Cloudcast
UI/UX
Raleigh, USA
Duration:
6 Weeks
My Role:
I played a key role in the CloudCast project by conducting primary research through user interviews and secondary research to understand user needs and challenges. I performed a SWOT analysis to identify opportunities and risks and developed empathy maps to capture user emotions and behaviors. Additionally, I created a user journey map and user flows to visualize the overall experience and interactions, and I designed the app’s UI, ensuring it was intuitive and user-focused.
Overview
The project focuses on designing an innovative hurricane tracking app tailored to provide users with accurate, real-time information while prioritizing the safety and connectivity of their loved ones. The app addresses the growing need for a reliable tool that empowers individuals in hurricane-prone regions to make informed decisions during natural disasters.
How can we design an intuitive and dynamic hurricane tracking app that prioritizes critical information and enables users to seamlessly track the safety of their loved ones during emergencies?
Problem
Current hurricane tracking apps frustrate users in hurricane-prone areas due to a lack of localized, real-time updates, overwhelming technical data, complex navigation, and limited customizable alerts. The apps also fail to effectively communicate evacuation guidelines, and accessibility issues, like connectivity and language barriers, reduce their effectiveness.
User Story:
I need a hurricane tracking app that provides clear, credible information to track storms and ensure my family's safety across different locations.
Solution
The solution is CloudCast, an app designed to help users track their loved ones during hurricanes. It features a dynamic AI-driven dashboard that prioritizes and curates critical information in real-time. The homepage adjusts dynamically, placing urgent updates at the top to ensure users stay informed at a glance. With real-time family updates, users can receive notifications as loved ones take necessary actions, reducing the need for constant calls or interruptions during emergencies.
The process in phases
Positioning Statement
CloudCast is an AI-powered hurricane tracking app designed to prioritize the safety of your loved ones. It provides real-time updates, personalized alerts, and seamless family tracking, ensuring preparedness and peace of mind during emergencies.
Sub RQ1
How can AI be utilized to deliver real-time and accurate hurricane tracking along with tailored alerts?
Sub RQ2
What features can improve family tracking to ensure safety and communication during hurricanes?
Sub RQ3
How can the app balance usability and advanced functionality to be effective in high-stress situations?
User Interviews
The Interviewees
A 26 Year old who stayed in Texas, USA
A 40 Year old who stays in Tamil Nadu, India(One of the most hurricane prone areas in India)
A 50 Year old who stays in Raleigh, USA
User interviews were conducted across diverse cultural backgrounds to gain varied perspectives on how people react differently to such situations based on their
cultural context.
Challenges
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Understanding diverse cultural needs for reactions to hurricanes.
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Ensuring access to reliable, real-time data for hurricane tracking.
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Balancing privacy and functionality for family tracking features.
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Designing for high-stress situations where simplicity is critical.
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Prioritizing core features to meet user needs without overloading the app.
The benchmarking of apps like My Hurricane Tracker, Emergency App, Tropical Storm Tracking, and Storm Radar revealed key strengths such as real-time tracking, customizable alerts, interactive maps, and accessibility features. These apps excel in delivering timely, reliable data with user-friendly interfaces. Insights from this analysis guided CloudCast’s development, focusing on AI-driven personalization, family tracking, and a clean, intuitive design to fill existing gaps.
Secondary findings
"Eighty percent of the year, a weather app is going to work fine," Matt Lanza, a forecaster who runs Houston's Space City Weather, told me. "But it's that 20 percent where people get burned that's a problem."
>38 percent users encounter difficulties or miss instructions when logging in
>72 percent users express a need for additional support
>43 percent users struggle with inaccurate weather forecasts affecting outdoor activity planning
Warzel, C. (2023, April 10). The problem with weather apps. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/04/weather-apps-forecast-predictions-information-overload/673648/#
Empathy Mapping
Users value simplicity and reliability in hurricane tracking apps, preferring clear and essential information over technical complexity. They feel overwhelmed by apps with excessive data or unclear interfaces and rely on local news and social media for updates. Gains include timely alerts, interactive maps, and integration with local sources to make quick, informed decisions. Pain points highlight information overload, frequent notifications, and disorganization caused by switching between multiple sources. Users appreciate apps that provide straightforward, actionable insights to reduce stress during emergencies.
