Role
Lead UX Designer, Product Designer
Team
UX designers, UX researchers, product manager.
Duration
2023 · 2024
Overview
OrcaLearn, part of Orcasound, educates users to identify Salish Sea orcas by their calls through an open-source web app that trains users to recognize SRKW calls. This case study showcases the latest OrcaLearn iteration, refined after early 2023 user testing on mobile breakpoints.
Ed Tech | Environment | Web App
My Role
Guide my team through change by prioritizing user-focused refinements to core features. Lead UI enhancements and refine the design system alongside designers, PMs, and developers to drive results.
The Goal
How does OrcaLearn help users identify the sounds of Southern Resident orcas?
The objective is to design OrcaLearn, an interface that will train Orcasound users to correctly identify SRKW calls.
The interface will be an open-source web app, aligned with the main website's mission to engage users in sound science and contribute to the protection of whales.
The Problem
Testing the previous version of OrcaLearn provided insights that allowed us to pinpoint improvements and focus on the root issues.
Home Screen Navigation
66.7% of participants (4 out of 6) didn’t scroll on the Orcasound Home screen, indicating potential navigation issues.
Quiz Feature Engagement
50% of participants didn’t fully explore the Test feature, so we might need to make it more accessible or engaging.
Label Clarity
50% of participants (3 out of 6) found inconsistencies in Sea Sounds labels, with a mix of numbers and letters causing some confusion.
The Impact
An enjoyable intuitive and interactive user experience.
We successfully created a joyful experience for orca enthusiasts through collaboration, brainstorming to address the right problems, reiteration, and research.
Homepage
93.3%
Users consistently enjoyed the OrcaLearn Home page, noting its ease of use, clarity, and user-friendly design.
Sounds feature
86.7%
Users enjoyed the Sounds feature’s interactive elements, especially the engaging picture map and the interplay between images and sound clips.
Library feature
93.3%
Users found the Library feature highly detailed and enjoyable, offering advanced listening tailored to their expertise on killer whale pods and vocalization.
Quiz feature
100%
Users found the Quiz feature exciting and engaging, enhancing their overall experience.
The Improvements
Design for balanced education, learning, and play.
The question driving this redesign was: How can OrcaLearn provide a delightful experience and educate users of all ages who are interested in orcas and their unique sounds?
Home page
The OrcaLearn homepage highlights OrcaLearn's mission within Orcasound, educating users about the sounds of the Salish Sea and enhancing their experience through interactive learning and exploration.
Sounds
This feature lets users interact with sea creatures or objects on the Salish Sea Map by tapping on them to hear their sounds.
Library
This feature gives users full access to a library of ocean sounds, creating an immersive listening experience.
Quiz
The Quiz feature allows users to explore all the sounds and learn to recognize them.
