This case study details the exploratory research phase of a UW HCDE capstone project for Proxi, a local start-up. Led by me and one other researcher and with the help of two other designers, this research phase gathered insights to move toward answering our high level design question:

<aside> ❓ How might we develop a personal, useful, and actionable mobile application that enables Gen-Z users to engage with Proxi’s maps?

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Background and Goals

Proxi is an online custom interactive mapping tool. Its user-friendly map creation process, level of customization, shareability, and creator analytics posits itself as a viable alternative for Google My Maps and Yelp. A common use is an influencer or creator using a Proxi map to compile their local favorite spots for their followers. Proxi’s map format keeps creator recommendations approachable and visually digestible as opposed to a pure textual list of names and addresses.

You can check out Proxi here: **proxi.co**

Overall Project Goals:

• Design a mobile app prototype for Proxi, because currently Proxi is only web-based.
• Focus heavily on the map viewing, because Proxi mostly invested their resources into map creation at that point*.*
• Envision an interaction for users to layer multiple independent maps at once within the app as desired by the organization.

Evaluative Research Goals

• Evaluate the existing web Proxi map-viewing experience
• Identify pain points to address in the mobile design to ensure they are not reproduced

Generative Research Goals

• Generate and identify potentially relevant features for the mobile prototype
• Gain perspective from Gen Z about travel habits, trip planning, and other contexts in which Proxi map layering could be helpful

Methods

Usability testing conducted considered users’ current interactions viewing Proxi maps, sentiments towards existing features in the web version, and insight into how Proxi might fit into a trip-planning process.

Co-design provided an opportunity to further investigate users’ current trip-planning preferences and travel motivations.