SnowLabs
Team size - Individual
Jan 2023 - May 2023
Project Overview
SnowLabs is a trip planning website designed to replicate the snowboarding experience at various ski resorts.
Problem
People new to snowboarding often struggle with selecting the most suitable ski resort to meet their needs. They may hesitate due to a lack of familiarity with available ski resorts and may have uncertainty about what to expect from the experience.
1.0 Research and Discovery
Journey Mapping the User Experience
To figure out what features to develop, I created personas following the "Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework." This model was very helpful in finding critical moments I should pay attention to. Through these journey maps, I was able to pinpoint tasks on my website that were both satisfying and challenging.
2.0 Design
User Flows
Here is a user flow I created that illustrates in great detail the flow of my website. Users start on the home page and search for ski resorts. Users find trails that they are interested in and play in-game scenarios of the resort.
Hidden Opportunity
Its important to consider adjusting ideas when you reach a roadblock. In this project, I initially I wanted to create a travel planning website aimed at helping people prepare for their future vacation destinations.
I reached out to professionals on LinkedIn and scheduled seven meetings with professionals in the video game industry. During a particularly insightful conversation with a Game Developer from Rockstar Games, I was inspired to dedicate my final semester to learning C# and game development. It felt like the perfect time to acquire new skills, and I was determined to challenge myself for this thesis.
Just three days later, I drafted a project proposal and engaged in a critique session with seven peers and one mentor. I aimed to ensure that my designs incorporated real-time weather conditions for ski resorts, offered recommendations regarding the safety of visiting resorts during dangerous storm and snow conditions, and included user-friendly interface elements displaying dates and current weather updates.Here is a user flow I created that illustrates in great detail the flow of my website. Users start on the home page and search for ski resorts. Users find trails that they are interested in and play in-game scenarios of the resort.
3.0 Validation and Testing
Re-iterating Problematic Features
I explored a variety of different ways to search, filter, and select dates. Based off of my final prototype showcased at California College of the Art's 2023 Senior Showcase, my audience suggested to me to have a more visually appealing UI and cleaner visual brand. I made redesigns as they were telling me and I created what you see below.
Compared to my old designs of drop-down menus and collapsing content, the new more modern and intuitive style was well received. They liked that users don't have to click into buttons for information to pop up. Originally, users had to click a drop down menu to change the difficulty. That is not the case anymore.
4.0 Final Style Guide and Development
1. Choosing a Ski Resort
Users can search for ski resorts by name or choose one from the list provided. The website offers a filter feature that lets users search for resorts of their skill level. Additionally, users can specify a future date, and the in-game experience will emulate the weather conditions for that day.
2. Playing a Trail
After choosing a ski resort, users select a trail to play. Each trail has descriptions explaining the difficulty of the route.
3. Gameplay
After selecting a ski trail, users are put in the snowboarding experience. If the date selected has dark skies with heavy snowfall, the game will reflect that. The conditions in the game will help users prepare for their upcoming trips.
5.0 Reflection and Next Steps
It is important to reach out to people to broaden your understand of design and communication
My primary objective with this project was to gain a deep understanding of the video game development process. In all my endeavors, my central goal is to enhance communication with development teams by grasping the systems they employ in game creation. By engaging with professionals I connected with and asking questions about Unity tools, I made significant strides in mastering Unity and C#. These newfound skills will undoubtedly benefit my career in Product Design.