Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes
Expansion of the Be My Eyes app's target audience beyond people with visual impairments, exploration of financial rewards for helpers, and concept for a subscription plan.
Expansion of the Be My Eyes app's target audience beyond people with visual impairments, exploration of financial rewards for helpers, and concept for a subscription plan.
Type
Conceptual
Timeline
2 Weeks
My Role
Project Management, UX, UI - I conducted 5/17 user interviews, 1/4 moderated usability testing, and played a crucial role in project management, product development and strategy. Moreover, I was one of the two designers in charge of the design and prototype.
Team
Group of 4
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Zoom, Notion, Descript, Maze, Midjourney, Raycast AI
Type
Conceptual
Timeline
2 Weeks
My Role
Project Management, UX, UI - I conducted 5/17 user interviews, 1/4 moderated usability testing, and played a crucial role in project management, product development and strategy. Moreover, I was one of the two designers in charge of the design and prototype.
Team
Group of 4
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Zoom, Notion, Descript, Maze, Midjourney, Raycast AI
Overview
Be My Eyes needed help in identifying opportunities for a larger target audience beyond visual impairment and adapting the app and its flow.
User research indicates that individuals face challenges in accessing personalized assistance, as well as affordable and efficient ways for independently resolving their tasks. This often leads them to spend hours sifting through YouTube.
Our solution addresses the needs of both help seekers and helpers. We build trust through reviews and ratings, increase confidence by providing upfront information about the job to be done, and improve the quality of content with a tipping feature.
Overview
Be My Eyes needed help in identifying opportunities for a larger target audience beyond visual impairment and adapting the app and its flow.
User research indicates that individuals face challenges in accessing personalized assistance, as well as affordable and efficient ways for independently resolving their tasks. This often leads them to spend hours sifting through YouTube.
Our solution addresses the needs of both help seekers and helpers. We build trust through reviews and ratings, increase confidence by providing upfront information about the job to be done, and improve the quality of content with a tipping feature.
Final Design
Final Design
Final Design
Final Design
Case Study
Case Study
Case Study
You can view the extended version of the case study on Notion.
You can view the extended version of the case study on Notion.
You can view the extended version of the case study on Notion.
Brief
Be My Eyes is a platform that connects people with low vision to sighted volunteers through video calls for assistance with everyday tasks. To reach a larger audience, they need help customizing the app. Additionally, they plan to monetize the service through a tiered subscription model and offer rewards to volunteers.
Brief
Be My Eyes is a platform that connects people with low vision to sighted volunteers through video calls for assistance with everyday tasks. To reach a larger audience, they need help customizing the app. Additionally, they plan to monetize the service through a tiered subscription model and offer rewards to volunteers.
Goal
Validate the expansion plan and create a subscription model that meets the target audience's needs and addresses their pain points, while staying true to the brand's values and branding.
Goal
Validate the expansion plan and create a subscription model that meets the target audience's needs and addresses their pain points, while staying true to the brand's values and branding.
Problem
Be My Eyes is a platform that connects people with low vision to sighted volunteers through video calls for assistance with everyday tasks. To reach a larger audience, they need help customizing the app. Additionally, they plan to monetize the service through a tiered subscription model and offer rewards to volunteers.
Problem
Be My Eyes is a platform that connects people with low vision to sighted volunteers through video calls for assistance with everyday tasks. To reach a larger audience, they need help customizing the app. Additionally, they plan to monetize the service through a tiered subscription model and offer rewards to volunteers.
Project Management
Before beginning the project, we created a team agreement outlining our working style as well as personal and business goals. I developed a project timeline and we adjusted it together to meet everyone's needs. Throughout the project, I took the initiative to ensure we stayed on track with our tasks and keep stakeholders informed of our progress.
Project Management
Before beginning the project, we created a team agreement outlining our working style as well as personal and business goals. I developed a project timeline and we adjusted it together to meet everyone's needs. Throughout the project, I took the initiative to ensure we stayed on track with our tasks and keep stakeholders informed of our progress.
