Updating Look & Feel for Bartering Services — Mobile App Design
Sometimes, we need help with small things. Whether it’s getting someone to walk our dog while we’re at work, water our plant when we’re on vacation, or help us with a cheap, quick haircut, we’ve all needed services from someone trustworthy that we don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for.
Enter, twoPlugs. Designed for those who want to trade services cash-free, twoPlugs is a mobile app engineered to allow anyone to trade anything and get something they need in return.
Inaccessible + Unappealing = Not Trustworthy
When trading services with strangers, trust is paramount. The importance of trust and credibility in both the people and in the app itself was confirmed in 5 user interviews and 20 responses from online surveys.
Upon opening the app, a few things eroded trustworthiness. First was that the information uploaded by users was inconsistent — some users posted pictures and descriptions of the services they offered, while others did not. There was no mandatory requirement for either to be uploaded.
Users were also not required to post pictures of themselves when they created accounts, decreasing transparency and making it less likely that users would want to trade. Users want to be able to see who they are going to be exchanging services with — it gives them a feeling of safety.
Lastly, the app had accessibility issues. At times, fonts were too small to comfortably read. This was especially true when white font appeared on a yellow background — a contrast ratio which did not meet web accessibility guidelines.
Visual Design
TwoPlugs is an app aimed at trendy young people. Though this group may be low on cash, they have services to offer and are more trusting of online trading than their parent’s generation.
I created a mood board that captured a new look-and-feel for the app— the social and creative spirit of youth.
I gathered images of creativity (pencil crayons and paint brushes) mixed with images of real services that could be exchanged (hair styling, clothing exchange) and more abstract images of freedom and weightlessness that were inspired by not needing money to get what you need. I chose a colour palette that was bold (blue and teal) and a strong contrasting colour (orange) that would meet accessibility guidelines.
A Logo Refresh
A new app design called for a new logo. However, I wanted to see where and if the old logo fell short. I surveyed 12 people asking them if they knew what the old logo was and what changes they would make.
The results showed that 100% of people couldn’t tell what the old logo was (answer: it’s a plug and a socket!). Nearly half of people thought it was a computer mouse or the letters “ED”. We wanted to keep the plug theme with an updated logo, but get rid of some of the features that made it look like a mouse or letters. So, I flipped the orientation of the plugs and made the two components two separate colours.
Solutions and Final App Design
The main goals of our designs were to increase trust and credibility.
To tackle this, first we implemented “verification” checkmarks, where users that had provided their ID and phone number were given a special “verified” status that other users could easily see. We also allowed for users to leave each other ratings and reviews, so that anyone who was unreliable could be easily identified.
Next, we had learned that one reason trust is so important is that users fear being ripped off — providing a service and not getting paid, or expecting a service and being no-showed. To combat this, in the messaging portion of the app, we re-organized how invoices were sent. Within the messaging interface, users now send a proposal that outlines the “when”, “where”, and “how much” for the service. Previously, a more cumbersome form and calendar had to be selected within the “services” page. By imbedding the proposal within the messaging platform, it was easier for users to negotiate on-the-spot and exactly the service they needed.
On the back-end, we recommended requiring users to upload images and descriptive content of a certain length, to create consistency across posts. We also recommended giving users tips on what type of information to provide in their service description, depending on what type of service it was (e.g., for a dog walker, tips would suggest that they indicate if they’re comfortable with big dogs, or with cleaning up after them, etc.).
Trading Services Can be Easy
There were a number of challenges on this app. There was so much content and so much we could do; create custom forms for users to fill out for each type of service, or create in-app “communities” for users to trade specifically with those they know or live close to them. We had no shortage of ideas, but were short on time in this three-week sprint.
Ultimately, what we designed was a clear, polished app that made buying and selling services look sleek and easy!
