I made finding everyday items easy by designing an object tracking app.
50
Mins Saved (avg)
83%
Increased Efficiency
9/10
User Satisfaction Rating
Project Overview
What - An object tracking app with GPS, compass navigation, and area scanning features.
Why - To reduce cognitive load and save time for users losing things often, especially seniors and neurodivergents.
How - I codesigned the app with a neurodivergent senior user, informed by their interview and market research.
Result - An app that met the participant's needs, saved them time, and reduced their feelings of panic looking for lost items.
Client
Anonymous
Role
Product Designer
Team Size
3 members
Project Year
2024
Duration
3 months
Research
Participatory Design
Interviews
Affinity Diagram
Tools
Figma
Shotcut
Bamboo Paper
The Problem
Ever panicked after not being able to find your wallet or keys? Had trouble remembering where you parked? Forgetting stuff and losing everyday items is a common occurrence. While location tags exist, they can be too complicated for some people.
Our team met a neurodivergent senior who tended to lose stuff frequently, and decided to design a solution that helped them overcome their biggest hurdles with technology and finding things.
Gathering Insights
For a better understanding of the participant's needs in a qualitative manner, we decided to interview them. We arranged three types of interviews with the user for our research.
Pre Design Interview
We asked the participant about their existing problems with finding items.
Mid Design Interview
We wanted to include the participant in the design process directly.
Post Design Interview
We asked the participant for feedback for iteration and satisfaction survey.
Key Observations
Feeling overwhelmed
Current apps made them overwhelmed and nervous at times
Ease of use
Having features already familiar to them would make an app simpler
Prevention
Not losing things in the first place would lead to lower stress
Solution 1: Easy Onboarding
"For me, an app is the most overwhelming at the beginning"
An onboarding process with minimal information, including a tutorial for adding a new item. I wanted them to get familiar with the app early and begin tracking their first item right away.
Design Decisions
Progress bar to visualize that they are almost done
Clear affordances on item selection
Using the dichromatic brand color scheme in accents and illustrations for visual consistency
Buttons activating after completing required steps to indicate progress
Solution 2: GPS Tracking
"I wish I could find my glasses like finding places on Google Maps"
A GPS location tracking feature on the home page so that the user can look at the item's initial location quickly without any other navigation.
Design Decisions
Scrollable item list with big visuals for visibility
Items arranged in order of distance and easily swappable
Instant navigation on selection to minimize cognitive load
Features similar to familar GPS navigation (Google Maps)
Solution 3: Compass Tracking
"If only my things rang like my phone on calling"
A 'locate mode' that lets the user see distance and direction to nearby objects, ring them or scan the area nearby.
Design Decisions
Alternate color scheme to indicate alternate mode clearly
Scrollable list of items at the bottom to quickly swap to another item without switching screens
Currently tracked item's icon and name centrally visible
Instructions at the top to make it easier to understand for users with low technological competancy
Solution 4: AR Area Scan
"I sometimes know where things are supposed to be but I still can't find them"
An AR scanning feature that lets users scan their area to locate the tag for additional support in finding the object.
Design Decisions
Item glow similar to brand colors for consistency
Item currently being located displayed on the AR scan as well to reduce recall
Item glow color tweaked for improved contrast and visibility
Solution 5: Distance Based Notification
"When I forget something at someone's house, I usually remember after I'm already home"
A simple notification feature that notifies users when they are moving further away from object than the set distance.
Design Decisions
Directly starting navigation mode so the user doesn't have to take the extra step to do so
Design Process
1. Research
2. Ideation
3. Lo-fi
4. Hi-fi
5. Test & Feedback
Reflections
I finished the project in 2022, then re-designed it in 2024.
The project seemed good at that time, but looking at it later after with better UX skills and less bias, I could see many design flaws that I couldn't earlier.
If given the chance, I would iterate it even further to see how much more it can be improved.
During design, the project's scope expanded from just household objects to various use cases, including pets and cars.
What's Next?
With the developments of AI in AR tech, there could be a lot of cool applications for an app like this.
Integration of AI in an object tracking app is possible, similar to Gemini remembering where you kept your stuff.
An additional tutorial or help feature might make it even easier to use.
