Support Sips: Reducing the cost of living pressures in Australia
UX / UI Design
Support Sips: Reducing the cost of living pressures in Australia
UX / UI Design
Support Sips: Reducing the cost of living pressures in Australia
UX / UI Design
Overview
"Develop a concept that responds to the following question for a particular user group: How might we reduce cost of living pressures for people in Australia?
Your final design concept needs to have a clear rationale, or theory of change, for how the designed experience, service, policy, collaboration, strategy or other digital and/or physical artefact will contribute to change. An app or website cannot be your final design concept."
My contribution
User Research
User Personas
Competitor Analysis
Ideation
Wireframing
Prototyping
User Testing
The team
2x team members
Me
Duration
12 weeks
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Miro
Overview
"Develop a concept that responds to the following question for a particular user group: How might we reduce cost of living pressures for people in Australia?
Your final design concept needs to have a clear rationale, or theory of change, for how the designed experience, service, policy, collaboration, strategy or other digital and/or physical artefact will contribute to change. An app or website cannot be your final design concept."
My contribution
User Research
User Personas
Competitor Analysis
Ideation
Wireframing
Prototyping
User Testing
The team
2x team members
Me
Duration
12 weeks
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Miro
Overview
"Develop a concept that responds to the following question for a particular user group: How might we reduce cost of living pressures for people in Australia?
Your final design concept needs to have a clear rationale, or theory of change, for how the designed experience, service, policy, collaboration, strategy or other digital and/or physical artefact will contribute to change. An app or website cannot be your final design concept."
My contribution
User Research
User Personas
Competitor Analysis
Ideation
Wireframing
Prototyping
User Testing
The team
2x team members
Me
Duration
12 weeks
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Miro
In a snapshot
The Problem
Rising cost of living in Australia poses a major source of stress, especially for younger generations. Although there are many support services and schemes that help to alleviate certain aspects (e.g. food, housing), these are often overlooked, as many people only know the main schemes provided by Government.
The Solution
My team and I designed an interactive board and kiosk aimed to be placed within universities and public hotspots to streamline Government and non-Government support services and schemes. Users can select certain aspects they would like support with.
In a snapshot
The Problem
Rising cost of living in Australia poses a major source of stress, especially for younger generations. Although there are many support services and schemes that help to alleviate certain aspects (e.g. food, housing), these are often overlooked, as many people only know the main schemes provided by Government.
The Solution
My team and I designed an interactive board and kiosk aimed to be placed within universities and public hotspots to streamline Government and non-Government support services and schemes. Users can select certain aspects they would like support with.
In a snapshot
The Problem
Rising cost of living in Australia poses a major source of stress, especially for younger generations. Although there are many support services and schemes that help to alleviate certain aspects (e.g. food, housing), these are often overlooked, as many people only know the main schemes provided by Government.
The Solution
My team and I designed an interactive board and kiosk aimed to be placed within universities and public hotspots to streamline Government and non-Government support services and schemes. Users can select certain aspects they would like support with.
Research and User Interviews
This project began because being students ourselves, we empathised with the rising cost pressures for the younger generation.
The rising cost of living remains a concern for people across the world and a multi-faceted issue encompassing political, economic and policy implications. Whether it is trying to find the most affordable deals, or applying to allowance schemes, many are trying to find ways to reduce their cost of living.
Being students ourselves, we empathised with this demographic and the need for a more nationally coordinated approach towards support systems is integral. This led us down the path to investigate the area of streamlining support systems for students to help reduce the cost of living pressure for younger generations.
Our aims for the research stage were to:
Discover the main financial and related support systems
Identify current levels of awareness of these support systems within younger generations
Identify what elements of the system could be improved
Interviews were conducted on students and recent graduates who are currently receiving or have previously applied for support services. Students from different universities and diverse backgrounds were included to ensure rich data. In total, 12 interviews were conducted.
Research and User Interviews
This project began because being students ourselves, we empathised with the rising cost pressures for the younger generation.
The rising cost of living remains a concern for people across the world and a multi-faceted issue encompassing political, economic and policy implications. Whether it is trying to find the most affordable deals, or applying to allowance schemes, many are trying to find ways to reduce their cost of living.
Being students ourselves, we empathised with this demographic and the need for a more nationally coordinated approach towards support systems is integral. This led us down the path to investigate the area of streamlining support systems for students to help reduce the cost of living pressure for younger generations.
Our aims for the research stage were to:
Discover the main financial and related support systems
Identify current levels of awareness of these support systems within younger generations
Identify what elements of the system could be improved
Interviews were conducted on students and recent graduates who are currently receiving or have previously applied for support services. Students from different universities and diverse backgrounds were included to ensure rich data. In total, 12 interviews were conducted.
