MobilHub
A mobile app that enhances accessibility, promotes community engagement and fosters a sense of community ownership
Type Designathon
Date May 20th, 2023
Role UI/UX Designer
Team Nicholas Regli, Nicole Gong, Jeana Yoon
OVERVIEW
MobilHub is a mobile application designed to enhance the public transportation experience in San Diego, particularly for individuals with disabilities.
This was created during the "Design Frontier," a day-long design sprint hosted by Design Co, and earned the finalist award.
Project Goals
Simplified Navigation
Accessibility Reporting
Community Building
The prompt
How can we foster community engagement and proactivity
through intentional infrastructure design?
IDEATION
Our team started with sticky notes on FigJam to brainstorm potential topics on promoting community engagement, such as:
Making queuing more fun at amusement parks
Adding green space to improve mental health
Accessible design for navigation
BACKGROUND RESEARCH
We decided to move forward with the topic of “accessible design for navigation” as we noticed a real need for more convenient commuting and the benefits it would bring to the community:
Findings
Potential Solutions
People with disabilities face significant obstacles when traversing to, from and in public spaces, even those they are familiar with.
We wanted to provide easier means of navigation and more timely maintenance of accessible facilities through our app.
People feel more inclined to take care of and engage with public spaces when they have a sense of psychological ownership.
We believed that a reporting function has the potential to increase psychological ownership and engagement with public spaces.
People who have access to public spaces have a greater sense of self-satisfaction and well-being.
We hoped to make a positive impact on public mental health through our app.
So, how might we...
make public spaces more accessible to those with mobile disabilities while also making sure these public spaces are properly maintained?
User Personas
To further understand user expectations, we crafted two user personas:
An elder in wheelchair who likes to go out independently but is frustrated by the outdated navigation and frequently broken facilities.
A child of these elders who is busy with work and would like a more caring community to offer assistance for people with disabilities.
Robert Frost
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Location: San Diego
“I wish I could easily go out by myself every day.”
Bio
Robert is a wheelchair user who has limited mobility below the waist. But he likes going out and navigating the city independently.
Pain Points
Hard to find real-time information about accessible routes
Difficulty getting help when the facilities are broken
Goals
Wants guidance for accessible routes
Hope accessible facilities can be repaired more efficiently
Sarah
Patterson
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Occupation: Lawyer
Location: San Diego
“Having a more caring community for people with disabilities means a lot to me.”
Bio
Sarah is a female lawyer. She is busy with her work but feels bad for not being able to accompany her mom in wheelchair all the time.
Pain Points
Seeing broken ramps and elevators frequently
Unable to take care of her mom all the time when her mom goes out
Goals
Wants accessible routes to be properly maintained
A more caring community to help people with disabilities
DESIGN PROCESS
Crazy Eights Sketching
Each of us sketched early design ideas in 8 minutes ✍️ Based off our sketches, we summated commonalities in the product vision and decided on the following main screens for our MVP
Defining MVP
Onboarding process
Sign in/up page
Map as the home page
Reporting accessibility problems
Discussion Forum
Style Guide
PROTOTYPING
Onboarding Process
Simplified Navigation
Our homepage features a dynamic map that updates in real time, highlighting accessible routes to facilitate seamless navigation for individuals with movement disabilities. It’s designed with convenience in mind, allowing users to personalize their experience by saving frequently visited locations and facilities in a ‘Favorites’ section for future access. In addition, the bottom navigation bar provides transitions to the reporting function and discussion forum, encouraging user engagement and interaction.
# Find the easiest path from the homepage
Accessible Routes
Highlights accessible facilities and routes in operation to facilitate convenient navigation
Favorite Facilities
Save most frequently visited locations and facilities for easy access next time!
Search Maps
Enter your destination to view the best accessible route found on MobilHub
Accessibility Reporting
The reporting interface is designed for ease and speed, embodied by a ‘+’ button at the center of the bottom navigation bar. With just one tap, users can swiftly document and submit reports of accessibility issues, such as malfunctioning elevators, obstructed pathways, or broken ramps. Reports submitted will be marked on the map, signaling local volunteers and authorities to take action. This transparency not only facilitates community-driven solutions but also prompts official attention and funding for the upkeep of accessibility facilities.
#Report accessibility issues as they happen
Community Building
The discussion forum serves as a collaborative space where users can engage in a wide range of topics, from sharing accessibility concerns to exchanging resources and collaborating on projects. At the top of the forum, a filter feature showcases success stories and community-led initiatives, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and achievement. Users can initiate new discussions using the ‘+’ button or participate in ongoing conversations by selecting from the interactive post cards.
Card-based post
Interact with other uses and engage in a variety of topics
Filter Feature
Categorize posts into new, trending, and highlight to encourage contributions to the community
Explore
Add a thread
Initiate a new discussion at a click of the “+” button
# Share insights and discuss with your community
Meet the team behind MobilHub!
TAKEAWAYS
The potential of social media extends beyond my imagination
There are different ways to build a social media platform from the familiar ones like Instagram and TikTok. By incorporating features such as accessible mapping, real-time reporting, and community forums, we can tailor the platform to meet the specific needs of individuals with mobility disabilities and bring positive impacts on their community.
The constraints of time can act as a catalyst for innovation
Participating in my first designathon ever, I was struck by the rapid ideation and design process that unfolded. The high-pressure environment proved to be fertile ground for creativity, pushing us to deliver innovative solutions within a compressed time frame.
Feature prioritization was a key part of our design process
We started with an array of ideas and functions for our prototype. But with limited time, we had to concentrate on the most important features and drop some of the other features we planned, like a direct messaging and video call interface that would have allowed users to solve problems together in real time.
Thanks for reading
