PIN

Design Check-in "3x4"

Tasks

Fredrik is an avid hiker who loves finding beautiful natural features while outdoors. However, what he likes even more than finding these things is sharing them with his friends. It is sometimes difficult for him to do so as his friends don’t always have time to come with him when he wants to wander. He currently sends photos to his friends via text messaging and Instagram, but he wishes he could bestow on them a more personal experience. Fredrik is looking for ways in which he can share even more about the locations that he finds with his friends without them being there with him.

Kris is a student who enjoys reading and writing poetry in their free time. They find that they write best when they are outdoors, especially during times of extreme weather. They wish people could have a better understanding of how nature serves as their muse. One day during a thunderstorm, Kris watches lightning strike a tree and writes a poem about the incident. They attach their poem to the tree. In the future, people who see the tree will also be able to see the poem and learn about how it came to be.

Ask Detailed Questions

Taylor loves animals. She also enjoys biking and other outdoor oriented activities, and spends her free time going on hikes on the nearby trails. She is in the woods one day and hears a strange noise that she’s never heard before. Taylor isn’t sure what kind of animal this is, but is worried it might be dangerous or hurt. She uploads the sound, pictures of several animal tracks, her location, and her description of what she thinks might have happened. Someone sees her question and tells her that the source of the sound she heard is a crying badger.

Max is a resident biology teacher whose main field of interest is invasive species in his town. He doesn’t have much time to talk about invasive species while he’s teaching, but he knows that students and friends would love to have more information. While he can answer their questions, he wants to share his knowledge with even more people. On his way to work, he sees a vine and attaches information about how the species was brought into the area. Now people who see the vine will be aware of its status as an invasive species.

Hold Anonymous Discussions

Maria is an established painter and a local museum is holding a special exhibit to showcase some of her work. She goes to unveiling night, where there are mostly her biggest supporters. She knows that they would give her only biased feedback on what they think of her work, so she anonymously checks what other people feel about her exhibit. Maria also anonymously shares her own thoughts about her paintings with her viewers, but without influencing them with the knowledge that she is the creator. She enjoys seeing the honest opinions about her work.

Find Motivation to go Outdoors

Christina is not the most outdoorsy person. Nonetheless she is incredibly curious. She frequently feels that the reason that she does not venture outdoors more is that her sense of curiosity can’t be fulfilled just by walking around without the opportunity to learn more in depth about what she is seeing. Therefore, Christina is a big fan of museums. She is also quite competitive and would love to have a way for her outdoor adventures to be quantified and compared with others.

Designs

Mobile App

This design is a mobile app that focuses on the user’s experience while they are going about their daily life. First, when a user finds something they want to share, they can pin the location and attach a video, photo, sound bite, or creation. Next, this design employs a competitive mode to motivate exploration, where users can compete against each other in different difficulty modes to earn points. Third, users can ask a question by either placing a pin for location specific questions, or they can specify a general question without a pin, which would appear in a separate Q&A feed. Finally, users can get answers for questions when they tag topics, which will take them to different verified websites, or when other users post comments in response to their question.

When a user finds something that they want to share, they can pull up the map and place a pin at their location. Then they can post a video, photo, sound bite, or creation and attach it to the location. They will have options for privacy and location accuracy–should this only be visible to friends, or public? Should people be able to see this within 10 feet of the location, or 50 feet?–so users can feel comfortable sharing personal information while still interacting with a greater online community.

Task Image Take a video/picture or create something original. Create a pin for it at the present location and attach the media. Tag the pin with relevant topics and set privacy and location settings, and then post to share with the community.

Task 2: Find Motivation to Go Outdoors

This design employs a competitive mode to motivate exploration, where users can compete against each other in different difficulty modes to earn points. Points can come from distance traveled, posts shared, questions asked, questions answer, etc. There will be a leaderboard for individual categories or locations and for overall points, and depending on rank, users can earn in-app currency to spend on virtual badges that can be displayed on their profile.

Task Image Different achievements are available, as well as a leader board. When the user meets a requirement for an achievement, they receive some amount of in-game currency, which they can spend at an in-game store.

Task 3: Ask Detailed Questions

When a user finds something that they are curious about, they have two options. First, they can pull up the map and place a pin, choosing to write a question and attaching media if desired. This is targeted at location specific questions, such as “What is this tree?” Secondly, they can specify a general question without a pin, which can appear in a separate Q&A feed. This option is targeted at users who are searching for things, i.e. “Where can I find this lizard in the southern US?” For both options, users will be able to tag topics and communities.

Task Image Create a pin at the current location and attach a question, or create a question (separate option). This can be customized for location settings and will appear in a separate section, which is more like a forum.

