EcoPal
My Final Year Project
(2020)
This is my Final Year Project that I completed while working towards my my bachelor’s degree. The goal of this project was to create an app that encourages people to get involved in the conservation and protection of endangered insects and other species that greatly influence our ecosystem.
I created a multilevel app that quizzes users on their knowledge of vulnerable insects and animals, with a reward of a plant being planted after completing a level. The level will have short questions on a specific vulnerable species with multiple possible answers, with only one correct answer. If the user answers the question incorrectly, they must begin the level again. The level will have the same questions repeated when it is restarted, this way people can learn from their mistakes and create a larger understanding of the species that is the topic of the level.
I first began by making an analogue prototype, then a Lo-Fi prototype, then a HiFi prototype, and then the final design. I user tested each prototype, updating the next prototype with the changes based on the information gathered through the user testing. To organise the content in the application I conducted a card sorting exercise.
User Testing
To create the analogue prototype, I uploaded images of my screen sketches onto Marvel and linked the screens using hotspots. Once I finished making the prototype I user tested it. I asked the participants to use it freely, and once they were done I conducted a short questionnaire.
The questionnaire had 5 questions asking the participant about their experience and feedback on the design.
Using the feedback from the questionnaire, I applied changes to the design while creating the updated Lo-Fi prototype on Adobe XD. The changes were subtle, such as adding more possible answers to the questions; a feature that shows the user what level they are on; and adding colour.
When the prototype was created, I once again user tested it by asking participants to use it freely, and then following up with a short questionnaire.
The questions were similar to the previous session, where I asked the participants about their experience and for feedback.
Card Sorting
I conducted the card sorting exercise to organise the level questions in the app based on difficulty. It was a closed card sorting exercise and the categories I gave were ‘Easy’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Hard’. I gave the participants the list of questions and asked them to organise the questions into the category they think best describes the question.
The information I gathered from this card sorting, I applied to the final design.
Final Design
The user can find most functionality on the home screen, from this screen they can access their account, levels, the leaderboard, the information section, and start a level from where they finished last. Changes made from the last user testing session would be the background image has changed as well as I added in a feature that brings the user to the information page in the bottom right corner of the screen.
The Levels screen gives you access to all levels in the app, where the user can choose what topic they would like to get quizzed on. The levels increase in difficulty the further you go down. Since the last user testing session, I have added an arrow that would indicate to the user that you can scroll down to see more topics. I also added an ‘X’ in the corner which gives the user the option to exit the screen.
On the account screen, the user can change aspects of their account such as their username, password, and account photo. It also informs the user of their location and gives them the option to log out of or delete their account. Since the last user testing, I added a feature that gives the user the option to get to the leaderboard from this screen as well as a feature that informs the user of how many seeds they’ve planted.
The leaderboard informs the user of the top planters in Ireland as well as the top planters in their area. Since the last user testing session, I have added a feature that shows the user how many seeds the top planters have planted.
Since the last prototype, I have added a feature that brings the user to an information page. The information page explains to the user how the app works, for example, how to play the game and how exactly the plants are being planted.
5 different screens can appear in a level. The first type of would be a question and answer screen which gives the user the questions and the possible answers. The second screen congratulates the user for passing the level and informs them what seed they have planted.
The third screen you see is the screen that informs you that you have failed the level. It gives you the option to either restart the level, or exit it completely. The fourth screen is the screen that pops up if you click the ‘X’ in the top right corner of the question and answer screen. The fifth screen is the screen that gives a fact. Not all levels have this screen as I only created them for questions that were difficult, or if the answers needed more clarification.