User Research Summary
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was adults who are sketching on location already but don’t have time to discover new places or to search for other people with the same passion. A second user group was the people who are passionate about drawing and sketching but they haven’t had the experience so far for multiple reasons.
Both user groups confirmed initial assumptions about Walk&Sketch customers, but research also revealed that time was not the only factor limiting users from sketching. Other user problems included skill level, interest in scenery type (for example: urban environments, rarely frequented areas, indoor sketching, botanical subjects, landscapes), safety concerns, the timid nature of potential customers, personal challenges that make it difficult to go to a certain place to sketch or participate in meetings and/or workshops. Another issue is the lack of an active local community to support this passion and encourage each other to continue to practice, to learn and to override personal fears and frustrations.
Methods used: user research (interviews and social media research), personas, user journey mapping.
Personas
Problem statement:
Adrian is a working father, who relaxes while sketching urban landscapes, but he doesn’t have time to walk around until he finds the best location for that at different times of the day, when he finds small free time gaps while his baby will sleep or will stay quiet in the stroller.
User journey map
Mapping Adrian’s and Nanika's user journeys revealed how helpful it would be for users to access a dedicated app to find locations and events in different cities and regions.