User's couldn't find the "Manual Watering" feature in the app.

What's B-hyve?

B-hyve is a smart sprinkler timer app that allows you to control or monitor your sprinklers from anywhere in the world with the convenience of your iOS and android smart device. 

Users could not find the 'Manual Watering' feature because it was hidden under the Home button.

Remove Manual Watering from the bottom navigation of the app.

Place the Manual Watering feature on the home screen on the opposite side of the Rain Delay feature.

User Interview Insights

I conducted in-person interviews with 12 users. During the sessions, I asked them to use the 'Manual Watering' feature. I observed them without providing assistance, and 9 out of 12 users failed to complete the task.

1. Users could not find the 'Manual Watering' feature because it was hidden under the Home button. 

2. The bottom navigation was confusing: the 'Home' button allows users to navigate to the Home screen, but once there, the icon changes into a 'Remote' icon. To access the 'Manual Watering' feature, users had to tap the Home button twice.

Design Progress

I designed a few sketches and presented them to the Product Owner and the developers. During the presentation, I conducted a voting activity, allowing each team member to pick their favorite design idea. We ended up with two favorite sketches. One possible solution (Option B) was to place the 'Manual Watering' feature on the home screen next to the 'Rain Delay' feature. The other solution (Option A) was to place 'Manual Watering' inside a Floating Action Button (FAB).

Usability Test

I conducted user testing with 10 participants: six current B-hyve users and four non-users. To measure the effectiveness of the new design, I asked them to perform a 'Manual Watering' task. I observed each user without providing assistance, and 9 out of 10 users were able to successfully complete the task using the 'Option B' interface.

Usability Results

The effectiveness of 'Manual Watering' in Option B was 99%. Utilizing a remote icon with a 'Manual Watering' label underneath made it significantly easier for homeowners to find the feature.

Results

After launching the new design with the 'Manual Watering' feature on the home screen, usage increased from 1% to 99% within the first week. Additionally, our app rating on both iOS and Android rose from 3.1 to 3.5 stars within three months of the launch.

Reflection

Reflecting on this project, I believe we could have further improved the visibility of this feature. For example, we could have enhanced the legibility of the 'Manual Watering' label by removing the background image behind it. Another way to increase visibility would have been to use a Floating Action Button (FAB) containing both the icon and the label. Furthermore, the overall app iconography requires better consistency to ensure a more cohesive user experience.