Jordan Samson
UX RESEARCHER & DESIGNER |
CREATIVE SUPPORT FOR LOST IN SPACE SHOW
"I found my future path and personal design style in this program, thanks to this program."
Jordan Samson is a UX researcher and designer who was inspired by videogames when he was young. He often wondered why some experiences felt worse than others and discovered UX during his time at Seattle Central College. The unique mix of art, psychology, and technology immediately attracted him to the field. There, he completed the Web Design Program, earning an associate degree with a focus on UX research and design, before transferring into LWTECH’s BASD program.
He believes that design should be simple, efficient, and data driven, while also being aesthetically pleasing, and communicating vital information. As a person, he’s always been endlessly curious about how things work, and what drives the decisions from both creators and users.
Find Meow
FINDING YOUR FELINE FAMILY
Project Overview
When I started this program, one of our cats went missing, and unfortunately, he passed away. I don’t want other pet owners to experience that, especially when it comes to their cats. The design challenge was to create a GPS tracker for cats, something designed specifically for them.
My goal was to utilize my design and technology knowledge to create a proof-of-concept for a GPS collar attachment. The product was designed for cats, factoring in their unique mobility traits and natural agility, while focusing on simplifying the experience as much as possible.
I don’t have the knowledge to create this from scratch, but I know enough about networks and technology to know that this product is feasible.
Process Work
RESEARCH
Having helped neighbors find their own cats, I had plenty of experience when it came to how a person searches for a cat. I generated user personas, researched the current market of pet trackers, and chose my neighborhood for the location and target audience. What I needed to learn about were user habits:
- How many people have collars on their cats?
- Do those collars have tags?
- Are their cats indoors, outdoors, or both?
DESIGN PROCESS
I completed sketches for the physical product, but decided that I wanted to do a little more for the website and app. While I did the usual wireframes, I also went on to make site maps and information architecture. I really wanted to make sure that only the necessary information was on the website and app. Losing a pet is unbelievably stressful, and the website and app need to do what they can to minimize information bloat, while supporting the user.
Deliverables
My deliverables were: a 3D printed collar attachment, a prototype website, and a prototype app.Overall, I am satisfied with the deliverables. I took a concept that I had and turned it into three items and accomplished my goals. There would be so much more work to do if this was a real, working product, but it turned out how I wanted it to be: A simple, feasible proof-of-concept.
Conclusion
This was a very fulfilling and challenging project. I found myself being forced to develop new skills, utilize my foundation in web design, I would love to expand more on the app and website, but with my present skills, there’s not much else I could do with the collar attachment itself.