UX Design + Research | Case study
– Problem Definition
– User Research
– Rapid Prototyping
– Wireframing
– Visual Design

As a beginner surfing enthousiast – living in Amsterdam – I want to grab as many surfing opportunities as possible. But as a beginner not all surfing conditions suit my skillset. Also being fulltime employed I am not able to always check my weather apps. This made me think how I might inform a surfer that there are good surfing conditions at their favorite spot?

To get insights I mapped the current journey a surfer has to take to get to the ideal situation, which is to get to the water and preferably with buddies.
In situation below my persona is at his work. But this could easily be a day where he is at home busy with households.

Because of the persona I’ve created it’s easy to find people to conduct user interviews with. With these interviews – which are based on open questions – I could get a clear understanding of the challenge at hand. On the basis of the answers I redefined and sharpened my problem statement.

“Sometimes me and my friends even miss out on a surfing trip while the time was right and the conditions perfect!”

– Stijn (interviewee), kite surfer

With the problem statement defined and some ‘How might we’s” set I started setting up sketches that showed what a digital solution could look like.

Further down those sketches and flows got into more high fidelity states. Using Marvel PoP I’ve tested the flow with several users to evaluate and verify the steps a user has to follow. The paper prototype was then transformed into a wireframe. During these phases I – and the testers – discovered a couple of flaws in the flow and potential additions to it. An example was to add a function to flick through multiple groups that the user would be a part of.

To make the whole experience feel ‘water sport’ related I’ve created an identity that’s light and with shades of blue. I’ve also included pictures/aerials of the surf spots to make the experience less static and impersonal. The same goes for the part of the group chat, a user could be part of multiple groups, so next to having a specific name, you can also add a group image. To – again – present a more personalized/local experience.