Remote Workspace Finder App
My Role: UX/UI Designer
Timeline: 5 days
Overview
PostUp is an app that helps people find great public places to work from so they can thrive professionally no matter where they are located. I completed a modified GV design sprint to explore this challenge.
The Challenge
Remote workers struggle to find reliable public places to work from.
The Solution
An app that helps remote workers find great public places to work from based on their individual needs.
Day 1: Map
I started the design sprint by gaining a full picture of remote workers' needs, and the problems they experience when trying to find a public place to work from. I learned how often people find a spot they think will be good, then realize it doesn’t have what they need to be productive and they end up wasting valuable time.
In my user research, I learned how people want to work from places that aren’t too crowded or noisy so they can focus, take phone calls, and have meetings. It’s essential to have reliable, fast wifi and basic amenities, such as outlets and bathrooms. Once understanding all of this, I created a possible end-to-end user experience.
Day 2: Sketch
I completed lightning demos on 4 products to gain inspiration, including Yelp, Google, WorkFrom and SpotHero. I analyzed the methods each product has to filter preferences to find a place, whether that be to grab a bite to eat or to park a car.
I identified the most critical screen and explored different options through the Crazy 8s sketching exercise.
I focused on the screen where a user selects a place they would consider working from. This is where users review information about the place to decide whether or not it would meet their needs.
Day 3: Decide
The storyboard starts with the user’s question, “where can I work for a few hours?”
So users can find a place efficiently, they start on the search page in map view when they first open PostUp. From here, they can easily filter to their preferences and review essential information about a specific place. This helps users make quick and informed decisions without having to dig for details.
Day 4: Prototype
I created a functioning prototype in Figma for user testing. I focused on the user flow to find a public place, and rapidly mocked up each screen of the storyboard.
I wanted the prototype to feel as realistic as possible, so I included 3 existing coffee places in Denver that users could filter through. I researched each place to provide accurate information and included images that reflected the layout of each space.
Day 5: Test
I conducted moderated user testing with 5 remote workers. Participants were asked to imagine they were in an unfamiliar neighborhood between meetings and needed to find a public place to work.
All participants successfully found and navigated to a suitable workspace. Key findings include:
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Filtering capabilities: All 5 participants wanted additional filters to better match places to their specific preferences.
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Status indicators: The current status page strongly influenced everyone's decisions, but 2 participants needed clearer indication of crowding levels.
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WiFi information: Displaying the WiFi password confused 2 participants. Some interpreted this as potential internet restrictions, which deterred them from those locations.
Learnings
I appreciated the design sprint's structure and quick turnaround. The lightning demos were particularly valuable - examining products from different industries provided fresh perspectives during ideation. I also learned that recruiting participants on Day 1 and sending reminders the day before testing is essential to ensure all sessions run smoothly on Day 5.
For future sprints, I would design screens for all app tabs to get more comprehensive feedback during user testing.