SAMSARA WHEEL
Project Tagline: Find out who you were in a past life.
Project Summary: Wheel Of Samsara is a reincarnation app. Users can enter their information and get an answer, “who they were in a past life.” They also have an opportunity to view additional information about their esoteric characteristics.
Project Time Frame: 4 weeks
Tasks & Responsibilities: User Research and Information Architecture - Inha Mkheidze. Design System and UI - Paul Elnikov
Platform: iOS App
Design Tools: Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, Google Drive, Pen and Paper
Team Members & Collaborators: Paul Elnikov, Inha Mkheidze
INDUSTRY BENCHMARKING
To understand the market that reincarnation apps are in, and the competitors within it - we first conducted an industry benchmark on features, design styles, and information allowance.
Looking at immediate competitors in the Esoteric entertainment sector, as well as competitors in the Horoscope niche, helped give us a good idea of what's available to customers now, and how we can improve it.
USER INTERVIEWS (7 REMOTE AND 3 IN-PERSON)
7 users interviewed were found through Facebook, related to topic groups, while 3 were volunteers of friends and family. A short survey regarding Esoteric interests was deployed to Facebook groups to find suitable users that were also willing to participate in the remote conversation.
Main Topics/Goals of User Interviews
What exactly is the user trying to find out?
How much information is the user trying to get out of this test?
Why are they seeking this information?
How can this knowledge help in their life?
AFFINITY MAPPING
We analyzed the data gathered through user interviews together with a team colleague in a 3-hour session.
Affinity mapping helped us determine a few useful insights.
1. Why users were interested in, “Who they were in a past life?”
2. How can this knowledge help in their life?
I want to understand myself. I think it might help overcome my anxiety, build up my confidence.”
Jennie, 42
“I think as much as you know yourself, it’s better to understand what you want from life. After introspection and self-examination, it’s easier to make decisions in order to achieve more desirable goals.”-
Levit , 28
USER PERSONA
Based on interviews and user insights we defined our User Persona.
Emma Gardner is a woman in her thirties. She is mindful and always trusts her gut. Emma constantly seeking new information that can help in her self awareness.
EMMA
GARDNER
"In order to find out who you are, we have to uncover our past"
I'm continually working on self-development and building up my confidence. I think as more you know about your self - as much you will grow in truly authentic person.
Wants & Needs
I don't want to waste my time on fake games
I can't stand buggy games
Frustrations
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
As competitors, we defined two applications. One of them revealed, “Who you were in a past life as an animal” and the other was a Horoscope app with a 4.2 stars rating on the Apple store.
NAME: DAILY HOROSCOPE
The Most downloaded Horoscope app in Apple Store
Product: zodiac horoscope, zodiac compatibility, articles & galleries.
Strengths: excellent and easy to use UI and high rating on Apple Store. Weaknesses: high advertisement volume.
NAME: WHAT WAS I IN MY PAST LIFE
One of the first apps in Apple Store to download.
Product: reveals what kind of animal you were in a past life.
Strengths: One of the small number of apps that reveals past life.
Weakness: reveals only who you were as an animal.
There is no app on both Apple Store and Google play that reveal “Who you were in a previous life”. If there is something similar, it doesn't have an explanation behind the whole process.
Project Problem
SITE MAP
To synthesize all research data, we held an ideation workshop guided by “Emma.” This involved building information architecture and sketching wireframes on paper. IA was a foundation of an app with sketches to help visualize and share design ideas.
Build an app that will allow users to find out who they were in a previous life, and based on entered information by users reveal they horoscope sign and a little more explanation about their esoteric characters.
Problem Solution
DESIGN
Wireframes were visual representations of a user interface, stripped by any visual or branding elements. It helped us to define the hierarchy of items on a screen and communicate what the items on that page should be based on user needs. Also, wireframes were easy to iterate on. We were able to simply change some of the design ideas without time-consuming techniques
PROTOTYPE
USER TESTING & NEXT STEPS
To adjust design toward the final product we conducted user testing during different stages of the project. All of them were planned to take into account the main objective of the app: improve the layout of the result after the user entered their information.
It was an iOS platform design. For the next steps, we will create an Android model with the same concept but slightly different layout, to fit all Android design criterias.