Discover
Interviews
We decided to conduct interviews to gather qualitative data. My colleague and I prepared the discussion guide, while the other two conducted competitive and comparative research. We already knew that the focus of this stage was to expand the app for mainstream audiences and prioritize help seekers, while still keeping helpers in mind. So, we made sure to include questions for those users too - which will be our secondary persona. The brief instructed us to focus on people who watch "how to" videos on YouTube, so we made sure to select this type of user for our interviews. All four of us conducted 17 interviews in total; I personally conducted five.
Discover
We decided to conduct interviews to gather qualitative data. My colleague and I prepared the discussion guide, while the other two conducted competitive and comparative research. We already knew that the focus of this stage was to expand the app for mainstream audiences and prioritize help seekers, while still keeping helpers in mind. So, we made sure to include questions for those users too - which will be our secondary persona. The brief instructed us to focus on people who watch "how to" videos on YouTube, so we made sure to select this type of user for our interviews. All four of us conducted 17 interviews in total; I personally conducted five.
Trends
"I often turn to Google or Youtube when I need help with anything."
"I check the amount of likes, views or positive comments to know what content is trustworthy and will be helpful."
"There’s already a lot of free content online, but if the service is really good and I know I will get the issue resolved quickly, then I am willing to pay."
"I want low cost solutions that are relevant to my needs and abilities so that I can fix my problem quickly and independently."
"I don't mind subscription, but it would need to be a good level of service and I would have to need it regularly."
"I usually prefer text, but if necessary I like the idea of talking to someone directly and being able to present my problem in a video call."
"I often turn to Google or Youtube when I need help with anything."
"I check the amount of likes, views or positive comments to know what content is trustworthy and will be helpful."
"There’s already a lot of free content online, but if the service is really good and I know I will get the issue resolved quickly, then I am willing to pay."
"I want low cost solutions that are relevant to my needs and abilities so that I can fix my problem quickly and independently."
"I don't mind subscription, but it would need to be a good level of service and I would have to need it regularly."
"I usually prefer text, but if necessary I like the idea of talking to someone directly and being able to present my problem in a video call."
"I often turn to Google or Youtube when I need help with anything."
"I check the amount of likes, views or positive comments to know what content is trustworthy and will be helpful."
"There’s already a lot of free content online, but if the service is really good and I know I will get the issue resolved quickly, then I am willing to pay."
"I want low cost solutions that are relevant to my needs and abilities so that I can fix my problem quickly and independently."
"I don't mind subscription, but it would need to be a good level of service and I would have to need it regularly."
"I usually prefer text, but if necessary I like the idea of talking to someone directly and being able to present my problem in a video call."
Define
Persona
I was responsible for the primary persona - the help seeker. To ensure that the app would meet both personas' needs, we split into two groups to create the user personas. When creating the flows, we must remember to consider the secondary persona to avoid having to make changes to the app later.
Define
Persona
I was responsible for the primary persona - the help seeker. To ensure that the app would meet both personas' needs, we split into two groups to create the user personas. When creating the flows, we must remember to consider the secondary persona to avoid having to make changes to the app later.
Mike, 35
“I feel like I'm just taking up people's time if I ask them for help”
Mike is a busy young professional in London who relies on the internet to get information quickly. He often turns to Google and YouTube for help but finds it frustrating to sift through multiple videos to find a solution. He values trustworthy advice when seeking help online.
Mike, 35
“I feel like I'm just taking up people's time if I ask them for help”
Mike is a busy young professional in London who relies on the internet to get information quickly. He often turns to Google and YouTube for help but finds it frustrating to sift through multiple videos to find a solution. He values trustworthy advice when seeking help online.
Mike, 35
“I feel like I'm just taking up people's time if I ask them for help”
Mike is a busy young professional in London who relies on the internet to get information quickly. He often turns to Google and YouTube for help but finds it frustrating to sift through multiple videos to find a solution. He values trustworthy advice when seeking help online.
Trends
Trends
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
"Mike is frustrated with the lack of personalized help when attempting to solve his problems by himself.
He needs fast access to credible yet affordable advice to solve his problems independently and in a time-efficient manner."
"Mike is frustrated with the lack of personalized help when attempting to solve his problems by himself.
He needs fast access to credible yet affordable advice to solve his problems independently and in a time-efficient manner."
HMW
HMW
"HMW help Mike access credible and affordable advice that will enable him to solve his problem independently and in a time-efficient way?"