Research and User Interviews
This project began because being students ourselves, we empathised with the rising cost pressures for the younger generation.
The rising cost of living remains a concern for people across the world and a multi-faceted issue encompassing political, economic and policy implications. Whether it is trying to find the most affordable deals, or applying to allowance schemes, many are trying to find ways to reduce their cost of living.
Being students ourselves, we empathised with this demographic and the need for a more nationally coordinated approach towards support systems is integral. This led us down the path to investigate the area of streamlining support systems for students to help reduce the cost of living pressure for younger generations.
Our aims for the research stage were to:
Discover the main financial and related support systems
Identify current levels of awareness of these support systems within younger generations
Identify what elements of the system could be improved
Interviews were conducted on students and recent graduates who are currently receiving or have previously applied for support services. Students from different universities and diverse backgrounds were included to ensure rich data. In total, 12 interviews were conducted.
Findings and Analysis
Interviewing users, we found out there was a gap in knowledge and awareness between Government and non-Government schemes.
Competitor Analysis
I took some time to research past precedents and current competitors that aimed to address rising living costs. Besides the government schemes provided by Centrelink, we concluded that there were many other non-Government organisations that helped to alleviate certain aspects associated with rising costs (i.e. lower housing costs, groceries), yet these were not very well-known to the wider public.
We saw an opportunity to create a space where younger generations could see all the available services they needed support with.
Affinity Mapping
From the interviews, the following themes emerged using affinity mapping:
Many students are unaware of non-Government services other than the main financial schemes provided by the Government
Awareness of services is typically spread through word of mouth
Application process for Government services are tedious and confusing, and many sometimes do not know if they are eligible
Students want to be able to just focus on their education and not worry about the rising cost of living
User Personas
The most prominent motivations, goals, frustrations were visualised into a user persona. A user journey map helped to identity specific pain points and design opportunities.
Findings and Analysis
Interviewing users, we found out there was a gap in knowledge and awareness between Government and non-Government schemes.
Competitor Analysis
I took some time to research past precedents and current competitors that aimed to address rising living costs. Besides the government schemes provided by Centrelink, we concluded that there were many other non-Government organisations that helped to alleviate certain aspects associated with rising costs (i.e. lower housing costs, groceries), yet these were not very well-known to the wider public.
We saw an opportunity to create a space where younger generations could see all the available services they needed support with.
Affinity Mapping
From the interviews, the following themes emerged using affinity mapping:
Many students are unaware of non-Government services other than the main financial schemes provided by the Government
Awareness of services is typically spread through word of mouth
Application process for Government services are tedious and confusing, and many sometimes do not know if they are eligible, and the documents required are not clear at the beginning of the process. Reasons for rejected applications are also unclear.
Students want to be able to just focus on their education and not worry about the rising cost of living
User Personas
The most prominent motivations, goals, frustrations were visualised into a user persona. A user journey map helped to identity specific pain points and design opportunities.
Findings and Analysis
Interviewing users, we found out there was a gap in knowledge and awareness between Government and non-Government schemes.
Competitor Analysis
I took some time to research past precedents and current competitors that aimed to address rising living costs. Besides the government schemes provided by Centrelink, we concluded that there were many other non-Government organisations that helped to alleviate certain aspects associated with rising costs (i.e. lower housing costs, groceries), yet these were not very well-known to the wider public.
We saw an opportunity to create a space where younger generations could see all the available services they needed support with.
Affinity Mapping
From the interviews, the following themes emerged using affinity mapping:
Many students are unaware of non-Government services other than the main financial schemes provided by the Government
Awareness of services is typically spread through word of mouth
Application process for Government services are tedious and confusing, and many sometimes do not know if they are eligible
Students want to be able to just focus on their education and not worry about the rising cost of living
User Personas
The most prominent motivations, goals, frustrations were visualised into a user persona. A user journey map helped to identity specific pain points and design opportunities.
Ideation
Finding a way to streamline services for the average young Australian through a screen-based interaction.
In total, we generated 37 ideas using brainwriting, random-word challenge and mashup ideation methods. We then compared them with the design criteria and areas identified in our persona journeys. A voting system was used to narrow down our options. The main constraint was that we were not allowed to design a mobile app or website.
Ideation
Finding a way to streamline services for the average young Australian through a screen-based interaction.
In total, we generated 37 ideas using brainwriting, random-word challenge and mashup ideation methods. We then compared them with the design criteria and areas identified in our persona journeys. A voting system was used to narrow down our options. The main constraint was that we were not allowed to design a mobile app or website.
Ideation
Finding a way to streamline services for the average young Australian through a screen-based interaction.
