Pointer - Edge Case
Why consider edge cases?
Considering edge cases made the experience more seamless for all users because it helped to identify additional problem areas that needed attention.
The scenario
While there were countless possible edge cases, Pointer faced specific challenges as a new app. One of these challenge was the need to build a large database of venues for users to browse. Under monetary and time constraints, users and venue owners were the ones tasked with entering new venues. This was time consuming and tedious, but it was also an opportunity for users to feel like they were contributing to the community.
This edge case answered the following question: What happened when a user tried to leave a review for a dog venue, but could not even find the venue?
Edge case user flow
Main happy path - The user found a venue and left a review. While this path still rewarded the user for leaving a review, it was short and simple.
Edge case - The user could not find the venue. How did they stay motivated enough to continue on this path? Tools like unlocking tricks (the Pointer reward system) and encouraging copy (“Thanks for contributing to the Pointer community!”) could be helpful here.
User testing
As with the onboarding process, edge cases needed multiple iterations and testing for improved usability. With a midfi version of this flow built, it was important to answer the following questions:
What helped users to stay motivated? Were the rewards of unlocking Tricks helpful?
Was it obvious where the flow was headed?
Were users able to fill out the details, like venue addresses and phone numbers?
Testing results:
Users liked the Tricks feature - They felt encouraged by unlocking tricks, and stayed motivated enough to continue engaging with the edge case.
Copy needed clarification - Dog owners were confused by some of the flow, particularly the moment when the results page turned out zero results. This is also the same screen where they were asked to add a venue. Clarifying and motivating copy helped in this case.
Some information needed to be auto-populated - Asking for details like the venue address felt overwhelming for certain users. They expected the app to auto-populate this particular kind of detail. The solution was that dog venues would have to be the ones to update details like their holiday hours or address. In an ideal world, there would also be a team of people in the sales and customer service departments that reached out to venues for onboarding.
This forced me to recognize that there were challenges for any app to exist in the real world - a humbling moment.
“…it could be annoying for the user to have to look up the address for the app…”
Final design explorations
Similar to Pointer’s Onboarding flow, this edge case collected information in different ways including sliders. The use of the the awards system and thoughtful copy helped to keep the user engaged throughout.
More edge cases to consider
Onboarding for dog venue owners
Fail states throughout onboarding
Dog owners adding events