Role: UX/UI Designer

Duration: 3 months

Software: Illustrator, Photoshop, Axure 

The Parkx app was inspired from the difficulty found by searching for public parks on the phone. Parkx puts all the national, state and local parks into one database.

The design thinking process helped to guide and inform each step as I went from idea to prototype. Each step helped make sure the resulting designs were user-centered.

I started off by brainstorming what the needs of the typical user would be. I discovered that they would need to find sites by map, to search sites with text, and create a profile. In that profile they could save places they wanted to go and leave reviews for other users. 

I then sketched out what the site map and each corresponding screen would look like, doing several rounds of ideating to find the best architecture for this information. 

After a few iterations, I felt confident enough to put the wireframes into a prototype. Using Axure, I added the sitemap and prototyped each screen.

Interact with the prototype here.

Some testers were not local to the United States. I had not accounted for this. However, overall 55% of testers found the state they were looking for. 

I had not anticipated the testers not being familiar with US geography. Next time around, I will be sure to screen for that. 

Axure at the time did not have a zoom function for prototypes. So I improvised the zoom function by creating a series of images closing in on one state, Florida. It’s not as smooth but does the trick. 

Overall, I’m really pleased with the way the app turned out.