THE CHALLENGE
When developing JoyRide the aim was to create an app that would increase the safety of cyclists while on their daily commute. To guarantee the effectiveness of the app the end user was consulted from the start upon every aspect. From basic functions through to colour and approach.
A key thing was to develop an app that was easy to operate that the user would find instinctive. Focusing on the key issues that they would face on a daily basis from danger awareness through education to safety based routing.
THE AUDIENCE
To understand the key audience for this app research questions were developed. From these an understanding of the cyclists daily issues were evident and personas were created to focus the progression of the applications features.
CREATING THE RIGHT LOOK AND FEEL
To be able to create a clear and easy to operate app a number of elements were considered including Illustration, typography and colour. The main goal was to create a service app that the user would want to return to on a regular basis. This would be achieved in several ways. Firstly by allowing the user to create a personalised profile allowing them to structure the app visually and to their personal needs. Secondly a strong educational element would need to be present enabling the user to increase their road awareness and safety. Finally the app would need to supply up to date safety information in an easy to follow visual display. This would be specifically designed with a cyclist in mind supplying the safest route for their specific journey.
DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGNS
As the designs progressed Sketch and Marvel were used to create both Lo & High-fidelity test screens. Initially lo-fidelity screens enabled the examination of the user flow, pointing out any oversights in the design. Hi-fidelity versions then improved visualisation of the overall app enabling test users to experiment and give informed feedback.
ONBOARDING SCREENS
As part of the design journey on-boarding screen samples were made available to the test group to understand any further development that may be required. These would also give the proposed users an idea of the styling that the app would adopt. Which in turn would give a sense of their reaction to the app prior to its final creation.
NAVIGATION SCREENS
As stage two of the project a navigational function will be developed. This had a number of safety features built in including: Ride preparation, Accident hotspot warnings and incident rerouting. Key screens were developed for the test group enabling the development of colour use and screen layout to optimise the apps effectiveness while on the move.
THE LOGO AND ICON
When it came to designing the logotype and icon for the app the intention was always to be bold and relate to the cycling aspect. With this in mind I decided to focus on a single chain link for the icon. Simple in its shape but strongly recognisable as the brands centre piece.