Miguel Garcia

Designer

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Miguel Garcia

Designer

Home

Portfolio

About

Say Hello

Miguel Garcia

Designer

Home

Portfolio

About

Say Hello

Miguel Garcia

Designer

fromDistance

iOS App, TestFlight (2024)

Project Duration

4 Months


Services Provided

Product Design, SwiftUI, App Store Connect


Team Composition

2 members: Designer and Developer.


TestFlight


https://testflight.apple.com/join/sl9vj8km



Introduction


In this project, my colleague and I aimed to create a unique experience on the App Store that stands out in terms of visual appeal and interactions. The concept was inspired by a card game I used to play with my parents, where we matched famous landmarks with their names. The game involved two sets of cards: one with city and country names, and the other with illustrations of landmarks. The cards were faced down, and you could only turn around two cards in your turn to try to find the correct pair. It was a blend of a memory game and the competitive nature and mechanics of UNO, which we loved.


But what would this game look like? We wanted to immerse the user in this experience as much as possible and give them open roam and flexibility. Our goal was to make the game exciting for users who might not have extensive knowledge of landmarks. We aimed to create a win-win scenario for all players: the game should be random enough that anyone can be victorious, yet it should also reward users for learning new landmarks and reward power users.


We wanted to capture that fun and super competitive multiplayer aspect while incorporating educational elements. Our goal was to create a game that was not only entertaining but also useful, helping players learn and recall their travel experiences, generate conversions, and possibly inspire future trips. This mix of fun, competition, and educational value drove our design and development process, resulting in a distinctive application that brings all these elements together seamlessly.

Project Duration

4 Months


Services Provided

Product Design, SwiftUI, App Store Connect


Team Composition

2 members: Designer and Developer.


TestFlight


https://testflight.apple.com/join/sl9vj8km



Introduction


In this project, my colleague and I aimed to create a unique experience on the App Store that stands out in terms of visual appeal and interactions. The concept was inspired by a card game I used to play with my parents, where we matched famous landmarks with their names. The game involved two sets of cards: one with city and country names, and the other with illustrations of landmarks. The cards were faced down, and you could only turn around two cards in your turn to try to find the correct pair. It was a blend of a memory game and the competitive nature and mechanics of UNO, which we loved.


But what would this game look like? We wanted to immerse the user in this experience as much as possible and give them open roam and flexibility. Our goal was to make the game exciting for users who might not have extensive knowledge of landmarks. We aimed to create a win-win scenario for all players: the game should be random enough that anyone can be victorious, yet it should also reward users for learning new landmarks and reward power users.


We wanted to capture that fun and super competitive multiplayer aspect while incorporating educational elements. Our goal was to create a game that was not only entertaining but also useful, helping players learn and recall their travel experiences, generate conversions, and possibly inspire future trips. This mix of fun, competition, and educational value drove our design and development process, resulting in a distinctive application that brings all these elements together seamlessly.

Project Duration

4 Months


Services Provided

Product Design, SwiftUI, App Store Connect


Team Composition

2 members: Designer and Developer.


TestFlight


https://testflight.apple.com/join/sl9vj8km



Introduction


In this project, my colleague and I aimed to create a unique experience on the App Store that stands out in terms of visual appeal and interactions. The concept was inspired by a card game I used to play with my parents, where we matched famous landmarks with their names. The game involved two sets of cards: one with city and country names, and the other with illustrations of landmarks. The cards were faced down, and you could only turn around two cards in your turn to try to find the correct pair. It was a blend of a memory game and the competitive nature and mechanics of UNO, which we loved.


But what would this game look like? We wanted to immerse the user in this experience as much as possible and give them open roam and flexibility. Our goal was to make the game exciting for users who might not have extensive knowledge of landmarks. We aimed to create a win-win scenario for all players: the game should be random enough that anyone can be victorious, yet it should also reward users for learning new landmarks and reward power users.


We wanted to capture that fun and super competitive multiplayer aspect while incorporating educational elements. Our goal was to create a game that was not only entertaining but also useful, helping players learn and recall their travel experiences, generate conversions, and possibly inspire future trips. This mix of fun, competition, and educational value drove our design and development process, resulting in a distinctive application that brings all these elements together seamlessly.

Idea Validation, Value proposition


Before diving into the design and moving rectangles on the screen, we focused on validating our idea to ensure it offered a solid value proposition to our users. We assembled a participant pool of 20, which included travelers, board game enthusiasts, and educators. We tested our concept using a modified version of the board game mentioned in the introduction, adapted to fit our envisioned game mechanics.


During the sessions, we audio and video recorded the interactions with participants (with their consent, of course). Afterward, we analyzed the footage and mapped our data using Airtable and charts. As facilitators, we asked targeted questions to understand their needs and identify a value proposition that was distinct from what was already available in the market. This approach helped us refine our concept based on real user feedback and ensure it addressed gaps and opportunities in the current offerings.



Here are three examples of participants, and the questions we asked and their responses


Lorenzo

  • Age: 24

  • Gender: Male

  1. Confidence in Identifying Landmarks:

    • "If I know the city, good."