"HMW help Mike access credible and affordable advice that will enable him to solve his problem independently and in a time-efficient way?"
“I wouldn’t feel happy paying, but I would be happy tipping, like on uber eats”
Develop
Design Studio
Once we had settled on our problem statement and HMW question, we wanted to hold a design studio with our stakeholders to generate ideas for the solution and get them excited about the product. I sent out invitations to the stakeholders and prepared the design studio. Everyone was asked to come up with 6 sketches. The exercise took about 40 minutes. Then, we voted on our preferred sketches and refined them through iteration.
Develop
Design Studio
Once we had settled on our problem statement and HMW question, we wanted to hold a design studio with our stakeholders to generate ideas for the solution and get them excited about the product. I sent out invitations to the stakeholders and prepared the design studio. Everyone was asked to come up with 6 sketches. The exercise took about 40 minutes. Then, we voted on our preferred sketches and refined them through iteration.
Prioritization Matrix
We found plenty of ideas in the design studio, but weren't sure where to begin. To help us decide, we created a prioritization matrix map. This way, we could identify quick wins and maximize impact while minimizing effort due to time and budget constraints.
Prioritization Matrix
We found plenty of ideas in the design studio, but weren't sure where to begin. To help us decide, we created a prioritization matrix map. This way, we could identify quick wins and maximize impact while minimizing effort due to time and budget constraints.
Since our business was originally focused on video calls, it was a quick win and we wanted to keep this as the main feature and offer an option to chat or get support from a community. Profiles with ratings and reviews weren't initially included in the app and require more effort to be built. However, research showed that users find it essential for validating helpers and building trust. That’s why we decided to include those and give users the ability to save their favorite mentors.
Since our business was originally focused on video calls, it was a quick win and we wanted to keep this as the main feature and offer an option to chat or get support from a community. Profiles with ratings and reviews weren't initially included in the app and require more effort to be built. However, research showed that users find it essential for validating helpers and building trust. That’s why we decided to include those and give users the ability to save their favorite mentors.
Business Model & Subscription Plan
Before we could begin sketching, we had to figure out how the business model could function, especially since we were asked to explore a tiered subscription model. This was also one of my crazy 6’s and the stakeholder specifically mentioned they liked. User research showed that offering a free plan was necessary to attract enough users, as some were hesitant to pay for a subscription due to the abundance of free content online. We needed to determine how to make our plan accessible to all to align with our brand values. We questioned ourselves what the real value of Be My Eyes was and what set them apart from competitors - video calls and quick, personalized help!
Business Model & Subscription Plan
Before we could begin sketching, we had to figure out how the business model could function, especially since we were asked to explore a tiered subscription model. This was also one of my crazy 6’s and the stakeholder specifically mentioned they liked. User research showed that offering a free plan was necessary to attract enough users, as some were hesitant to pay for a subscription due to the abundance of free content online. We needed to determine how to make our plan accessible to all to align with our brand values. We questioned ourselves what the real value of Be My Eyes was and what set them apart from competitors - video calls and quick, personalized help!
We decided to propose a Free Plan that would give everyone the opportunity to get help via text or within a community. The Pro Plan would give you access to help via video calls.
We decided to propose a Free Plan that would give everyone the opportunity to get help via text or within a community. The Pro Plan would give you access to help via video calls.
“I wouldn’t feel happy paying, but I would be happy tipping, like on uber eats”
We considered the secondary persona and wanted to provide users with the ability to reward their helper if they were satisfied. This led us to consider adding a tipping feature at the end of the call, as suggested by one of the participants.
We considered the secondary persona and wanted to provide users with the ability to reward their helper if they were satisfied. This led us to consider adding a tipping feature at the end of the call, as suggested by one of the participants.
Sketches & Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
We chose to design for the native iOS app, as all of us had access to this device and could mirror it. After sketching as a group, my colleague and I split the responsibility for the design. We met up and created mid-fi wireframes based on the group's sketches. To be efficient, we divided the flow into two sections to work on.
Sketches & Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
We chose to design for the native iOS app, as all of us had access to this device and could mirror it. After sketching as a group, my colleague and I split the responsibility for the design. We met up and created mid-fi wireframes based on the group's sketches. To be efficient, we divided the flow into two sections to work on.
