Interaction design for app that facilitates citizen science in insects census
Introduction
Citizen science can save cost for scientists and provide citizens opportunities to join research. Good interaction design in apps that promote citizen science can bring users comfortable experience and thus let them be more willing to contribute. This is an app designed to facilitate the contribution of data that could help researchers investigate the ecological circumstances of insects in urban areas.
In the process of designing for interaction, users should be put in the first place. In this case the users are identified as amateurs of entomology, who are willing to devote time to finding insects. Their ages range from children to retiring people. When users find insects, before insects run or fly away, they need to take records efficiently. Therefore, the features and interface do not need to be fancy, but practical and usable. Thus, the app should have proper constraints, letting users go through the process of submitting data step by step smoothly. Hence they won’t feel dissatisfied about the UX design and save lots of time.
Exhibition and explanation of interfaces
This is the main page, where both major features are exhibited. So that users can clearly understand the affordances.
In this app, entering inputs is a step-by-step process, which provides users with a conceptual model, in which they are manipulating an assembly line. This design can help them understand how to navigate in this app.
When users find insects, they need to first take geo-tagged pictures. At the same time the app will use GPS to collect information about the environment.
When the app is looking for matched information in database, users can help narrow the scope by sharing further information and more numeric data.
After all information is submitted to the scientists, the app will provide users knowledge about the insects, such as their families, specialties and habits. In this way users are helping scientists while also learning, which is a great motivation to users interested in entomology.
By clicking the “collection” in main page, users can go to their collection and view their previous findings. By utilizing the psychology of people fond of collecting, this feature provides users with further motivation to keep contributing. It also allows users to review knowledge they learned before.
Therefore this app not only helps the scientists collect data, but also teaches users.
This is the link to the demo video :
Problems met in the design process
The first problem is how to attract users to stay. According to a theory in behavior psychology, which says that users choose to stay in a certain community either because that community concurs with their self-identity or because they can gain benefits from the community. In this project, the collection feature can makes users consider themselves as insects finder and collectors, and thus have motivation to keep contributing. Moreover the information about insects can help users gain knowledge and feel the contribution worth their time.
The second one is the technology. With current technology, smartphone apps can’t accurately match up insects just by pictures. But in future time when better algorithms are developed and scientists have more complete database, this project will be practical.
The third one is about the features of the app. This app should be able to filter meaningless data submitted by users. Moreover, the collection feature and locating feature both involve privacy of users, so protection of users’ information should be made.
Useful and interesting things about this project
This project is helpful in both scientific research and citizen education. It supports scientists with resources that can improve our environment and at the same time promotes knowledge to citizens about biology and species diversity. In the future, with the development of technology about recognizing picture and matching data, perhaps more projects like this will be developed.
