Project goal
The goal is to create a design for a peer-to-peer application that offers recreational equipment for rent.
The problem
People everywhere are looking to try new activities, from winter sports, summer sports to yard games, cycling, camping and much more.
Trying out new activities comes with some barriers: significant upfront investment in equipment and protection gear, as well as energy and time in finding the right product. Another issue with buying is the equipment ends up taking up storage space in the house.
Fun Today aims to allow people to easily experience a wide variety of recreational activities at affordable prices by creating a peer-to-peer platform where people can list and rent items with each other.
The burden of finding the perfect equipment to last a lifetime is replaced with the convenience of affordable and disposable gear.
My role
My role in this project was to take ownership of the app’s design.
My responsibilities included: user research, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, iteration and the creation of the high-fidelity prototype.
Challenges
- Validate the problem and evaluate if the product is something people need.
- Explore the app easily.
- Create detailed information pages.
- Bridge the gap between people who have recreational equipment and those who are interested in using it.
Kickoff
I ask myself a few initial questions: Who is the primary user? What are the user’s thoughts, perceptions, and frustrations? Why would someone want to use this application?
Research plan
Background
FunToday is a peer-to-peer platform for renting recreational equipment.
On one side there are many people who have unused or very poorly used sports equipment in their houses and on the other side there are people who are interested in doing certain sports but they don’t have equipment.
Combining these two situations, I want to find out if there is some value at their intersection and if the notion of less permanent forms of ownership is something people will be interested in.
This research plan will aim to validate the problem and refine the goals.
The platform is intended to be a solution for people who:
- are outdoor enthusiasts
- would like to explore new outdoor activities
- are using the equipment occasionally
- travel (no need to pack all that cumbersome and space impeding gear)
Example of the equipment that will be rented: bicycles, camping gear, kayaks, paddle boards, surfboard, yard games, tennis rackets, punching bags, weights etc
For safety reasons some personal things will not be rented (for example a climbing rope/helmet etc).
Purpose and Business objectives:
The purpose of this research is to validate if people are interested in peer-to-peer equipment renting and if the platform can be set for success.
The equipment rental platform can be a good idea because:
- this allows customers to experience a wide variety of outdoor activities
- encourage people to do more sports and be more active without being limited to the equipment they own (have more fun and worry less)
- it’s an affordable alternative to buying seasonal gear that probably won’t get much use
- it’s a simple way to have a vacation outdoors without having to purchase a bunch of gear that’s going to become a permanent fixture in the house. Also, there is no hassle in transporting the equipment.
- sustainable for the environment
- convenient to plan (ad-hoc plans, anticipated plans)
- win-win situation for all the parties (earning money and paying a lot less for equipment)
- rentals can help keep the community connected
- it eliminates ownership as a barrier of participation
Financial KPI: revenue
Research objectives:
- Understanding user’s thoughts, needs and perceptions, frustrations
- Exploring new ideas/concepts
- Improving the current experience
- Evaluating if the product is something people need.
Methodology:
Generative/explorative research
When: at the beginning
Looking for: motivations, frustrations, needs.
Why: to validate assumptions, find out if the solution meets the right needs, to make sure it is the right problem to solve.
- 1 x 1 user interviews
Reasons: to validate hypotheses, understand the context, spot issues early, make sure the goals are clear, to have as much information as possible at the beginning to not be surprised on the road.
Interview: about what’s good and bad about the product, habits, problems, concerns, and to gauge how much enthusiasm is for this product).
Average time: 10 -15 min with each person
Participants: 5
Remote and in-person
- User personas
- Competitive research – to understand the market and to see how the product can differentiate from its competitors.
Participants:
- people who like to do sports and are interested in this field
- location: worldwide
- gender: all
- age: 18-50
User Interview Questions
I want to ask users early in the product life cycle about their stories, habits, behaviours, so I can make better product decisions and validate assumptions. At this stage, user interview research comes to the rescue to find and understand more.
Type of interview: semi-structured qualitative interview for in-depth information.
Type of questions: introductory, direct, indirect, probing, specifying, follow up questions.
Objectives:
- Finding out if people are interested in peer-to-peer renting recreational equipment.
- Ensuring it’s realistic.
How do I see the user interview research for this project?
I want to make sure the product can bring value for the users (functional, financial, social, psychological).
I don’t want to constrain the problem into a particular solution, while interviewing users I’ll try to find the best solution.
Intro:
- Inform the interviewee about the project: topic, goals.
- Explain the reason for the interview: to find out more about their experiences and tell me what they think.
- Consensus forms (permission to collect data, confidentiality, freedom to withdraw)
- Build rapport to make the interviewee feel comfortable (small talk).
A. Questions to get to know the user:
- Do you do sports?
- What kind of sports?
- Do you rent recreational equipment?
- What recreational equipment do you rent?
- How often do you rent?
- How do you currently rent?
B. Questions about customer preferences:
- Why do you choose to rent?
- What do you think is the easiest part when you rent? Why?
- What do you think is the hardest part when you rent? Why?
- Can you share where you rent from and why do you rent from there?
- When do you rent? (weekends, vacations, during working days)
C. Questions about customer perceptions in renting recreational equipment:
- What was your best renting experience? Why? How did that experience make you feel?
- What was your worst renting experience? Why? How did that experience make you feel?
- Could you imagine a better renting experience for recreational equipment?
D. Questions for closing out the interview:
- Are there any ideas or thoughts connected to this topic that we have not talked about but you think I might find them valuable?
- Do you have any questions for me?
E. Possible follow-up questions:
- Why do you say that?
- What do you mean?
“How Might We” questions:
- How might we help sports enthusiasts experience more recreational activities, while saving them time and money?
- How might we create an affordable service that will encourage people to try different recreational activities?
- How might we eliminate recreational equipment as a barrier to having fun and doing various recreational activities?
- How can we help sports enthusiasts make money from the equipment they have and that they don’t use it frequently?
- How might we keep the sports community connected?
Competitive Research & SWOT Analysis
Goal: to find inspiration, things I can improve and search for strategies, gaps and opportunities.
SWOT Analysis
Final design
Here is the high-fidelity prototype.
