I propose to change that.
AgriWeather
What is it?
AgriWeather is a conceptual mobile weather prototype I created while I was in CareerFoundry, a certified 400-hour User Experience bootcamp.
Roles & Responsibilities:
I progressed through the entire UX process from research, wireframing, & usability testing, to creating the final clickable prototype.
Timeline:
9 months.
The Process
The project took 9 months from beginning to end.
I used these tools:
To understand what farmers needed in a weather app, I interviewed & observed them in the field.
From this, I defined 3 basic needs:
Farmers need to see if a storm is over their fields.
Farmers need to easily compare weather feeds.
3
Average # of weather
feeds farmers looked
at when checking the
weather.
Farmers need to record weather details for the EPA.
Based on my research, I developed 2 personas to better define average farmers.
Robert Pfannenstiel
Farmer, cattleman.
Jason Pfannenstiel, Robert’s son
Farmer, cattleman, high school teacher.
What they need to do:
- Weather determines their schedule, they check it multiple times a day.
- To get an accurate forecast, they compare multiple weather feeds.
- They must keep detailed weather records for the EPA when they spray fields.
What they need to feel:
- Confident they are getting an accurate forecast.
- Certain that the app will record the data so they can get it later.
- Convinced their data is secure.
- This must be easy or they won’t bother with it.
Other considerations
- They work around loud equipment: warnings must include physical vibrations/ flashing lights.
- They typically wear readers, so use large fonts.
- They may not remove their gloves: make touch spaces large.
- The radar image is what they check the most.
- They may be in remote areas where cell connection is sketchy.
How Jason currently decides to spray a field.
Scenerio: It is 7:30AM, and Jason has just finished checking his cattle. He is sitting in his pickup with his phone in hand to check the weather forecast.
This is the second time he is checking the weather; he watched the news when he awoke at 5AM.
What Jason does:
1. Gather Data:
- Checks state extension office site to see if there is a temperature inversion.
- Checks Driftwatch.org for new beehives in area.
- Checks & mentally notes 3 different weather feeds.
2. Make Decision
- Mentally averages the different weather readings.
- Considers the hourly forecasts; he can only spray when the winds are calm.
- He decides to spray.
3. Execute:
- Records the weather readings.
- Sprays the field.
- Records same weather readings after he sprays.
What Jason is thinking & feeling:
“Each weather reading is a little bit different, so you have to check all of them to really understand what is going on.”
“I think I can spray this morning before the wind picks up.”
“Great. More government paperwork to deal with. There has to be a better way to do all of this.”
Opportunities:
A temperature inversion means chemical can drift off the field to another place, yet no weather apps incorporate these feeds.
Because farmers average different weather feeds, they need an easy way to compare several at once.
Allowing a way to “click and record” these data would alleviate a lot of headaches.
I created wireframes with a better way for Jason to compare weather feeds.
I also made wireframes for Jason to easily store EPA data.
Testing my wireframes on 6 people showed me a major issue with my design.
(As well as some smaller ones.)
The biggest issue: there were too many instructions.
And, nobody reads instructions.
7
# of screens people had
to read before interacting with the app.
“Yeah, I usually just swipe past all that stuff and figure it out on my own.”
–Justin K.
Farmer & cattleman.
After making some refinements, I made the final hi-fidelity design.
The next day, Jason decides to spray his field.
Robert buys a new piece of land.
With AgriWeather, he can add it to the radar screen.
From the menu system, Robert chooses “Map a Field.”
Now, Robert’s field is on the radar screen.
He can add as many field maps as he needs.
Outcomes & Assessment
One Regret:
I wish I could have done more user testing. I just ran out of time.
Outcomes:
I’m very happy to know that people I didn’t test or tell about this app ask me when they can download it.
It tells me there is a lot of demand for an app with these capabilities.
“So when can I download your app?”
The most common question
I get at the grocery store
from people I know —
and don’t know.