Hobble — Make time for your hobbies.

Solving UX problem in 4 hours. A mini UX case study.

Disclaimer

In this article I’ll be sharing my design process for a UX design challenge that I undertook. The challenge was to design a solution for a problem scenario within 4 hours. I wanted to test my UX design skills and see how much I could accomplish within a limited timeframe. So let’s jump right in.

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time for hobbies can be a challenge. Many individuals struggle to balance work, family, and other responsibilities, leaving little time for pursuing their interests. This is where Hobble comes in, an app designed to help busy individuals schedule hobbies into their lives.

The problem scenario:

Many people love to start new hobbies but are often unable to sustain them. How might an app help a user to remember to make time for their hobbies?

Deliverables

Flows, wireframes and hi-fi mockup.

Time

4 hours.

Design process

There are mainly four stages in my design process:

1. Discover & Define ~ (1:15hr)
2. Flows & Wireframes ~ (30min)
3. Visual design ~ (2hr)
4. Prototype ~ (15min)

Note: I knew that managing time is going to be the biggest roadblock for this challenge so it was important for me to divide and timebox my design process.

Note: All of this was done in one figma file so that it’s easier for anyone to collaborate. It also makes my workflow better by keeping all the resources at one place.

1. Discover & Define

This is the most important part of my process. This is the stage where I dive deep to really understand the users and the problem.

In the beginning I go very broad and write down all the questions that I have related to the problem or the users. I try to get as much information as I can so that later I can narrow down my search and make informed decisions.

Screenshot from Figma file

Research

I researched the habits of busy individuals so that I can propose a solution which will fit into their busy lives.

Threads of similar questions

User

Working professionals from ages 20–40 years old. Who struggle to manage between “work time” and “self time”.

Why are people not able to take out time for their hobbies? (Pain points)

• They commute for work so they don’t have time for anything else.
• They spend remaining time with their family.
• House chores take up their time.
• People don’t know which hobby to begin with.
• They get tired after their job.
• They are not good at time management.

2. Flows & Wireframes

After understanding the problem and the users, This is the stage where I try to find a solution which fits into their lives.

Note: I write down the most important elements of a screen on top so that I don’t forget about them in the final screens. The basic thing that I’m trying to do is to visualize the flow.

The solution

After some research and brainstorming I came to a conclusion that the best way to tackle the problems of our users is to give them curated challenges related to their hobbies that they can include in their busy schedules. The curated challenges are based on our users:

• Interests
• Skill levels
• Free time

Why curated challenges and why schedule them?

Hobbies are highly personalized and influenced by individual interests, skill levels, and available time. For busy individuals struggling to manage their time, finding time for hobbies can be a challenge. However, personalized challenges tailored to fit their schedules can be an effective solution. By creating challenges that align with their interests and fit into their busy routines, individuals can engage in fulfilling hobbies that enhance their well-being and bring joy to their daily lives.

Journey of ideal user

1. User receives notification for a curated hobby challenge on their phone.
2. User clicks on the notification to read the challenge details.
3. User schedules the challenge to start in 4 hours.
4. 4 hours later, user receives a notification that the challenge is about to begin.
5. User starts and completes the challenge, feeling accomplished.
6. User wants to share their results with peers.

3. Visual design

Note: There is no popular direct competitor to this app. And that’s why it was important to give value proposition during the initial stages of the app.

It was also important to get information from the user regarding their interests, skill level and free time so that we can give curated challenge suggestions.

4. Prototype

Future scope

• In future, I aim to enhance the user experience by incorporating gamification elements into the app.
• I want to work on the UX writing of the app.
• In future, I would like to dedicate more time to exploring the various screen states and handling edge cases. Unfortunately, in this current version, I was unable to design empty states for every screen or address the initial user experience.
• I would also like to work on the progress, profile and settings section of the app.
• I would love to conduct a more comprehensive survey on wider audience to gain more insights and to know more about the pain points of a user. That will help to iterate and make the solution even better.

Get in touch — Give Claps

Thank you for reading this UX case study! Your feedback and thoughts are greatly appreciated. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to share them in the comments section. And don’t forget to give claps if you like it.

If you’d like to get in touch with me, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter. I am always open to new opportunities in the UX field, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any projects or collaborations in mind. If you have time read my case study Today — Add any 5 daily tasks and complete them.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this case study. I look forward to connecting with you!

Note: I took this problem from Linda Ahn,s youtube video. Please do check her video out as well.