LOFI TESTING
Blush Pink
I'm really proud of this project! I had so much fun flexing some product design muscle and this felt more like an intellectual challenge in what a product really is. I'm thankful to be learning how to frame product with critical thought, making sure the foundation is always taking into account who our primary audience is.
👍🏻 👍🏻
4 Months
it's a step towards reviving local economies, fostering community engagement, and preserving cultural heritage.
80%
We tested our lofi wireframes with several participants and found that most of them could not understand our point system.
Little Tokyo local shops (10%) have left or permanently closed within the last 3 years.
People preferred not to buy a watch to wear and would rather have something else (keychain.)
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LEADS US TO ASK
Electric Orange
There are many initiatives right now from both local community groups and the city of Los Angeles that show the objective is to preserve the history and heritage of Little Tokyo, while empowering the local citizens to continue meshing with the neighborhood.
Given that most of our application rewards users with points so they can spend, it is vital that we come back to the drawing board and figure out how we can retool our point system and make it more intuitive for people to understand.
Modernizing the typography while focusing on the readability of the content.
HIFI PROTOTYPE
How might we inform visitors about the rich history of locally-owned businesses in Little Tokyo?
From our testing, it was clear that exploring the history and reading about each store was one of our users most favorite part of the app. We are still running into issues with a more intuitive point system and we will go back to the drawing board with this.
Most users (90%+) found the history and reading behind the places intriguing and fun.
Pointkyo is a gamified loyalty platform with a spotlight on the unique history and cultural heritage of Little Tokyo. help immerse yourself in the neighborhood like never before.
Product Designer UX Researcher
This is how Pointkyo guarantees a smooth and enjoyable experience right from the start.
Welcome to Little Tokyo.
PRODUCT VIDEO & REFLECTIONS
"Community is about doing something together that makes belonging matter."
local neighborhoods risk fading into obscurity.
Director of Planning
This application was a deep dive into local neighborhoods and how to use technology to help bolster human connection. With this project, I learned better ways of refining solutions and understanding the target user.
45 Businesses
HIFI USABILITY SCORE CARDS
🗺️ 👓 ⭐️ 📚
Little Tokyo is primarily a commercial destination for visitors -- a space for shopping, eating, and social gatherings.
🏷️
😥
Recent store closures have torn at the fabric of this very neighborhood. It's just more collateral damage from the aftermath of Covid and slower foot traffic.
Managing Director
ICONOGRAPHY & BUTTONS
Bb
BORN IN SF 🌎 AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
magicMAGIC
MAGIC
MADE WITH ❤️ COPYRIGHT © 2023
Most users (80%+) agreed the point system was too hard to grasp for casual visitors.
Little Tokyo Service Center
REVIVAL 1995
mailto:darrlau@gmail.comCONTACT
CONTACT
TRUST THE PROCESS TRUST THE PROCESS TRUST THE PROCESS
Accumulate points through each discovery, spend them on exclusive promotions and discounts, and enjoy a rewarding exploration of Little Tokyo's hidden treasures.
+66%
THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND
Soft Black
Approved
2 out of 3
For 132 years, this hearty community has survived everything from world wars to a roller coaster economy to emerge as one of Southern California's most popular cultural communities.
🛠️ TOOLS
📚
👍🏻 👍🏻
PRIMARY BTN
THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND
INTERFACE TYPOGRAPHY
Little Tokyo Established as National Historic Landmark.
UCLA Researcher
It was apparent in our LoFi testing phase as well that people felt a watch was too cumbersome and they wanted an easier way to interact with the platform without investing too much money.
The review and process of discovery feels too one-dimensional for stores that offer a wealth of history and culture.
LITTLE TOKYO LOS ANGELES
In an era where traditional retail faces the shadow of declining foot traffic and digital disconnect, the charm and heritage of
A Japanese seaman opened a restaurant on First Street.
Warm Gray
--Brian Solis
⌛️ TIMELINE
Karen
Little Tokyo Community Council
To further understand the people we would be creating solutions for, we found research from prominent studies and community groups within Little Tokyo.
Figma Midjourney Photoshop Illustrator
INSIGHTS
Curated Shop and Landmark Journeys NFC Enabled Accessory Unique Pointkyo Point System Explore History and Culture On Your Schedule
POINT SYSTEM
EXPANDED 1900'S
🎨 MY ROLE
SF Pro Display
Small businesses deserve a fresh start and need rental assistance.
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This project benefitted a lot by the similar UI and UX to what Yelp and DoorDash used to look like. With big card designs, users felt like the swiping was robust and solid. They also noted how fun and gamified it all felt once scanning was implemented and shown.
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Shopping and Eating account for more than +60% of the main reasons why people visit LT.
THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND THE BRAND
BRAND COLORS
Base Gray
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Pointkyo elevates your experience with seamless NFC technology, effortlessly pairing with accessories and auto-detecting nearby devices to ensure a connected, hassle-free journey through Little Tokyo.
When there are also no solutions right now allowing for discovery of culture and local shops, we can see why the neighborhood is struggling to keep its smaller stores afloat.
2 PROCESS
2 PROCESS
1 EXPERIENCE
2 PROCESS
1 EXPERIENCE
1 EXPERIENCE
Local businesses in cultural neighborhoods are struggling with diminished foot traffic and visibility, leading to a decline in community vibrancy and economic stability.
Population grew as more immigrants came searching for jobs and housing.
EXPLORING THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Little Tokyo small businesses are closing for a myriad of reasons: slow foot traffic, dwindling economy, and lack of marketing.
TERTIARY BTN
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
NEARBY AUTO DETECTION
TRUST THE PROCESS TRUST THE PROCESS TRUST THE PROCESS
WIREFRAMING SOLUTIONS
THE GOAL
We swiftly introduce you to the fun of earning rewards while exploring Little Tokyo, guiding you through its point system and customizable adventure for a smooth, exciting start.
Pointkyo's dashboard is curated with AI, offering a daily journey filled with hidden gems and landmarks in Little Tokyo, ensuring each day is a new adventure filled with discovery and rewards.
...Bring more people to Little Tokyo, but there are so many unanswered questions about how that will be managed and who will benefit.
SECONDARY BTN
With Pointkyo, users embark on curated explorations, seamlessly connecting them with local businesses that are the lifeblood of Little Tokyo in LA. Each visit, each discovery is more than an experience -
Kristin
COMPETITION
Rewards Program Writing Reviews History & Discovery Curated Journey See Photos
Cc
After a few coats of design paint, the interface started to really come together. Testers were pleasantly surprised by the app and how to use it.
<$40+
We went outside of our four walls and did several user interviews of the new application with our target market. Although the points system was now more easily understandable, the biggest pain obstacle was still getting users to easily spend their points and redeem their coupons.
Users described the ideal price point as being below $40 for any watch or accessory.
PROBLEM
Grant
Finding and supporting local businesses can be challenging when the current solutions out there only offer shallow and outdated reviews.
Pointkyo Blue
Using AI and clean data sets, Pointkyo generates daily adventures suited for you. Collector Item accessories are available for purchase to show pride. Accrue and use points on exclusive discounts and promotions at participating shops. Read in depth reviews and immerse yourself in the history of each store and owner.
TRUST THE PROCESS TRUST THE PROCESS TRUST THE PROCESS
MVP FEATURE SET
After coming up with the MVP features, we started wireframing basic solutions. We learned about how intricate this point system actually was and it seemed to be quite the puzzle to solve.
Curated experiences
Aa
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Design an intuitive, engaging app to reconnect consumers with local businesses through enhanced discovery and gamified engagement.
ESTABLISHED 1885