Seattle
Sun
Seeker
An outdoor places search tool that puts hourly weather and your next adventure on the same map.
A one-stop-shop for Washington adventurers
Washingtonian adventure lovers lack a single search service for outdoor activity places that integrates live weather.
Provide State Washington explorers with a simple, convenient one-stop-shop tool for searching and sharing their favorite outdoor spots.
Seattlesunseeker.com makes it possible to find a perfect place with the perfect weather for your next adventure, without switching tabs. It combines hourly weather overlays on the map, activity and facility filters, and a social sharing feature, all in one interface.
How the design evolved
Competitive audit, end user & moodboard
The first stage was about establishing the product's identity, who it's for, what it stands for visually, and how it compares to what already exists in the market.
Map position changes everything
Most competitors use only half or 2/3 of the screen for the map. The rest goes to place cards. This lets users simultaneously see photos and short descriptions alongside their location, making the place-selection process significantly easier. We incorporated this directly into our first major design iteration.
Data-driven persona
Data collected from user interviews, a questionnaire, and the competitive audit allowed us to write a detailed description of the end user, a Washingtonian adventure enthusiast who plans outdoor trips around weather windows, uses multiple apps to plan a single outing, and is frustrated by the tab-switching tax.
Finding the product's visual identity
Collecting images of Washington State, hikers, and things associated with "search" and outdoor adventure revealed the colors and shapes that suited the product's identity. Writing down words connected with outdoor adventures was equally useful, it anchored our style choices in the user's emotional context, not just aesthetics.
Updating the look, then testing it
With a clear brand identity established, we redesigned the interface and immediately put it in front of real users through a moderated usability study.
10 participants, 4 clear findings
I planned and conducted 10 online moderated user tests covering the main features. Participants were recruited through Facebook groups. Here's what they told us:
- 01 Users need guidance with the weather colors on the map, they couldn't identify what the colors meant without a legend. 10 / 10
- 02 Users need an hourly forecast to make decisions about going somewhere, seeing a daily average wasn't enough to plan a trip. 6 / 10
- 03 Users need an easier way to insert a location when adding a new place, typing exact addresses was frustrating, especially with typo errors. 7 / 10
- 04 Users need a more obvious way to add tips to a place description, the existing UI didn't make the interaction discoverable. 8 / 10
SUS Score
System Usability Scale result
Excellent, above industry average of 68
Changes, takeaways & what's next
The usability study gave us four clear mandates. We addressed each one, introduced new features, and documented what we learned for future design cycles.
What this project taught me
User Interviews Are Non-Negotiable
Conducting user interviews before starting any project is a must. It's the only way to put the user front and center from the very beginning. The findings from those interviews guided every subsequent design decision.
Real Life Doesn't Fit a Standard Box
Real-life projects are sometimes messy and not ideally organized. That's okay. My job as a UX designer is to advocate for the user, to ensure that in this messy process, their needs are addressed and the product solves their problem in the best way possible.
Communication Is Key
Working in a real team showed me how crucial effective communication is. Multiple people involved in decision-making means mastering presentation skills became essential, delivering ideas clearly and ensuring the whole team stayed aligned.
What comes next
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Improve interaction with the map Done
In our last test-and-refine cycle, we added clusters of places on the map and introduced more easily recognizable colors for weather indication.
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Improve filter interaction on desktop Done
We changed the filter interaction, placing the "All Filters" button at the top and showing all filters at once in a pop-up window, making it much easier to navigate and see what's active.
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Multi-stop trip sharing
Enable users to share trips with multiple stops along the way, including restaurants, scenic points, and sights, as a complete journey rather than individual places.
Let's work together
Reach out and I'll share more about how I can solve your problem!