The SWOT analysis was conducted on 4 different similar products. It highlights strengths like user-friendly interfaces, real-time notifications, and accessibility features, with opportunities to expand global reach and introduce AI-driven updates. Weaknesses include reliance on external data and overwhelming technical details, while threats stem from competition and potential notification delays. These insights stress the importance of balancing simplicity, accessibility, and reliability.
Persona
User Story
I need a hurricane tracking app that provides clear, credible information to track storms and ensure my family's safety across
different locations.
Problem Statement
Hurricane tracking apps often overwhelm users with excessive technical details, lack personalized guidance, and rely heavily on external data sources, leading to delays and trust issues. There is a need for a simple, reliable, and accessible solution that provides real-time, personalized updates and ensures user preparedness during emergencies.
The user journey map for Matthew Miller, a WFH software engineer, highlights his experience during a hurricane, from initial awareness to post-hurricane recovery. Key takeaways include the importance of providing real-time, reliable information, simplifying family coordination, and addressing delayed notifications and conflicting information. Users need tools that ensure timely updates, clear decision-making support, and community engagement during crises.
Challenges Faced:
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1. Synthesizing complex user behaviors into a clear, actionable flow.
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2. Balancing emotional responses with practical tasks at each stage.
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3. Identifying and prioritizing pain points to address effectively.
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4. Visualizing multi-stakeholder interactions without overwhelming the map.
Addressed Painpoints
Delayed Notifications:
Lack of timely updates hampers preparedness and decision-making.
Information Overload:
Conflicting or excessive data creates confusion during critical moments.
Lack of Family Coordination Tools:
Difficulty in tracking and communicating with family members effectively.
The Solution
Task Flow
This task flow outlines a user's journey through CloudCast, starting with a notification about a hurricane. The user checks weather conditions for multiple locations, prioritizes critical areas, and navigates the app's homepage to analyze hurricane tracks and family safety updates. The flow also includes accessing the map section, understanding the hurricane's category, and ensuring family preparedness while staying informed through community updates.
Challenges included simplifying complex decision points, ensuring clarity in visualizing multiple tasks and interactions, and maintaining user focus during high-stress scenarios. Balancing the depth of information with ease of navigation required iterative refinements to make the process intuitive and seamless.
Where does the data
come from?
By aggregating data from these sources, CloudCast ensures reliability, accuracy, and timeliness, offering users a comprehensive solution during hurricanes.
Weather APIs and Data Providers
Satellite and Radar Feeds
Government and Emergency Services
Community and User-Generated Data
AI and Predictive Models
Geolocation and IoT Devices
News and Media Feeds
Local Infrastructure and Utility Providers
Mid Fi's
Hi Fi's
Design A, while visually compact, posed challenges in terms of clarity and hierarchy. The dense layout made it difficult for users to quickly identify critical information, especially during emergencies when clarity is paramount. Additionally, the smaller text size and overlapping elements created potential accessibility issues, particularly for users with visual impairments. The design lacked the visual breathing space needed to prioritize urgent updates effectively, making it less user-friendly under high-stress situations.
Learnings
The CloudCast project was a transformative experience that deepened my understanding of designing for high-stakes scenarios. I learned the importance of balancing real-time data with simplicity, ensuring users receive critical information without feeling overwhelmed. By leveraging user feedback and iterative design, I refined the app to prioritize clarity, accessibility, and functionality. This project also highlighted the significance of emotional design—creating an interface that instills confidence and calm during emergencies. Ultimately, CloudCast reinforced the value of life-centered design in building solutions that are both impactful and intuitive.
Wider Implication 1
The framework can be adapted for other emergencies, like earthquakes or wildfires, offering real-time updates and family tracking.
Wider Implication 2
The dynamic dashboard and prioritization logic can be applied to industries like healthcare or transportation for time-sensitive alerts.
Wider Implication 3
The app's features can integrate into smart city platforms to notify residents about road closures, extreme weather, or public
safety alerts.