Otherside Hemp is an iOS app designed for a small, family-owned organic farm in Asheville, NC. It provides trusted, small-batch CBD solutions for health issues like insomnia, anxiety, and depression. By prioritizing education and community, the platform helps consumers overcome industry stigma while supporting the business’s goal to grow its customer base from 1,500 to 10,000 users
PROJECT OVERVIEW
DURATION:
2 weeks
MY ROLE
UX Researcher
and UX Designer
TOOLS USED
Figma, Adobe XD
and Google Docs
PLATFORM
IOS
THE TEAM
Tiffany Kristen, Irfanul Haque,
Megan Libby and Aradhana Murarka
SKILLS
User Research, Wireframing,
Interaction Design, and Prototyping
PROBLEM
Consumers interested in holistic health often find the process of searching for quality hemp products confusing and intimidating due to a lack of information, social stigma, and uncertainty regarding product quality or dosage.
SOLUTION
How can we build an app that builds trusts with users so that our users will feel confident, safe, and aware in what they buy?
CHALLENGE
New users often feel overwhelmed and confused by the differences between CBD and THC, leading to a "stereotypical" view of hemp that can prevent them from seeking natural remedies for anxiety or sleep issues.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
USER INTERVIEWS
Method:
To generate qualitative data and understand user pain points, we conducted four one-on-one semi-structured interviews.
Interview Objectives:
What are the initial thoughts or feelings when user hear about hemp products?
Do users feel well-informed about the differences between CBD and THC, or is it confusing?
What are the users research habits?
The research data was synthesized into an affinity diagram to categorize findings into key themes:
AFFINITY DIAGRAM & EMPATHY MAP
USER PERSONA
A user persona is created to synthesize qualitative data from sources like one-on-one interviews and affinity diagrams into a single, relatable figure.
USER INSIGHT STATEMENT
"Johanna Doe, who struggles with anxiety and sleep problems, needs the trust and validation recommended by friends and wellness communities to help her choose quality products and stay away from prescription drugs with negative side effects"
PROBLEM STATEMENT
HOW MIGHT WE build an app that builds trust with users so they feel confident, safe, and aware of what they are buying?
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
The competitive analysis for the Otherside Hemp project involved evaluating several key brands to identify successful features and user experience strategies:
USER JOURNEY
USER FLOW
We mapped a core flow that includes an onboarding questionnaire to provide personalized product recommendations based on user preferences
LO-FI PROTOTYPE:
After initial paper sketched the next step is to develop low-fidelity prototypes which allowed me to test basic functionalities early on, gathering valuable feedback to refine my design approach.
Initial user testing sessions were conducted to validate design assumptions and identify areas for improvement, setting the stage for future refinement. Following were the goals for first round of user testing:
Goal #1: Evaluate how easily users can input key travel details and generate a full itinerary.
Goal #2: Test if users can clearly view, understand, and trust the generated itinerary.
Goal #3: Assess the visual comfort and accessibility for seniors
USER TESTING – ROUND 1
POSITIVE FEEBACK:
Very simple and easy to use
Liked that you can go to product page from community page.
A very easy way to learn about product cultivation
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
Include a review system
Reworked layout for more intuitive information placement
Highlight verified users to build trust.
STYLE GUIDE
HI-FI PROTOTYPE
A hi-fi (high-fidelity) prototype is created to closely simulate the final product in terms of design, functionality, and user interaction.
USER TESTING - ROUND 2
Following initial feedback, this round would focus on the "Areas of Improvement," specifically the reworked layout and the verified user system
TASK ASSIGNED:
Task 1: Community Engagement. "Go to the Community Tab and find a post about sleep aids. Try to navigate directly from a community member’s recommendation (like Megan Libby's) to the specific product page".
Task 2: Trust Validation. "Look through the Community Chat and identify posts made by 'Verified Users.' Tell us if seeing this badge makes you feel more confident in the product quality".
Task 3: Advanced Purchasing. "Add a product to your cart from the Recommended Products screen and proceed to the Checkout to see if the information placement feels intuitive".
Task 4 (Future Direction): "Simulate the process of tracking an order you just placed to see if the flow is clear and helpful"
FEEDBACK/ REVISIONS
Expand on social aspects of the Community tab
Define flow for recurring/existing users
Provide more info on the cultivation process
Expand the Learn tab
Create a flow for a dynamic search recommendation
Create Track Your Order flow
Connections to other social platforms
Future Direction & Strategic Iterations
The reflections moved beyond immediate fixes to suggest a long-term roadmap for the Otherside Hemp platform:
• Social & Educational Expansion: Future versions will aim to expand the social aspects of the Community tab and provide more depth within the Learn tab and cultivation process details.
• User Retention: There is a plan to define specific flows for recurring or existing users and create a "Track Your Order" flow.
• Advanced Features: The team aims to implement dynamic search recommendations and establish connections to other social platforms to broaden the community's reach.
