iNetwork – Kelly Espinoza

Summary

Duration: Sep 2019 – May 2020
Tools: Adobe XD, Photoshop

Team

Kelly Espinoza, Stephen Garafola, Michael Neal-Karhut

User Research

Surveys, Interviews, Shadowing People, Personas, Empathy Maps, Journey Maps

Design Process

Ideating Solutions, Storyboards, Information Architecture, Interactive Models, Wireframes, Hi-Fidelity Prototypes

Problem Statement

Commuters on the LIRR are stagnant to socializing due to lack of interest, distrust of other passengers and being fixated on their phone.

Solution

iNetwork is a proximity networking service that connects professionals and recruiters seeking professional
value while also forming a sense of community.

Primary Research

2 Surveys

108 total responses

Interviews

15 participants

Shadowing People

2 commuters

User Research

Survey 1

The purpose of the first survey was to analyze activities made by commuters when they are on and off the train. Activities analyzed included technology usage, socialization, and journey to work. We analyzed this in a before, during, and after format.

77 responses

Problem Identified
83% of passengers who ride the LIRR prefer not to socialize on the train. This is due to distrust of other passengers and lack of interest.

Interpretation
Commuters feel unfamiliar with local community members and prefer to be isolated on the train.

User Research

Survey 2

The purpose of the second survey was to understand the complications of socializing on the LIRR. To further understand our users, we analyzed age as a factor, train times, commuting status, and levels of anxiety while commuting.

30 responses

Problem Identified
63% of daily commuters aged 20 to 40 years old are not interested in meeting new people.

Interpretation
Younger to middle aged commuters prefer keeping to themselves instead of meeting new people.

Interviews

User Research

Interviews

The purpose of conducting interviews was to understand how commuters interact with other commuters. We further investigated in reasons why people don’t socialize and how people engage with familiar faces they see on a daily basis.

Research Summary

We determined that age and train times are important variables to socializing when commuting. Younger commuters such as generation z and younger show lack of socialization due to excessive use of mobile devices, tiredness, and distrust of other passengers. In contrast, socialization is more evident towards middle-aged commuters.