Little Robin
Introduction
Humanity can claim that it has made tremendous progress over the past century and prosperity has increased several folds. But, the pathetic plight of the modern world is that almost 820 million people around the globe suffer from chronic hunger, a concept that should have been obsolete in the 21st century.
Little Robin is an application that connects users to stories close to them and allows them to donate for the cause. The main aim for the app is to help cure chronic hunger and to allow people to be connected to the cause they are donating for.
Problem Statement
“To create an experience that allows people to connect with communities in the most efficient way. And once onboard with a cause, users should have a motivation to donate.”
My Design Process
Research
Having knowledge of the process is essential for the designer. These are some points I found on the internet on how I can get my users to donate:
- Connect people through a story: This makes them feel discontent towards the victim. They will donate to eradicate this feeling of discontent.
- General Overview vs Individualism: People are more likely to provide help to a single person with a face, than a repost about a group.
- People should be able to feel the emotions of the communities they are connecting with and their grievances should not be overshadowed.
- People are more likely to give when a feeling of generosity is attached to the image.
- Changing time of solicitation may motivate potential donors. Participants must be able to decide if they have to donate or not.
- People expect to know what impact their charity has made.
- People must feel gratitude and happiness.
- One should be able to share what he/she has done because generosity is contagious.
User Analysis
In order to understand what the users want I conducted 20 user interviews to know how people donate and what are the feelings associated with their generosity. A few key points that I came across are as follows:
- People want to know if they have made an impact to the lives of the people they are donating for.
- They want to feel happy about their donations and be appreciated.
- Once connected with a cause people want to spread the word.
- Users are more likely to donate when they are in a calm mood and have the time to do through research.
- People generally make donations to places that they are close to and to regions which are worse off than others.
Competitive UX Research
To understand what others had done about the same problem I thoroughly examined the Share The Meal application by WFP and listed out my likes and dislikes about the application.
Likes:
- The very simple way in which all the topics are presented. A handful of topics are shown in a carousel with only a one line heading, making it easier for the user to know what the cause is.
- The ability to see how many meals will be given for the amount and a slider for the amount enable an easy interaction.
- The direct Give Now button encourages people to make donations, skipping the generalized information.
Dislikes:
- The application does not establish a connection between the donor and the receiver. This affects a user’s commitment to the app.
- There is only a small brief available for the user to read about the cause which he/she might make a donation to.
- The message given by the percent scale on the bottom is unclear.
Brainstorming
User Flow
How it Works
Visual Design
Home Screen
Let’s see how James, who just downloaded the app last week uses the app. James opens up Little Robin and is able to see how much he has donated in the past week. He can also inspire his friends by inviting them to donate. Below this he can have a glimpse of the feedback messages received. He can start reading stories about topics he is interested in, knowing about the cause and the number of people affected.
The Story
James finds himself being attracted towards Raul’s story. He taps to know more about it. After reading what happened to Raul in Somalia, James feels he is ready to connect and help his community. Being a busy person he utilizes the text to speech option frequently. After the story James reads about a small timeline of how Somali people landed up in such a situation. He decides to connect to their community and help out.
Donation Page
After connecting with the people of Somalia, James is thanked for his act of kindness and given options to Make a donation, continue to the official tribe page for the Somalian crisis or make a monthly commitment. James decides to make his first donation. He slides over to the $20 mark knowing he will be giving out 12 meals. He can know how his donations are being used or simply tap the monthly commitment banner if he is interested.
The Tribe List
James now goes to the My Tribe tab where he can view all the places he is donating to. He is able to see when he donated last to the cause. He can not only view the tribes he is associated with but also scroll to see the various other communities Little Robin is connected with. James decides to view more about the Somalian crisis.
Official Tribe Page
James tapped on the official tribe page for the Somalian crisis to view more about it. He is able to see what contributions he has made to the cause and see when he made the last donation with an option to view donation history. He can directly donate or switch to a monthly commitment plan. On scrolling he reads about what happened with the people of Somalia, and sees a hunger map telling him how bad the situation is. He sees some of the stories associated with this cause and gets to know what recent activities have been done by Little Robin to help out these people.
Feedback Mail
Feedback is an important part of the application. James gets to know what is actually happening around the globe by the money he donated. The mail itself is represented as a collection of small articles. One can also search to see about updates on any particular issue, not only the communities he is associated with.
Profile and Settings
James finally checks his profile where he can see all the stories that he has saved. He can also invite and inspire his friends from here. After going to the settings in the right top corner he is able to switch between light and dark mode. He is also able to check all other information associated with his account. He can also Log Out when required.
Try it yourself
Conclusion
This project will always remain close to me. I Got to learn a lot about human psychology and about how to approach people. This project tries to establish an emotional connect between donors and the ones in need while keeping in mind the requirements of a modern user. It was a fun three 3 week long project which gave me great insights into the app space and the iOS world.
I feel obliged to be a part of the community where I don’t have to worry about filling my stomach. But, not all people are this lucky. This project has helped me come closer to these communities and I made my first donation to cure chronic hunger. We have the power to bring this world out of starvation and I hope everyone realizes the difference they can make to their society.