Task 4: Get Detailed Answers

Answers come from two sources, general information on the internet, and other users. Information from the internet will be displayed when a user tags topics in their question, which will take them to different verified websites. Other users can post comments in response to a question, and there will be a voting system in place to weed out good answers from bad ones. Users will be notified when they receive an answer.

Task Image Find questions by visiting the Q&A section or by being at a location with questions. Answer questions by responding directly in the Q&A section, or tag the question pin with your answer.

Smartwatch

This design is an application for a smartwatch. It will take advantage of the location services that a smartwatch offers as well as the ability of the watch to pair with a smartphone which can play audio to the user. A user will be able to share educational information by leaving voice messages and audio at locations. Users can also get questions answered when walking around because the app can prompt the user to answer a multiple choice question about a location that another user has posted, which will then be shared with others when they walk around this location. Additionally, users can find motivation to go outdoors by utilizing step counting to remind the user to meet daily step targets. Finally, users can share personal creations by recording speech or singing and then pinning it to certain locations. When other users visit that location, they can listen to their creations.

When a user stumbles upon a pin placed by another user their smartwatch will vibrate and ping to alert the user to the fact that they have stumbled upon a pin. They can then choose to have the information read out to them through earphones (reading information is not enabled given the very limited size of the screen on a smartwatch). This feature of stumbling on pins will not only be enabled for educational information but if another user has left a voice memo or some other audio message at a location other users can also stumbleupon that information in the below fashion.

Task Image This task would be accomplished by the user by simply walking around the world and through that stumbling upon information that they can listen to.

Task 2: Get Questions Answered

When walking around a location the smartwatch app can prompt the user to answer a simple multiple choice question about a location that another user has posted. The answer to this question will then be shared with other users when they walk around this location. Given the limited screen size on smartwatches the questions will be limited to multiple choice questions. If a user is registered as an expert on a specific topic their answers will also be given priority in the feed of information in the app.

Task Image This task would be performed by the user by simply answering questions when they are prompted to do so by their device.

Task 3: Find Motivation to go Outdoors

The smartwatch app we are designing would utilize the step counting featured in most smartwatches to motivate users to venture outside and walk around. This motivation could also utilize features such as only making certain pins available to users who have taken a certain number of steps. The app can also remind the user at certain points during the day that they should be going outdoors in order to meet daily step targets.

Task Image This task is a somewhat of a passive task from the user’s point of view as this feature will always be on in the background and they will only act based on what that information is telling them.

The smartwatch app we are designing would be able to record a users speech or singing and then pin it to a certain location and then allow other users to listen to their creations when visiting that location. These audio clips could also be categorized into various categories such as, music, educational information and poetry. A user will also be able to draw quick sketches on the smartphone which they can share in a similar fashion.

Task Image This task will be carried out by the user by them choosing that they want to create a pin and then recording their message which they wish to associate with that pin.

Desktop

This design is a desktop application meant for detailed reviewing of Pins and exploring Pins from the comforts of home. The user will be able to hold anonymous discussions by viewing Pins, which are associated with a thread of comments that the user can reply to. The identity of each user can be revealed depending on each user’s discretion. Users can also find motivation to go outdoors by keeping track of which Pins the user looks at and when, and then suggesting Pins that the user would want to view in person. Additionally, the user can provide educational information because they will have access to more resources than when they are out and about. Finally, the user can share creations that were made with the resources of home because they will have the freedom to take their time perfecting their work.

Task 1: Hold Anonymous Discussions

The user can use the desktop platform to participate in discussions about Pins while maintaining an anonymous identity. The user can view nearby Pins, as well as Pins that the user has submitted. Each Pin is associated with a thread of comments that the user can reply to. The identity of each user can be revealed depending on each user’s discretion.

Task Image This task can be completed by either creating or viewing an existing thread by clicking on a Pin. The user will then type in their response and submit it to the thread.

Task 2: Find Motivation to go Outdoors

The user can use the desktop platform to browse nearby Pins that interest them. The platform can keep track of which Pins the user looks at and when, and then begin to suggest Pins that the user would want to view in person. Users can also view and submit curated tours of Pins that other users can follow.

Task Image This task can be completed by browsing existing tours or creating a new one. The user can then make their plans according to the tour they see.

The user can provide more detailed explanations of Pins with the luxuries of a desktop application, such as a keyboard and bigger screen real estate. The user will also have access to more resources than when they are out and about. For example, the user might have a textbook on architecture with fun facts that they might want to upload so that people who visit the Pin will see this information.

Task Image This task can be completed by creating or clicking on an existing Pin, and then typing information into the thread.

The user can use the desktop platform to share creations that were made with the resources of home. The user will still be able to Pin their creations to where they want, but they also have the freedom to take their time perfecting their work. Users will also be able to view other creations, as well as any comments on their own.

Task Image This task can be completed by clicking on a location, creating a new Pin, and then writing an appropriate caption.