Problem Statement
Moving to a new country can be an overwhelming experience, and it's especially difficult for those who are already dealing with the stress of leaving behind their homes and loved ones. Therefore, I believe it's crucial to provide support to newcomers in order to help them integrate into their new communities as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Goals & Motivations
My goal for this UX design project is to help immigrants, refugees, and international students transition smoothly to the United States. Having personally experienced the difficulties of coming to a new country and adapting to a different economic, educational, and social system, I am passionate about creating a solution that can alleviate these challenges for others.
The app will offer a wide range of features and services that cater to the unique needs of immigrants, refugees, and international students. These include but are not limited to immigration services, information on local communities, details about government aid and health services, and general information about building credit in the US. Additionally, the app will offer practical advice on everyday tasks such as finding housing, opening a bank account, and navigating transportation.
The primary goal of this UX design project is to create a comprehensive platform that helps foreigners transition to the United States and adapt to the American system more quickly and easily, with a specific focus on those who are moving to Lansing, Michigan.
This mobile application is also intended to help individuals prior to their arrival to Lansing. This way the user can get a better understanding of where they are going.
Ultimately, our goal is to help foreigners feel more confident and comfortable as they navigate life in Lansing, Michigan, and the United States as a whole
What makes our application unique?
We are focused on helping foreigners who recently arrived to Lansing, Michigan. Our information is narrowed down to the Lansing Area. We are here to help bridge information access. We are not a social media app, we are not Google Maps. We are an informational page/app
Previous competitors wanted to offer an all-in application, to help immigrants nationwide, basically a combination of Facebook and LinkedIn for immigrants, this did not work, competitors got shot down due to illegal issues such as promoting illegal work and immigration.
Understanding Users
Recent immigrants/refugees who are new to the Lasing area and its surroundings. The user is looking to establish him/her/themselves in the area of Lansing, looking for governmental aid such as healthcare, housing, education, food, etc.
Immigrants looking for general information about transportation, public services, immigration services
Immigrants with language barriers.
Immigrants looking for a community in this case: e.g. Hispanic community, Churches, and cultural organizations.
Who is my user?
Conducted 3 simple semi-structured interview protocols. Open ended questions that would help me identify user wants and needs. Feedback and initial research was used to develop two user personas. Some of the Interview questions included were:
When did you arrive in the US, and how long have you lived here (Lansing)?
What were the biggest challenges you faced when you arrived in the US during the first couple of months/years?
Did you have access to information regarding the possible governmental/student benefits, such as healthcare, food, SSN, diver license, etc.?
What information do you think is crucial to know before coming to Lansing/US?
What information do you think is crucial to know during your stay in Lasing/US?
If there was an additional tool (in this case, a mobile app) aimed to help you during your adaptation/transition process to the US (Lansing), would you use it? What features should this tool have?
What are your long-term goals?
The politics related to my product would be the issue of immigration, this is a very sensitive topic. The intended outcome of my product is to provide a positive and faster transition between being a newcomer to establishing yourself in Lansing and its surrounding area. I believe that supporting and helping the users through this process, Incentivizes safety, diversity, and economic growth. What I mean by this is if immigrants have additional tools to make a smoother transition into the US (Lansing in this case) this would help prevent a lot of illegal work, and crime, while promoting economic growth and diversity.
On the other hand, the unintended outcomes of my products might be that users utilize the service for illegal activities such as illegal work, drug trafficking, human trafficking, etc. So I have to be very careful with the features I will provide on my app so this doesn’t happen.
Family and unity
Cultural values (Where they come from)
Meet new people
Feel safe and accepted
Sense of community
Adapting to a new culture (fit in)
Be able to provide for him/her self or family
Finding a better life
My user values
Politics Related to my app/product
Semi-structured interviews
Personas
Scenario and Story Boards
Scenario#1
Sebastian is a new Ph.D. student at MSU. He only brought cash from Peru and has not created an American bank account yet. He was supposed to pay his rent today, but unfortunately, his landlord does not accept cash payments; he only accepts payments through an online portal or via an online transfer. Sebastian tried to send him money from his international bank account, but it was incompatible. He realized he needed an American Bank account to be able to make his rent and bill payments.
He is not sure what the requirements are to be able to create a bank account. He logins into the “app” looks for the “Daily Life” section and Select the “Payments & Transactions Category”. He then looks up for “Creating an American bank account” sub-category, Learns general information about the two main banks in East Lansing, in this case, Bank of America, and MSU Credit Union. He also learns about payment apps that Americans use on a daily basis such as Venmo, Zelle, and Paypal. He opts to create an account in Bank of America because according to the information in the “app” Bofa has coverage around the US, while MSU Credit Union only works around the Lansing area
Scenario#2
Alicia is a recent immigrant who arrived in East Lasing two months ago. She is the mother of two children and is currently working as a cook in a Latino restaurant. She doesn’t have enough time to spend with her children due to her long overnight shifts. She is trying to find extracurricular activities for her two children. One of her new friends from Venezuela told her about this “app” where she can find different services and communities for new immigrants.
