Developing and expanding a proof of concept website
the Project
My design team and I had the opportunity to help Surprizle™ look at what could be. What is currently now only a proof of concept website, could soon be able to house and distribute numerous games and puzzles to the delight of anyone wanting to have fun with their friends and family.
The team
Bjørn Vincent
Joel
John
Shadow
The story of Surprizle™
Pronounced sur-PRIZE-le
The Client, Founder of Surprizle™ Chad Lubbers, first experimented with the idea of letting his kids’ solve puzzles to get their birthday gifts when they were 3-4 years old, and to his delight, it was a hit. Due to incredibly popular demand, the tradition stuck. Sometimes the puzzles were solving mind puzzles, other times a scavenger hunt, etc.
As his kids got older, the puzzles got more intense, and often themed (like learning how to use hand tools by sealing a gift inside a homemade wooden box using 10 different fasteners, or creating a gift ‘box’ by sealing a gift card in a block of cement, requiring a hammer open it). But with his kids reaching college age, in-person gifts and puzzle challenges will likely not be an option.
When we’re disconnected, whether through life changes like a move across the country or unforeseeable societal shifts like COVID 19, we desire ways to stay connected to each other.
So it’s no surprise that the world we live in has become increasingly digital — with the exchange of many gifts, products and services taking place almost entirely online. While the giving of digital gifts is certainly welcomed, the process can seem transactional, impersonal, and often lacks the element of fun that comes with opening or unboxing a physical gift.
The solution for Chad to continue his gift-giving remotely — while still entertaining, engaging, and staying connected with his children — was to create his own digital equivalent of the in-person interactions he used to have. A tool that would connect gift givers and receivers remotely, no matter the distance between them.
Currently, Surprizle™ exists as a live proof of concept (POC) website offering one type of puzzle game that gamifies digital gift-giving.
Client
Surprizle™ currently provides the space for people to send digital gifts - but with a twist! Their recipients must correctly answer the senders’ trivia questions in order to receive the gift.
The desire
Surprizle™ wants to expand the experience for its users.
Including: Space for more games, in-app purchases, and user interfaces.
Solution
Through a kano analysis and numerous iterations of usability tests my team and I developed a hi-fidelity prototype that focuses on finding a balance between the stakeholder’s requirements and the users’ wants.
primary user groups
Senders: Millennials, often with children and extended families, who want to stay connected with their loved ones and are open to doing so through gift-giving puzzle challenges.
Recipients: Often college-aged and younger, looking to have fun completing a challenge and receive gifts!
My role
UX Research testing
Survey Design
Writing
Presenting
Prototyping
I dabbled in a bit of everything but decided to focus more on research and writing for this project inb order to flex that muscle.
methods
Collaboration, Stakeholder Interview, Kano analysis, Usability tests, Mid-Fi and High-Fi Prototypes
tools
Figma, Figjam, Zoom, Calendly, Notion, Google Workspace
deliverables
Kano analysis results, architectural diagram, annotated high-fidelity prototypes, mid-fidelity prototype, and the client presentation & interactive prototype package.
Prototype strategy
and formulation
Design and
implemention
- TESTING PROTOTYPES
- TESTING PROTOTYPES
We explored the idea of numerous features. One of which was monetizing the Easy-Way-Out feature by making the recipient pay for it; however, after conducting the Kano Analysis, we found that users did not want to pay to unlock their gifts
This chart is the results of the Kano Analysis. Each circle represents one feature and the size of the circle indicates the importance to users.
Needing to find ways for the stakeholder to monetize the service, we looked into presenting the following features as possible areas.
“I would be livid if I had to pay to access a gift that was sent to me”
Information Architecture
Click the above image for a closer look
Uploading Personal Photos
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Difficulty Settings
Allowing Receiver to Skip
Interactive Prototypes
GIVE THEm A TRY!
Mid-fidelity Prototype
As a design team, we brainstormed new feature concepts cards for Surprizle, with the goal of enhancing its functionality and increasing user engagement. By staying ahead of potential competitors, we aimed for innovative concepts that would set Surprizle apart.
Hi-fidelity Prototype
We again conducted surveys and usability tests to get an even clearer understanding of user’s preferences to better meet their needs.
From there we came up with our Hi-fidelity prototype implementing the what we learned.
surprizle high fidelity prototype
presentation
My team had the opportunity to present our findings and show off our prototype to our stakeholder as well as numerous design peers. Below is a video of that presentation.
Annotations
what are the next steps?
A structure has now been established
Despite distance or unforeseeable societal shift like covid-19, Surprizle will provide a unique gift giving experience for you to connect with family and friends that is engaging, challenging, and fun.
To successfully move forward, keeping an eye on new and different features as well as continuing to build on the current concept is imperative.
Some interesting ideas came from the conversations with users. Some future features could include:
adding personalized audio recordings
providing geocaching activities
hosting video contests and more.
