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UX Research • UX Design • UI/Visual Design • Prototyping

Skate Space Case Study

Finding COVID safe recreational activities in 2020 have required folks to get creative and explore venues and ventures out of their norm - Skating has been one of them. Skating has long had a significant role in cities like Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles where rinks have either temporarily or permanently closed due to safety concerns and financial hardships added by the pandemic. However, outdoor skating for those more accustomed to indoor rinks and wood floors has been an issue for skaters unable to skate in rinks and are unfamiliar with outdoor spaces that meet their expectations.

In this case study, I sought out how to find a solution for skaters of every level to find convenient places to skate, that is suitable for their personal preferences while being COVID safe.

RESEARCH

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

I researched popular apps and resources that focus on crowd sourced information of spaces and compared key features and design drawbacks that influence users’ experience. Google is no doubt the more popular resource for quick research on spaces but the results can at times be too varied depending on what type of space you are searching for. For example, searching “skating rink” in Chicago will populate results for ice rinks. You have to type ”roller rink” or “roller skating" rink” to get results for indoor skating rinks - even popular ones like the famous Rink Fitness Factory.

Yelp focuses specifically on spaces that offer a service, therefore, finding a robust list of features is more common and accessible than google where you may find yourself scrolling through dozens of reviews or none at all if the location is not well known. However, because Yelp relies on reviews for customer information and experience ratings, it is notable that it has a means of “highlighting” certain active accounts to show the reviews of “reputable” Yelpers. This helps people searching to take reviews with a grain of salt”

KEY FEATURE COMPARISON

INTERVIEWS

User research for Skate Space was done with surveys to determine the relevancy of an application to help skaters safely enjoy skating in a pandemic.

I requested individuals part of a Chicago Skate Facebook group fill out my survey and I received a total of 12 responses from people with a variety of backgrounds:

• Ages spanned from 18 - 60+

• People who skated for less than a year to veteran skaters with over 30 years on wheels

• Those with a range of concerns over the COVID pandemic

After noting their behaviors and feelings with this pool of responses, I was able to create two key user personas, Calvin and Lisa whom represent the ideal user for Skate Space.

“Due to Covid-19, I feel more comfortable being in an open space as opposed to a closed space.”

Lisa, is what has been aptly named a “pandemic skater”. She purchased her skates likely around the spring of 2020 and is just learning. Because she’s learning mostly from social media or on her own, she does not know about the local skate community or what a good spot in her area would be.

Calvin is veteran skater - he teaches classes at the local rink as well but due to COVID it’s not safe to be inside with a large group. Calvin’s style of skating is very specific and he prefers a smooth ground and an open and well lit space to skate with his community for what he hopes will be outdoor classes.

PROTOTYPING

USER FLOW/SITE MAPPING

While creating the user flow for Skate Space, I specified two key paths for our personas: Folks seeking new spaces to skate and people who are motivated to discover spaces for others.

Both include, upon their first use, account creation which includes describing your skate set up (type of wheel and hardness, type of boot, style of skating, etc). Knowing these details make reviews more applicable to skaters.

A derby skater may not rate a space the same as a JB skater. A skater who mostly does middle work may not need as big of a space as someone who is used to snapping or dance skate. Having these details in the onboarding process makes the rating and review process more meaningful for users seeking the perfect spot for them.

User Testing

My user testing showed that onboarding for Skate Space needed more instruction about how to navigate the features such as saving/adding a space. Additional overlays telling users where to click were added.

Mid-Fi Wireframes

These mid-fi wireframes reflect users’ journey from signing in/up and adding their skate set up, to selecting a space on the map and reviewing its features and ratings by other skaters. This validation process helps users determine if the space others find is suitable for their skate set up and their skate style.

High-Fi Wireframes

Click to test Prototype

Future Iterations

Something notable I found in my surveys was the concern of physical safety skating outside. Finding a secluded space can be ideal in some cases but being isolated can make skaters more prone to violence. I would like to see this app elevate its “ping a friend” feature where you can let those on your friends list or in your contacts know where you are.