I worked on the second part of the flow, which you can see below. It shows what happens when the helper accepts your request. You can see the full prototype in the extended version on Notion.
I worked on the second part of the flow, which you can see below. It shows what happens when the helper accepts your request. You can see the full prototype in the extended version on Notion.
Testing
Following the first mid-fidelity prototype, we developed a testing plan for a moderated session with four participants. This was the most critical testing round as it helped us determine whether the idea and flow were working for our users.
Testing
Following the first mid-fidelity prototype, we developed a testing plan for a moderated session with four participants. This was the most critical testing round as it helped us determine whether the idea and flow were working for our users.
Main Pain Points
Testing revealed that even though participants were able to complete the task (Our ease of task ratings averaged at 4) , there was confusion and questions along the way.
Main Pain Points
Testing revealed that even though participants were able to complete the task (Our ease of task ratings averaged at 4) , there was confusion and questions along the way.
The biggest problem turned out to be the first half of the flow. For the first version, we only prototyped for the scheduling help flow. The home screen lacked a clear Call-To-Action and appeared more like a support or community page where they could browse topics, rather than starting the process of getting help. This caused confusion among participants, who were unsure whether they would be connected to someone immediately or when they would actually be able to get help. Because of those insights we went back to sketching and ideation to find out how we could improve the start of the process, which you will see in the high-fidelity prototype.
The biggest problem turned out to be the first half of the flow. For the first version, we only prototyped for the scheduling help flow. The home screen lacked a clear Call-To-Action and appeared more like a support or community page where they could browse topics, rather than starting the process of getting help. This caused confusion among participants, who were unsure whether they would be connected to someone immediately or when they would actually be able to get help. Because of those insights we went back to sketching and ideation to find out how we could improve the start of the process, which you will see in the high-fidelity prototype.
Design Direction
Before going into building the high fidelity prototype we decided on the design direction. I proposed to maintain the visual language of the brand to provide users with a sense of familiarity, as this is an expansion of the current app. However, we updated some small UI elements to make them more accessible and easier to understand. For instance, we included just one primary Call to Action on one screen.
Design Direction
Before going into building the high fidelity prototype we decided on the design direction. I proposed to maintain the visual language of the brand to provide users with a sense of familiarity, as this is an expansion of the current app. However, we updated some small UI elements to make them more accessible and easier to understand. For instance, we included just one primary Call to Action on one screen.
In the above prototype you see a mix of my and my colleagues design work. Due to time constraints we were only able to do an unmoderated testing session via Maze. The full report can be read in the full case studio on Notion.
In the above prototype you see a mix of my and my colleagues design work. Due to time constraints we were only able to do an unmoderated testing session via Maze. The full report can be read in the full case studio on Notion.
Other small changes included an updated color palette and reduction of the fonts that are used in the interface to improve scan and readability. Those are part of our style guide.
Other small changes included an updated color palette and reduction of the fonts that are used in the interface to improve scan and readability. Those are part of our style guide.
High-Fidelity Prototype
High-Fidelity Prototype
In the above prototype you see a mix of my and my colleagues design work. Due to time constraints we were only able to do an unmoderated testing session via Maze. The full report can be read in the full case studio on Notion.
What's Next
1. Implement iterations according to Maze insights 2. Refine UI 3. Research how to improve the app from the helpers perspective 4. Price analysis for subscription tiers 5. Develop the reward system 6. Research opportunity and desirability of Apple Watch app
What's Next
1. Implement iterations according to Maze insights 2. Refine UI 3. Research how to improve the app from the helpers perspective 4. Price analysis for subscription tiers 5. Develop the reward system 6. Research opportunity and desirability of Apple Watch app
Reflection
My learning would be that communication is key especially in a remote environment. It was definitely a challenge to align everyone with different working, communication styles and levels. I believe it’s also really important for a successful collaboration to have a good structure and schedule for the project.
Reflection
My learning would be that communication is key especially in a remote environment. It was definitely a challenge to align everyone with different working, communication styles and levels. I believe it’s also really important for a successful collaboration to have a good structure and schedule for the project.
You can view the extended version of the case study on Notion.
You can view the extended version of the case study on Notion.
You can view the extended version of the case study on Notion.
© Kristina Loewen 2024