01. Overview
L + F is an application concept developed as part of my UX certificate program at Bentley University. For our “Designing the User Experience” class final project, our goal was to utilize the UX methods and techniques learned in class to design the experience for a lost and found application.
Problem Statement
How can a user search for a lost item or advertise a found item easily, through a safe, secure, and trustworthy online service?
Goal
Develop tool that allows users to easily post, search, and return lost items in a safe and secure environment.
02. Discovery
Competitor Research
The first step in the discovery process was to research existing lost and found applications and other similar applications that have search and post functions. While no artifacts were developed for this part of the process, I was able to create a list of existing lost and found application services currently in the market and identify their unique types of features and capabilities.
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Bounty
I Lost It
Lifesaver
LnF
Find It
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Incentives (rewards)
Location marking
Using GPS to see what else is lost around you
Gamefication
QR code stickers
Item Status, Match Status
Option for businesses to set up business accounts thorugh app
User Interviews
Due to time constraints and limited resources, my user interviews consisted of discussions with friends and family on their lost and found experiences and what they would look for in this type of service. The biggest concern that came up for the majority of the interviews was in the security aspect and how to make sure they were not putting themselves in an unsafe exchange with a stranger.
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How to leverage GPS, locations services
Incude item descriptions
How to stay safe and secure when posting and recovering items
Mail service or third-party item delivery?
Cateogry search
Social forums/communities
Timeframe for returning items
Messaging to confirm items
Use icons instead of pictures to deter people from trying to claim items because it’s a high-profile item
Disclaimers or tips on how to stay safe
Existing users to receive notifications of an item posted within a certain milage radius of where they are
Flagging system for falsely claiming or dishonest behavior
Badges or a reward system
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Most interviewees mentioned wanting to have a safe and secure experience
Utlizing GPS services to help with locating or auto notifications for users
User Persona Development
To ensure that the users were considered during every stage of the design process, two user personas were developed for the two major functions of the application: finding a lost item and searching for a lost item.
Context Scenarios
For each user persona, a context scenario was developed to map out a situation of how the user could use the application and to empathize with the users by mapping out how they are feeling or what their thoughts might be during each step of the process.
Requirements Development
To narrow down the scope and develop an MVP for the application, requirements for both web and mobile versions were created. The requirements were derived from the user research and context scenarios, and categorized into one of the following four areas: must have, should have, could have, won’t have.
03. Design Process
Wireframes
Web App: The Finder
Mobile App: The Searcher
04. Outcome
Mobile App: The Searcher