After deciding to download the app, Alicia was able to find extracurricular activities for her children that were recommended by other Hispanic parents in the app at a very low cost or even free activities provided by the county. On the “app” she also found out about a Hispanic Christian church where she can go every Sunday and can meet more people and gain a sense of community.
Story Board#1
Story Board#3
Design Process
User Flow
Link to user flow: Flow Charts (Community) – FigJam (figma.com)
Paper Prototyping
Moodboard
Logo
Color Pallete
Took into consideration Michigan colors, weather, and climate for the primary colors used in this mobile application.
Features Required in the prototype
Login: Enables user to go through the entire Login process. The user can change the language right at the welcome screen. The user inputs contact information and finalize the process by choosing its main porpuses of using the mobile app.
Government services: Allows the user to access information about multiple benefits such as healthcare, education, and immigration among others.
Methods: Allows the user to learn about different payment methods, and access to information related to creating a bank account and building credit, among others.
Communities: Allows the user to find people and different communities across Lansing.
Culture: the user can learn daily life stuff and interesting facts about the American culture through different articles.
Nav Panel: This enables the user to navigate faster through the different categories, as well as to access saved articles, settings, profiles, and Log out.
High-Fidelity Mockups
Usability Testing
Overview
I conducted two usability tests using the Figma prototype feature. The objective of the tests was to evaluate the usability of two user flows: "Log in" and "Home page." I instructed the testers to think out loud and verbalize what they were trying to accomplish. During the session, the testers were not allowed to ask any questions until the end.
Each session lasted for three minutes, but the testers were free to complete the task before the time limit if they could. Both testers went through two sessions. Session #1 involved logging in and navigating the entire app, while session #2 focused on navigating the app and providing feedback on their likes, dislikes, confusions, and suggestions to improve the user journey.
The usability tests were conducted in two settings - one was in-person, while the other was done virtually. The in-person session was conducted with one tester, while the virtual session was conducted with the other.
Overall, the usability tests were successful in providing valuable insights into the user experience of the app. The verbalized feedback provided by the testers helped identify areas of improvement and provided valuable suggestions for enhancing the user journey.
User#1 (Janina, Germany) 24 Year-old International Student
“I think the overall design of the app looks really professional; the way you were able to condense all the information and narrowed it down to a particular group of people and specifically in Lansing is impressive” I liked how you use the Michigan colors, and the app looks well thought. I understand this is a prototype and is not fully functional, but definitely add more scroll features, also maybe a way to change the language, or like a representation of how would it be done”.
User Comments:
Overall good design
Great color pallet, it relates to Michigan.
The app is easy to use and I am able to get the information I need while I am living in Lansing.
You should add some scrolling features.
It would be great to be able to change the language of the app.
User#2 (Sebastian, Honduras) 45 year-old International Worker
“I wish I had known about this information before arriving in the US, I didn’t really know how to apply for a SNN and a driver's license, this app would really help foreigners who are moving to Lansing”.
User Comments
Easy to use.
A little bit static, add some scroll features.
Add some interactivity to the login section, it looks very static and simple.
Within the group’s page, you can point out if it’s a Whatsapp group, facebook, etc.
Changes made after usability tests
Taking into account user feedback:
Added pop-up window for language changes.
Added more features throughout the login process, in this case adding the option to choose the main reasons for using the app.
Included some scroll features in specific frames.
Added descriptions for the group feature, including the platform where the group is taking place, and the availability to like them.
Iterated final prototype
Homepage, Profile, Settings, News feed
Payment Methods flow
Groups flow
Government Services flow
Login flow
Demo
I am grateful to have gained practical knowledge of the entire user experience design process. Through conducting initial research, identifying a problem, conducting interviews, gathering feedback, and creating a prototype that fulfills user needs and addresses pain points. I gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to design a successful user experience. Collecting user feedback and conducting usability tests were particularly valuable experiences, as they gave me insight into what users truly want and need.
This project has solidified my passion for UX design and has inspired me to continue learning and growing in this field. I am excited to explore new design techniques, methodologies, and tools that will enable me to create even more impactful user experiences in the near future. Ultimately, my goal is to create designs that not only look great but also provide meaningful value to users and positively impact their lives.
In conclusion, this UX design project has been an invaluable learning experience for me. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked on it and look forward to applying the skills and knowledge I have gained to future design projects.
