Pastime
Seamlessly connect with your leisure activities. An all-in-one platform that makes hobbies easy to find and affordable.
Responsibilities
UX Research
User Flows
Wireframes
Prototype
Usability Testing
Project Type
Independent
Duration
3 months
Overview
Problem
Many people want hobbies, but find them to be expensive and want to explore different activities to figure out what they like.
Solution
Pastime helps users take control of their free time by offering credit plans that connect users to leisure activities, effortlessly and affordably.
Affordable credit plans for different lifestyles.
Find a class to book.
Search and explore activities near you.
The Design Process
01. DISCOVER
Competitive Analysis
There are various platforms and services that help give us access to new experiences, both in-person and online. While researching what people use to try and learn new things, Masterclass, ClassPass, and Groupon were top platforms mentioned.
By conducting competitive analysis on these three platforms, I was able to identify what problems they solve well and areas for opportunities.
Takeaway
While the 3 companies offer great products, there is still a gap in the market for an all-encompassing service or platform dedicated to connecting users with leisure activities and helping them learn new hobbies.
User Interviews
With a bit more context around the market and competitors, I interviewed 5 participants who currently have or are looking for hobbies to better understand potential users and their experiences in trying new activities and finding hobbies.
By asking open-ended questions, I was able to gather insights on user pain-points, motivations, and goals.
“I’m hesitant to start a hobby and spend money investing in tools, etc. when I don’t know if I’m going to even like it.”
“I want to try out different activities and try them out a couple of times before committing.”
“It would be helpful to know what places, studios, and classes are available around me. ”
02. DEFINE
Affinity Mapping
Insights from user interviews were grouped into over-arching themes to diagnose problems and identify common issues.
While there were a handful of themes that surfaced, the themes that stood out the most were: Social Interaction, Financial Commitment, and Finding Hobbies.
How might we make trying new experiences and activities accessible, affordable, and sociable?
03. DEVELOP
User Flows
With a clear problem defined, the solution I landed on was Pastime, a plan-based platform that allows users to find and book in-person classes seamlessly.
By mapping out possible pathways users may take while signing up for a credit plan or booking a class, I was able to identify key screens needed in my designs.
Legend
Scenario: Sign up for a credit plan
Scenario: Reserve a class
Wireframes
Mid-fidelity wireframes of main features were created in Figma. Building out wireframes helped establish visual hierarchy and determine the UI elements needed.
04. DELIVER
Prototype & Testing
With UI design elements in place, a prototype was built and tested by potential users for feedback on usability.
Users were given two tasks to complete:
1) Sign up for the new member free trial.
2) Search and book a class.
Priority Matrix
From the feedback received, I created a priority matrix to help prioritize what changes to make in my next iteration.
Due to time constraints, I focused on implementing changes that would be quick wins - high user value and low effort.
Click-to-pay option added.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
List View & Map View available.
BEFORE
AFTER
Reviews for class and instructor added.
Made feedback for reservation clearer using a pop-up message.
BEFORE
AFTER
Final Design
Based on the prioritization from usability testing feedback, iterations were made to ensure seamless and intuitive user experience.
Thoughts and Takeaways
This project was a true learning experience as I researched and designed this app while learning UX and UI processes. Being able to directly apply my learnings to a project was really helpful and made the UX process stick.
While I still have much to learn, I feel confident enough to start designing and working on more projects with the toolbox of UX knowledge and skills I gained through the course of this project.