In total, we generated 37 ideas using brainwriting, random-word challenge and mashup ideation methods. We then compared them with the design criteria and areas identified in our persona journeys. A voting system was used to narrow down our options. The main constraint was that we were not allowed to design a mobile app or website.
Chosen Concept
1 concept stood out.
Introducing…Support Sips
Support Sips aims to address our problem statement through a database that offers all the support services. This enables a more streamlined process with finding, managing applications and availing desired services.
Our design solution consists of 2 components to cater to diverse user needs:
Information board
Matches a user to relevant services from various organisations. These will be placed in high-density areas such as train stations where users may have less time.
Seated Kiosk
Users can register to see what services they are eligible for and apply for multiple services on a one-time basis. These would be placed in university campuses, increasing students' awarenesses.
How does it address the design brief?
Raises awareness of support services that can be used to alleviate financial stress and cost of living.
Addresses the design opportunities identified by streamlining the process of having to repeatedly submit the same documents or information for multiple services in just one application.
Support Sips will be a more efficient method for users to apply, track and manage applications for multiple services in the long term.
Chosen Concept
1 concept stood out.
Introducing…Support Sips
Support Sips aims to address our problem statement through a database that offers all the support services. This enables a more streamlined process with finding, managing applications and availing desired services.
Our design solution consists of 2 components to cater to diverse user needs:
Information board
Matches a user to relevant services from various organisations. These will be placed in high-density areas such as train stations where users may have less time.
Seated Kiosk
Users can register to see what services they are eligible for and apply for multiple services on a one-time basis. These would be placed in university campuses, increasing students' awarenesses.
How does it address the design brief?
Raises awareness of support services that can be used to alleviate financial stress and cost of living.
Addresses the design opportunities identified by streamlining the process of having to repeatedly submit the same documents or information for multiple services in just one application.
Support Sips will be a more efficient method for users to apply, track and manage applications for multiple services in the long term.
Chosen Concept
1 concept stood out.
Introducing…Support Sips
Support Sips aims to address our problem statement through a database that offers all the support services. This enables a more streamlined process with finding, managing applications and availing desired services.
Our design solution consists of 2 components to cater to diverse user needs:
Information board
Matches a user to relevant services from various organisations. These will be placed in high-density areas such as train stations where users may have less time.
Seated Kiosk
Users can register to see what services they are eligible for and apply for multiple services on a one-time basis. These would be placed in university campuses, increasing students' awarenesses.
How does it address the design brief?
Raises awareness of support services that can be used to alleviate financial stress and cost of living.
Addresses the design opportunities identified by streamlining the process of having to repeatedly submit the same documents or information for multiple services in just one application.
Support Sips will be a more efficient method for users to apply, track and manage applications for multiple services in the long term.
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
We began sketching out ideas…and iterating.
Sketches and Wireframes
We began with initial concept sketches to visualise the concept. Lo-fi wireframes were then created which enabled us to establish the overall user experience and user flow of the information board and kiosk board.
Paper Prototype
Wireframes were then translated into a cardboard and paper prototype with the elements of the frames represented as differently sized and coloured post-it notes to ensure the ability to interact with the device and ease of iteration as we went about incorporating the user testing feedback.
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
We began sketching out ideas…and iterating.
Sketches and Wireframes
We began with initial concept sketches to visualise the concept. Lo-fi wireframes were then created which enabled us to establish the overall user experience and user flow of the information board and kiosk board.
Paper Prototype
Wireframes were then translated into a cardboard and paper prototype with the elements of the frames represented as differently sized and coloured post-it notes to ensure the ability to interact with the device and ease of iteration as we went about incorporating the user testing feedback.
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
We began sketching out ideas…and iterating.
Sketches and Wireframes
We began with initial concept sketches to visualise the concept. Lo-fi wireframes were then created which enabled us to establish the overall user experience and user flow of the information board and kiosk board.
Paper Prototype
Wireframes were then translated into a cardboard and paper prototype with the elements of the frames represented as differently sized and coloured post-it notes to ensure the ability to interact with the device and ease of iteration as we went about incorporating the user testing feedback.
Usability Testing
We sought 5 participants to perform Think-Aloud.
Selected participants were chosen to best represent our target demographic who were university students or those who recently graduated.
Participants were required to complete 2 tasks each (information board and kiosk).
Major Findings
A System Usability Score (SUS) of 78 was generated, equating to 'good'.
The process of uploading documents was confusing for participants. This was improved by splitting it into separate steps to make it less overwhelming.
Most participants did not understand the purpose of the timeline. This was improved to be more clear with prompts.
Usability Testing
We sought 5 participants to perform Think-Aloud.
Selected participants were chosen to best represent our target demographic who were university students or those who recently graduated.
Participants were required to complete 2 tasks each (information board and kiosk).
