Flush
iOS Mobile App
The Flush app helps you quickly locate nearby public restrooms, making it a handy tool when you’re out and about. It offers real-time updates and user reviews to ensure you find clean and accessible facilities without any hassle. Perfect for both travelers and locals, this app makes restroom searches a breeze.
ROLE
UI / UX
Graphic Design
User Research
TOOLS
Figma
Miro
Adobe Illustrator
Initial Problem
The Flush Toilet Finder and Map app serves a valuable purpose but is constrained by its limited features. While it effectively helps users locate restrooms, it lacks additional functionalities such as cleanliness ratings, accessibility details, or user reviews beyond basic location. This limitation can reduce the app's overall effectiveness and user satisfaction.
Initial Questions
- What are the primary needs and pain points of users when searching for public restrooms?
- What types of users may use this app and how might their needs differ?
- Are there specific functionalities missing from the current app that could enhance user experience?
- How does the app compare to similar restroom finder apps or other related tools?
- How accessible is the app for users with disabilities?
- Are there improvements that can be made to ensure the app is usable by everyone?
Research
Identifying our Users
The Flush app caters to a variety of users, from travelers and commuters to families with young children, people with medical conditions, and individuals with disabilities. Each user type has specific needs, whether it’s finding accessible restrooms, ensuring cleanliness, or simply locating the nearest facility in a hurry. By understanding these different user groups, we can create a more personalized experience that truly meets their expectations and makes restroom searches quicker and more reliable.
Strengths
The app shines in its simplicity and core functionality. It effectively helps users find nearby public restrooms with minimal hassle. The interface is easy to navigate, and the real-time data allows users to quickly locate facilities, making it a practical tool for anyone in need of a restroom, no matter where they are.
Weaknesses
However, the app's limited features reduce its overall usefulness. It lacks filters for cleanliness and accessibility, leaving users without vital information that could make their search more efficient. The absence of user reviews or additional restroom details also restricts its ability to provide a fully informed experience. As a result, some users may find the app helpful but not comprehensive enough for their needs.
Opportunities
One of the primary reasons why Venmo was used was in order to split bills and checks during outings. However, there was no feature within the app to do so. Many users pointed out that they had to manually do this by some other means outside of the app. Additionally, since the app was primarily used in group situations, there was definitely a need to be able to create groups and help organize varying amounts of payments.
Target Audience Survey
To understand how the Flush app could better serve its audience, we conducted a survey targeting potential users—people who had not yet used the app but could find it useful if it included certain features. This allowed us to gather insights from individuals who might benefit from the app but hadn’t adopted it due to current limitations. By focusing on these potential users, we aimed to explore what features or improvements would make them more likely to use the app in the future.
Key survey questions included:
- What situations would prompt you to use a restroom locator app? (e.g., travel, daily commute, family outings, medical needs)
- What features would you expect or need from such an app? (e.g., cleanliness ratings, accessibility filters, restroom reviews)
- What would make you more likely to download and use a restroom finder app?
- How important is having detailed information about restrooms, such as availability or cleanliness?
- How easy or difficult do you think it should be to navigate an app like this?
- Would you recommend a restroom finder app to others if it met your needs? Why or why not?
By focusing on non-users, we identified gaps in the app's current feature set and uncovered opportunities to enhance its appeal to a broader audience, ensuring it could meet the needs of those who would most benefit from it.
Meet Isabelle Mason
My next step of my process involves building empathy, which helps me understand what added features might the users benefit most from. In order to do so, I created the following user persona based off of my research findings.
Define
Brainstorming
Using insights from my research and Isabelle's empathy map, I created the following table in order to draw out potential new features for Venmo.
Design Principles
My overall approach to this redesign was to improve the user experience of the app without changing the convenience that it offers. Here were my key principles:
- Replace the global feed with the ability to create and maintain groups in order to improve Venmo's social experience.
- Help users split expenses.
- Help users easily keep track of who they need to repay.
Ideation
User Flow
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Wireframes
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Mid-fidelity Prototype
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Feedback
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What went well?
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What could be improved?
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High Fidelity Prototype
Reflection
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Next Steps
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