Cup of Sugar

Mobile App Case Study

2024

The Problem: Isolated individuals need a structured way to interact with neighbors because the pandemic lessened people’s sense of community. Millennials and Get Z also value sustainable living and are conscious of their overconsumption.

Our Solution: Cup of Sugar is a mobile app that fosters an environment where individuals can create quality relationships with the people around them and practice sustainable living through borrowing and lending items.

Project Details

Project Type

Mobile App Case Study

Tools

Figma

Contributors

Lana Sardar, Waringa Hunja, and Kacey Arnold

Research, Prototyping, UX/UI Design, User Testing

Project Duration

3 Weeks

My Role

The Final Prototype


Part 1: User Research

User Research Plan

View my full User Research Plan document.

Background

The pandemic has left us with unhealthy tendencies that no longer serve us. We have normalized limited socialization on a daily basis as remote and hybrid approaches are still relevant and in high demand today. Although online shopping and 1-day delivery services greatly benefited us during isolation, it now only encourages overconsumption. This study is aimed to understand how urbanites create connections, build community, and consume consciously in a post-pandemic world.

Research Questions

  • How has the pandemic impacted people’s relationships with their neighbors?

  • What tools do people ages 25-35 use to create community in the town they live in?

  • How do young people living in cities save money and/or practice sustainability?

  • What are people currently doing to store/give away items they do not use frequently/ have in abundance?

  • How can we provide trust within the app so users feel comfortable borrowing and lending items?

Interview Plan + Script

We planned to conduct at least 5 verbal interviews total in order to understand the sense of community that exists and how it is formed for many urbanites, and the material consumption tendencies of these individuals.

View our interview script.

Affinity Diagram Process

Key Findings:

  • Many interviewees do not feel a true sense of community in their building

  • Most interviewees feel comfortable or like the idea of lending/borrowing certain household items but don’t feel that type of relationship established with their neighbors

Empathy Map

Empathy Map - Jasmine Sanders


Part 2: Definition & Ideation

User Insight

A remote-working apartment tenant who struggles with initiating conversation needs an effortless method of connecting with neighbors through lending and borrowing because they miss the feeling of community and value sustainable consumption.

Problem Statement

A remote worker living in a multi-unit building who struggles with initiating conversation needs an effortless method of connecting with neighbors through lending and borrowing because they miss the feeling of community and value sustainability. How might we help this user recreate an environment that fosters community and sustainable living amongst neighbors?

Story Board

User Flow

Take a closer look at my full user flow FigJam.

Onboarding and Signup User Flow


Part 3: Prototypes & User Tests

Wireframes

Digital Wireframes: Key Screens

From left to right: home screen / feed, item details, user profile, direct messages.

Prototypes

Lo-Fi Clickable Prototype

View my clickable digital prototype in Figma.

User Tests

Guerrilla Testing Plan + Notes

Goal: We want to identify the pain points in our prototype’s navigation and understand the path of travel users take when navigating the app to understand what content or features capture their attention.

Tasks + Results:

  1. User sends a message to a neighbor —> 100% Success Rate

  2. User finds the listing for sheers —> 100% Success Rate

Feedback:

  1. All testers found locating the messaging screen very straightforward and a familiar process

  2. It was not obvious to most testers how to navigate to sheers listing from feed screen

  3. Present the categories on the landing/home page

  4. Revise the onboarding process so returning users can opt out of onboarding but new users must familiarize themselves with the features

  5. further develop prototype that way it better resembles the complexity of the ultimate design and testings are more accurate

Key Learnings From User Test

Final Clickable Prototype

View all Hi-Fi mockups and prototype in Figma.

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