Major Findings
A System Usability Score (SUS) of 78 was generated, equating to 'good'.
The process of uploading documents was confusing for participants. This was improved by splitting it into separate steps to make it less overwhelming.
Most participants did not understand the purpose of the timeline. This was improved to be more clear with prompts.
Usability Testing
We sought 5 participants to perform Think-Aloud.
Selected participants were chosen to best represent our target demographic who were university students or those who recently graduated.
Participants were required to complete 2 tasks each (information board and kiosk).
Major Findings
A System Usability Score (SUS) of 78 was generated, equating to 'good'.
The process of uploading documents was confusing for participants. This was improved by splitting it into separate steps to make it less overwhelming.
Most participants did not understand the purpose of the timeline. This was improved to be more clear with prompts.
Iterations and High-Fidelity Prototyping
We went back to the drawing board to iterate on our designs and created our high-fidelity prototype.
What did we address?
Adding a small onboarding page fills the user on what to expect and gives an overview of the process to avoid confusion.
Documents required for parts of the form were made clear and the process of uploading documents was split to make it less overwhelming.
The timeline is presented with clear intentions and prompts the user’s next step. Other improvements included simplifying the language.
Iterations and High-Fidelity Prototyping
We went back to the drawing board to iterate on our designs and created our high-fidelity prototype.
What did we address?
Adding a small onboarding page fills the user on what to expect and gives an overview of the process to avoid confusion.
Documents required for parts of the form were made clear and the process of uploading documents was split to make it less overwhelming.
The timeline is presented with clear intentions and prompts the user’s next step. Other improvements included simplifying the language.
Iterations and High-Fidelity Prototyping
We went back to the drawing board to iterate on our designs and created our high-fidelity prototype.
What did we address?
Adding a small onboarding page fills the user on what to expect and gives an overview of the process to avoid confusion.
Documents required for parts of the form were made clear and the process of uploading documents was split to make it less overwhelming.
The timeline is presented with clear intentions and prompts the user’s next step. Other improvements included simplifying the language.
Final Concept
Our final concept
The final iterations of the high-fidelity prototype for the interactive board and kiosk were created using Figma. Interact with the Support Sips information board and kiosk below!
Final Concept
Our final concept
The final iterations of the high-fidelity prototype for the interactive board and kiosk were created using Figma. Interact with the Support Sips information board and kiosk below!
Final Concept
Our final concept
The final iterations of the high-fidelity prototype for the interactive board and kiosk were created using Figma. Interact with the Support Sips information board and kiosk below!
Reflection
This was a rewarding first experience with UX Design, and these were my key learnings.
Design isn't just about the visual aesthetics.
Although the brief seemed so broad and overwhelming at first, following the design thinking process and talking to real users to address rising living costs made me realise that design is more than just aesthetics - it's also a way to problem-solve and create experiences that have tangible impact.
Test, test, test!
A limitation that we encountered was the short turnaround time between our user testing and needing to create the high-fidelity prototype. Given that we had two paper prototypes, this pushed back our user testing time. User testing was a hugely insightful experience that provided valuable feedback. This meant we had to make some major changes within a shorter amount of time frame than originally expected. To prevent a similar situation from happening in the future, I will ensure to prioritise user testing earlier on to allow time for iterations.
Reflection
This was a rewarding first experience with UX Design, and these were my key learnings.
Design isn't just about the visual aesthetics.
Although the brief seemed so broad and overwhelming at first, following the design thinking process and talking to real users to address rising living costs made me realise that design is more than just aesthetics - it's also a way to problem-solve and create experiences that have tangible impact.
Test, test, test!
A limitation that we encountered was the short turnaround time between our user testing and needing to create the high-fidelity prototype. Given that we had two paper prototypes, this pushed back our user testing time. User testing was a hugely insightful experience that provided valuable feedback. This meant we had to make some major changes within a shorter amount of time frame than originally expected. To prevent a similar situation from happening in the future, I will ensure to prioritise user testing earlier on to allow time for iterations.
Reflection
This was a rewarding first experience with UX Design, and these were my key learnings.
Design isn't just about the visual aesthetics.
Although the brief seemed so broad and overwhelming at first, following the design thinking process and talking to real users to address rising living costs made me realise that design is more than just aesthetics - it's also a way to problem-solve and create experiences that have tangible impact.
Test, test, test!
A limitation that we encountered was the short turnaround time between our user testing and needing to create the high-fidelity prototype. Given that we had two paper prototypes, this pushed back our user testing time. User testing was a hugely insightful experience that provided valuable feedback. This meant we had to make some major changes within a shorter amount of time frame than originally expected. To prevent a similar situation from happening in the future, I will ensure to prioritise user testing earlier on to allow time for iterations.