPads.
Secondly, by building on existing iOS components, we could streamline development in this initial phase, allowing us to deliver a core, functional app quickly and efficiently. This efficiency is crucial as it gives us valuable user feedback early on, which can then inform the feature expansion planned for later phases.
Thirdly according to the client's marketing briefings it was only efficient to focus the projects resources into the niche target market that are mostly IOS users.
Key Design Principles:
Mobile-First Design: Our minimum application screen width is 375px. Most components can be stretched to fit the user's device viewport.
Body Layout: Body containers have a default margin of 16px for padding.
Spacing:
Use 16px spacing between unrelated content segments.
Use 12px spacing between related content segments to visually indicate their connection.
Cards:
The recommended padding for cards is 16px.
If a card contains a significant amount of information, consider using 12px padding on the left and right sides only to improve readability.
We believe that it is possible to live in a world where every product or service is designed with an easy-to-use experience in mind
We believe that it is possible to live in a world
While every client is unique, some might not be as familiar with the design process as others. To bridge this gap, I recently developed a comprehensive presentation that outlines the design journey from start to finish. This approach aims to improve client understanding of project timelines, potential limitations, and budget allocation, fostering a smoother and more collaborative experience for everyone.
To maximize our efficiency within the project's timeframe and considering the project manager's bandwidth, leveraging a web application design system / UI kit like MUI or Ant Design could be a great option. These pre-built component libraries can significantly reduce development time and effort, allowing us to focus on the unique features of our application.
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