This app aims to revolutionize the world of pickleball by allowing users to easily find and book lessons with experienced instructors. As a passionate player of the sport, I have experienced firsthand the frustration of trying to improve my game without access to quality instruction.
That frustration led to the creation of this innovative website, which empowers players of all levels to take their skills to the next level. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics, a group of friends wanting to play together, or an experienced player looking to refine your technique, this app has you covered.
With its intuitive interface and user-friendly design, finding and contacting instructors has never been easier. Say goodbye to the hassle of scouring the internet for reliable instructors or settling for subpar instruction. With this app, you can finally get the quality instruction you need to excel at pickleball.
Notice*
I would like to highlight that there is no actual dedicated app/website for certified pickleball trainers. The closest thing I have found during my competitive audit is a website that is a database for all certified coaches and players. However, it is not a dedicated website or app that allows you to book through their system.
I believe that there is a need for a dedicated app/website for certified pickleball trainers. This would allow users to easily find and book with certified trainers, and it would also help to promote the sport of pickleball.
I am excited to be working on this project, and I believe that it has the potential to make a real difference in the pickleball community.
Step one, Empathy Maps
This step helps me understand their users' needs, motivations, and goals. It is a simple, visual way to capture information about users' thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Step Two, Personas
Using these fictional characters that represent a group of users with similar needs, goals, and pain points helped me though my design process.
Step Three, Sketches
My original site map was too expansive. After diving deeper into the design and actual needs of the app, I realized that I didn't need all of the pages that I had originally planned. I will need to revisit the site map to make sure that it is concise and reflects the final product.
I used crazy 8's to get a basic idea of what I wanted to create. These are a series of quick sketches that help you to generate ideas. After creating a few crazy 8's, I narrowed it down to four different home screen designs. I then combined my favorite aspects of these sketches into a desktop, mobile, and tablet version.
I am happy with the final product and I am confident that it will meet the needs of my users.
Step Four, Digital Wireframes/Prototype
Digital wireframes/prototypes are incredibly important for the design of my pickleball trainer app. They visually represent the app's layout, structure, and functionality, providing a clear understanding of how everything will look and work before the development phase. With wireframes/prototypes, I can easily visualize the overall design, ensuring it is intuitive and user-friendly for players looking to find trainers. These visual representations also allow for early evaluation of the user experience, helping me identify any usability issues and make necessary improvements. Moreover, wireframes/prototypes serve as effective communication tools, enabling seamless collaboration and feedback among designers, developers, and stakeholders. Sharing these visual representations helps everyone involved align their understanding of the app's design and contribute valuable insights. Additionally, wireframes/prototypes allow for functionality testing, allowing potential users to interact with the app and provide valuable feedback, which will guide me in making iterative improvements. Overall, wireframes/prototypes play a pivotal role in saving time and costs by streamlining the design process and ensuring a well-designed app that meets the needs and expectations of players seeking pickleball trainers.
Step Five, Usability Study
Usability studies are an essential part of the design process for my pickleball trainer app. They involve gathering feedback and insights from participants to evaluate the app's usability and identify areas for improvement. By conducting usability studies, I aim to ensure that the app delivers an optimal user experience for players seeking pickleball trainers.
Participants will engage with the app and perform specific tasks to assess its usability. Their feedback and observations will be invaluable in identifying any challenges or difficulties they encounter while using the app. This understanding will guide informed design decisions and enhancements to improve the user experience.
To measure participants' perceptions of usability, I will utilize the System Usability Scale (SUS). This standardized questionnaire consists of ten statements that participants will score on a scale from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." The SUS results will provide valuable insights into participants' overall satisfaction, ease of use, and confidence in using the app to find pickleball trainers.
The usability studies will be conducted remotely, allowing participants from different locations to conveniently participate. Each session will last approximately 20-30 minutes, and participants will receive a $25 gift card as compensation for their time and valuable input.
By conducting these usability studies, I aim to gather firsthand feedback and identify any usability issues, ensuring that the pickleball trainer app delivers a seamless, intuitive, and satisfying user experience. The insights gained from the studies will inform future design decisions and improvements, ultimately creating a highly usable and user-centric app.
Conclusion
In conclusion, based on the feedback and insights gathered from the usability study, I have identified the need to make changes to the "Add to Cart" feature and improve the clarity of the checkout screen. Participants found the previous version of the checkout process to be confusing, which could potentially lead to user frustration and abandonment of the app. I also concluded that larger buttons would help usability and visuals. It will also translate better to mobile.
By addressing these issues and implementing the necessary changes, I believe that the overall design of the app will greatly benefit. The modifications aim to enhance the user experience by providing a more seamless and intuitive shopping process. Users will have a clearer understanding of how to add items to their cart and navigate through the checkout flow, resulting in a smoother and more satisfying experience.
I am confident that these design improvements will contribute to the app's success in helping users find and engage with pickleball trainers effectively. The usability study has provided valuable insights that have guided these changes, ensuring that the app meets the needs and expectations of its users.
More to come soon...
