Role
Product Design intern for Geopogo working on Geopogo Cities
Skills
Market Research
User Group Research
Product Design
Design System
Digital Prototyping
Timeline
Sep. 2022 - May. 2023
(9 months part-time)
Tools
Figma
Unreal Engine
Notion
The Challenge
Despite the efforts of the sales team, they were unable to secure sales for the beta product of Geopogo Cities due to the absence of genuine users or measurable metrics. The overall consensus was that the product was "too confusing." Designed by the engineering team, the product's design and development emphasized showcasing its multitude of features and tools, rather than prioritizing user experience.
Previous Designs:
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Therefore, the CEO asked our team to make "significant improvements" and redesign the beta product. It was clear we needed to shift focus to the user base if we wanted to succeed.
Talking to Real People
01
Market Research & Interviews
Qualitative and Quantative
When I was tasked to be on the Cities team, design help wasn't immediately needed so I took the initiative to contribute by spearheading a survey and interview initiative for research purposes. This involved crafting insightful survey and interview questions tailored for a diverse research group, comprising esteemed architects such as HKS and HOK, industry leaders in construction management like Hensel Phelps, and influential entities including Autodesk, Uber, and prominent universities.
The primary objective of this research initiative was twofold: first, to find out which user groups exhibited the highest propensity for utilizing AR/VR tools in their presentations. This insight would inform us to tailor the UI/UX to align with these user groups' preferences first. Additionally, we delved deeper into the pain points experienced by all user groups, with the aim of identifying areas where Geopogo's technology could provide effective solutions.
Additionally, we adopted a comprehensive approach by analyzing user groups that demonstrated a lower utilization of AR/VR tools. By engaging with these groups and investigating their pain points, we sought to project their potential receptivity to embrace emerging technologies like AR/VR. This holistic approach encompassed understanding current usage patterns and anticipating future adoptions trends within the industry landscape.
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Key Insights
Upon finishing the research and gathering up the data, our biggest takeaways were that we had to prioritize construction management/builders as they exhibit the highest inclination towards using AR/VR technology, while acknowledging that owners may also find value in its application. Architects express aversions regarding excessive detail in presentations, advocating for a streamlined approach to avoid overwhelming audiences with unnecessary information. However, leveraging tools such as lighting for concise video presentations could effectively demonstrate the impact of shadows and sunlight on buildings and urban environments.
Across all three research groups, significant pain points were identified relating to schedule delays and budget overruns. To address these challenges, features facilitating direct visualization of material and system prices could prove invaluable. Additionally, implementing a collaboration tool would enable efficient and direct communication among stakeholders, streamlining project coordination and mitigating potential delays and budgetary discrepancies.
The Big Idea
02
Ideation
Using our key insights, the Creative Director, Founding Designer and I began to brainstorm a big game plan for enhancing the User Experience for the AR platform. We found that engaging in basic activities through the app demanded a lot of effort. It became clear that our foremost objective should be to elevate the user experience, ensuring it embodies a sense of effortlessness. In pursuit of this goal, we directed our focus towards three pivotal elements: speed, clarity, and accessibility.
Speed emerged as a critical factor, given that schedule delays were a prevalent pain point across all three research groups. Additionally, despite the Cities platform already containing amazing features, their efficacy was hindered by challenges in navigation and discoverability. Therefore, clarity and accessibility were essential elements.
Final Ideas
Following our ideation session, we brainstormed solutions aimed at enhancing the overall user experience. Drawing inspiration from 'Sim City 2000', we explored ways to inject elements of enjoyment and engagement into the user journey. While numerous ideas surfaced during this creative process, we ultimately prioritized streamlining the UI for a cleaner aesthetic. Subsequently, our focus shifted towards integrating features that would infuse a game-like quality into the experience. Our belief was that Augmented Reality should seamlessly blend enjoyment with professionalism, catering to both entertainment and practicality.
Trendscape
03
Competitive Analysis
In the rapidly evolving landscape of AR/VR platforms, the competition is fierce, with new platforms emerging regularly. Companies such as Unity Reflect, Unreal Engine, SketchUp Viewer, Twinmotion, Fuzor, CityEngine, and IrisVR are continuously innovating to establish themselves in the market. Amidst this dynamic environment, several platforms stand out for their exceptional capabilities in natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI), creating immersive experiences that blur the lines between virtual interaction and reality.
Platforms like Unity Reflect and Unreal Engine are leveraging advanced NLP and AI technologies to enhance the user experience, offering intuitive interfaces that simulate real-world interactions. SketchUp Viewer, Twinmotion, and Fuzor are also pushing the boundaries of AR/VR technology, incorporating AI-driven features to optimize design visualization and collaboration.
Design Explorations
As we delved into brainstorming sessions to enhance Geopogo Cities with new features, our curiosity led us to explore the landscape of other Augmented Reality platforms. Before embarking on the prototyping phase, we sought inspiration from industry peers to ensure a comprehensive understanding of innovative feature implementations.
Our goal was to craft a seamless and user-friendly experience across all user groups. By incorporating standout features, we aimed to distinguish Geopogo Cities within the rapidly evolving AR/VR visualization market.
The Final Design
04
Design Explorations
Over the following months, we embarked on a comprehensive overhaul of Geopogo Cities, prioritizing enhancements to the user experience. The engineering team dedicated efforts towards optimizing the website's speed, particularly addressing the challenge of lengthy upload times for 3D data. The Creative Director, Founding Designer, and I remained committed to our strategic objective of enhancing the user experience by prioritizing clarity, speed, and accessibility.
Over the next couple of months, we successfully secured investments and formed strategic partnerships with prominent corporations such as Google, Epic Games, Oracle, and Lucid Motors, propelling our expansion efforts at a rapid pace.
Starting from Scratch
I began my journey at Geopogo as the first Design Intern for its unreleased product, Geopogo Cities. When I joined, the team comprised fewer than 5 full-time members, and our base of operations was a modest corner of WeWork Berkeley. There was no proper intern onboarding program, the mission was somewhat vague, the website, constructed with Wix, left ample room for enhancement, and every moment defined the meaning of scrappy. However, all the interns and workers I came across were extremely passionate, fostering an amazing work culture.
It was my first time working at a startup and I found myself not only immersed in design but also tasked with responsibilities spanning marketing and data analysis. Navigating this multifaceted role demanded mastering new software tools and acquiring diverse skill sets, all while juggling a full-time student workload and working on my first UX project with thredUP.
However, the commitment to Geopogo's mission and the vibrant culture served as constant sources of motivation, compelling me to be an integral part of their pioneering endeavors in the realm of Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality.
Reflections...
As a first time intern, especially diving into the startup scene for the first time, I had no clue what to expect. Geopogo Cities was more of an emerging idea than an MVP (minimum viable product), and the company's mission seemed a bit fuzzy. But, I trusted my passionate and open-minded supervisors and just focused on my assigned tasks.
Despite the initial uncertainties, seeing the progress of Geopogo Cities during my stint was extremely impressive. It got me pumped up to contribute however I could as I ultimately started to see the potential of Augmented Reality in society. Through my experiences at Geopogo, I acquired and solidified a diverse skillset, ranging from conducting research and rapid prototyping to crafting pitch decks for brand partnerships.
Special thanks to Dave Alpert (CEO), Mike Hoppe (Creative Director), and James O'Loughlin (Founding Designer & Lead Developer) for a unique experience and for navigating me through my first intern experience with a tech company and for being patient with me.