  2. Cards Matched Correctly:

    • Rome - Pantheon

    • Berlin - Brandenburg Gate

    • London - The Gherkin

    • New York - Chrysler Building

    • Sydney - Sydney Opera House

    • Shanghai - Oriental Pearl Tower

    • Agra - Taj Mahal

    • Rio de Janeiro - Niteroi Art Museum


  3. Cards Failed to Match:

    • Agra - Taj Mahal

    • Rio de Janeiro - Niteroi Art Museum


  4. Did the game challenge your memory and recall abilities?

    • "Yes, especially with landmarks I had never seen, like the Niteroi Art Museum and Oriental Pearl Tower. I knew the Taj Mahal but didn’t realize it was in Agra."


  5. Example of a Landmark Learned During the Game:

    • "Niteroi Art Museum."


  6. New Knowledge Gained:

    • "I learned that the Taj Mahal is in Agra, not in a major city like Mumbai. I also discovered that the Niteroi Art Museum is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil."


  7. Did the Game Improve Your Knowledge of Landmarks?

    • "Yes, it helped with my recall memory."


  8. Landmarks That Stood Out:

    • "I haven’t visited any of the landmarks."


  9. Interesting Facts or Details Learned:

    • "The Niteroi Art Museum has a futuristic style."


  10. Likelihood of Remembering Landmark Names Long-Term:

    • "I think I’ll remember the visuals better than the names. Repetition will help. I associated some names with their illustrations."


Antonio

  • Age: 31

  • Gender: Male

  1. Confidence in Identifying Landmarks:

    • Scale of 1 to 10: 7


  2. Cards Matched Correctly:

    • Sydney Opera House

    • Agra - Taj Mahal

    • Berlin - Brandenburg Gate


  3. Cards Matched Incorrectly or Uncertain:

    • New York (Image not visible)

    • Rio de Janeiro (Uncertain)

    • Milan - Duomo di Milano

    • London (Uncertain)


  4. Did the Game Challenge Your Memory and Recall Abilities?

    • "Yes, especially with less familiar images like the Sydney Opera House. I tried to recall memories and match city names."


  5. Example of a Landmark Learned During the Game:

    • "The London Gherkin and possibly the Empire State Building in New York."


  6. Did You Learn Anything New About Landmarks?

    • "Not yet; answers are still pending."


  7. Did the Game Improve Your Knowledge of Landmarks?

    • "Yes, some landmarks will be remembered long-term."


  8. Landmarks That Stood Out:

    • "Duomo di Milano. It was familiar and easier because I’ve been there."


  9. Interesting Facts or Details Learned:

    • "No specific facts; I believe I visited the Brandenburg Gate a long time ago but don’t have a clear memory."


  10. Likelihood of Remembering Landmark Names Long-Term:

    • "The landmarks will be remembered; some were familiar, some recognized, and others new."

Umberto vs Antonio

  • Age: 32

  • Gender: Male

  1. Confidence in Identifying Landmarks:

    • Antonio: 7

    • Umberto: 7


  2. Card Matches and Errors:

    • Antonio: Selected the Space Needle (Seattle) but chose Vancouver; Stockholm City Hall (image) but selected Brussels; Saint Basil's Cathedral (correct).

    • Umberto: Correctly matched Stockholm City Hall and Palacio Barolo, Buenos Aires; errors with Science World (Vancouver) and Centro Pompidou (Brussels).


  3. Did the Presence of Other Participants Enhance Engagement?

    • "Yes, it was more fun and felt like a competition. Interaction added a social aspect."


  4. Impact of Social Setting on Fun:

    • "Playing with others was better; alone, I felt stressed and pressured."


  5. Impact of Social Setting on Learning:

    • "It was a positive experience. For instance, I remembered Stockholm better because it was discussed."


  6. Did Discussing Landmarks and Sharing Insights Help Memory?

    • "Yes, both competitive and non-competitive play helped with memorization."

Wireframes


Based on the insights gathered from user testing, we initiated the creation of wireframes and detailed mapping of user interactions to refine the app's design. Analyzing the feedback highlighted key pain points, allowing us to enhance user flows and interaction patterns effectively. We positioned landmark illustrations at the top of the screen, with landmark names and city names at the bottom, facilitating intuitive navigation. Users swipe through the card options—switching between landmark names and city names—and swipe up to match the correct pairs.


Additionally, we placed the point system, countdown timer, and pause button centrally on the screen to ensure quick and consistent access to this crucial information. This design decision minimizes the need for users to shift their focus between the top and bottom of the screen, reducing cognitive load and maintaining visibility of essential information during the matching process.


This phase was also an opportunity for the design team to apply our agile methodology, including assigning tasks and story points, and conducting daily stand-ups and other agile ceremonies. This structured approach ensured efficient collaboration, continuous progress tracking, and iterative refinement of the design based on ongoing feedback and development.

The initial mid-fidelity wireframe marked a pivotal moment in our design process, serving as the foundation for iterative design improvements. This stage allowed us to translate our conceptual ideas into tangible, functional elements, providing a clearer visualization of user interactions and interface layout.

Download on TestFlight


https://testflight.apple.com/join/sl9vj8km