Geocaching

Redesigning the onboarding for the Geocaching app.

Type

Timeline

University project

January - February 2024

Team

Tools

1 Student

Figma , Miro

At a glance

For my university assignment, explored different applications and websites to understand how each flow works, and why, and how they’re using interface components. We then chose one specific onboarding flow and created a prototype with the added improvements.

Purpose & Scope

Purpose:

Improving the onboarding experience for Geocaching

Scope:

Research, review, iterate, refine, and prototype

Introduction

As a group, we initiated the project by conducting teardowns on the chosen mobile app, thoroughly analysing its existing onboarding process to identify pain points and areas for improvement. Our focus was to understand user needs and preferences while addressing usability challenges. With a clear goal to improve user engagement, we designed the onboarding journey with easy and efficient interactions. Our goal was to create a seamless onboarding experience that not only guides users through the app's features but also makes a good first impression by incorporating best UX design practices and iterative prototyping approaches. This project demonstrates our commitment to improving user satisfaction and usability in mobile applications through thoughtful solutions.

What is geocaching?

Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunt happening right now, all around you
Geocaches are found in parks, urban areas, forests, deserts, on top of mountains, underwater ... pretty much anywhere you can imagine!
There are over 3 million geocaches in the world

Current onboarding teardown

Good bits

The app uses a freemium approach. It does not require users to subscribe to their service to use the app but will show a popup to the the user that the option is available.

Explains clearly to users why location services are needed

Not-so-good bits

New users are forced to sign up on entry before they have a chance to try the app. If new users are not as motivated, this may feel like a barrier to trying out this app. If this was a well-known game it might not be a problem. It is important to consider asking for signup after users have seen the value this app brings.

Right after sign up, new users are immediately asked to sign up for premium. These users have yet to even try the app or see it for its value. Premium subscription prompt can show up later, after the user has had more experienced

The get started modal takes you to some “goals” but the page does not show you how to finish these goals and expects you to understand and explore yourself.

Their attempt at having a “task list” yet, the tasks are quite linear . “Choose a cache”, “navigate to a cache” and “post a log” are vague . There are no connections and no explanations on what steps to take to find a cache. It is not new-user friendly. By the time they have successfully achieved the goal of “finding a cache” by themselves, they may not be considered a “new user” anymore and these onboarding goals popping up randomly could become annoying rather than helpful or encouraging.

Improvement ideas

Move the sign up page to later on in the app
Remove the premium popup from initial sequence
Allow for skipping/maybe later for the introduction slides.
Replace the get started goals with a guided tour of the app.

Initial concepts

Introduction + tutorial

Goal: Introduce the app and give a tutorial simultaneously

Located before the sign up
Tutorial is a carousel format of Tell->show->do format
Starts with an explanation of the app
Shows an animated demonstration on what to do
User swipes to the next page which is a “try it out” page that simulates a feature in the app for the user to practice doing
Full carousel of main features shown to user
Can be skipped

Guided Task

Goal : Show user how to find a geocache!

Located after signup
Shows exactly step by step what to do to find a geocache
Complete each mini task to go to the next step
Finish tour by finding their first geocache
User needs to be outdoors ready to walk around to find the geocache
Pan be found later in “more->guide” section if skipped.

Tooltip tutorial

Goal: Help familiarise users where to find tools to browse and explore by themselves later

Located after signup
The tutorial is more similar to a carousel “click next” format for the next tip
User can be at home learning about the tools in the app first
Can be skipped

Final concept sketch + best practice considerations

1. Provide a clear path to success

Celebrate their success - At the end of the tour, we congratulate users when they find their first cache. It's important to acknowledge and give positive feedback when users complete an this task because it boosts their emotional connection to the app and encourages them to feel good after achieving a find, and to continue doing so.

2. Show benefits early and often

Help them feel successful early - The guided tour aims to demonstrate to users that the app is both enjoyable and achievable. By guiding users through the process of finding their first cache, we provide them with an early sense of accomplishment and equip them with the necessary steps to seek out subsequent caches independently. Opting for a guided tour over the original “task goals” ensures that users can complete the tour in a single session, increasing their engagement with the app.

3. Explain in the context of the interface

Teach through doing, not memorisation. - Content-as-tutorial is the framework for the guided tour. It provides information at the point of action and is relevant to the users current journey. The tooltips only appear when the user reaches an appropriate stage in their task flow rather than sporadically when the user may not need it.

Although many people may prefer to work everything out for themselves, it is good to provide the option for those who would like some guidance.

4. Consider if, how, and when to ask for information

It is important to balance the user experience of onboarding with the friction of necessary steps such as account creation and education.

A common friction is the sign up process. A suggested improvement from the original flow of the geocaching app, is to introduce the app and demonstrate value before asking the user to sign up.

5. Gradually expose complexity over time

On the original onboarding, new users are bombarded with a premium pop-up introducing extra features for a monthly or yearly subscription. New users would not see the value at this point. Removing this modal from the onboarding sequence will help simplify the information that is shown to the user.

The first use of the app can will be focused on helping a user be successful in finding a geocache on their own. Saving additional features such as the different types of geocaches, trackables and premium features for later on. New users should only be shown the necessary components of the product. This helps them to gradually and naturally understand what's going on around them, providing more information when they're ready for it.

6. Onboarding never stops

Effective onboarding extends beyond a user’s first session in a product. Other types of guided tours will be available later in the “more” section for further learning if users need help

Final concept flow

Combines aspects of the 3 concepts
Introduction at the start (no tutorial here)
Guided tour with tasks and tooltips for how and where to navigate to a geocache.

Consideration:
Users should be prepared to venture outdoors to locate a geocache during the tour.

Combat:
Users are given the option to find/complete the tour at a later time if they wish.

Low fidelity wireframe

Usability testing plan

We are improving the onboarding experience for the geocaching app. We are finding out if the user experience of this onboarding helps users better understand how to navigate the main task of the app, finding a geocache. We want to understand any challenges the users might face during this onboarding experience.

Goals:

determine the user experience of the onboarding sequence of the geocaching app.

Research questions

Task: Open up the app, follow the onboarding sequence and try to understand the features as a new user
What do you understand about this app
What’s part of the design do you remember being the most helpful to you?
What else could we add to make it easier to understand
What aspects are harder to understand? / Were there any aspects that made you confused?
What would be your natural response to this app if this wasn't a usability test
What questions do you want to ask about it
Do you have any other comments about this app or in general?

Methodology

Unmoderated usability test

Length

10-20 minutes per session

Participants

5 participants aged between 20-45

SHANNON CHEN