BlockABloom App
BlockABloom App
BlockABloom App
2024-25
Clients /
Ostfalia University
Hydrogaurd UG
BlockABloom’s mission is to create an elevated experience for the user as they independently learn about and report harmful algae blooms in their community lakes.
2024-25
Clients /
Ostfalia University
Hydrogaurd UG
BlockABloom’s mission is to create an elevated experience
for the user as they independ-ently learn about and report harmful algae blooms in their community lakes.
Team
My roles
Tools
Veena Bijo
Anagha Karnik
Jabril Hull
Iriam Garcia
UI/UX Designer
UX Researcher
Project Manager
Figma
Xcode
BACKGROUND & PROBLEM
Algae Blooms: Nature’s Unwanted Pool Party
When microscopic algae decide to throw a wild, over-the-top party in lakes, rivers, or oceans, it’s called an algae bloom. While it all sounds like fun and games, algae blooms are seriously harmful. These tiny organisms multiply, turning water toxic.
They are harmful to ecosystems, kill fish, contaminate drinking water, and even release toxins harmful to humans and animals. It’s not just a messy party, it’s a growing environmental threat.
Our clients based in Germany, Ostfalia University and Hydroguard UG, have reported an increase of algae bloom spottings and asked us as designers to help create a universal tool that anyone can use to learn about and report algae blooms
in their communities.
OUR MISSION
What Do We Wish to Accomplish?
Our mobile app, BlockABloom, aims to create an elevated experience for the user as they independently monitor water quality under the influence of climate change and report harmful algae blooms in their community lakes. By simplifying complex information through visual aids we seek to ensure the safety and awareness of the public while contributing valuable data to research partners.
Together, we can ensure that our natural water resources remain safe, clean, and accessible for generations to come.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Who Are the Users?
All citizens
Scientists
Researchers
Parents
Teachers
Students
Pet owners
Rangers
Weather reporters
FOCUS AREAS
Simplification - Organizing for How Users Think
During the usability testing stage, users expressed frustration when it took them longer than expected to locate an area of the app. They preferred an intuitive experience while navigating between key features and information. While it's possible to measure this problem in the amount of clicks taken, we believe that it would be more beneficial to relieve cognitive load by organizing information by relation instead.
For example, through market research, we found that apps tend to categorize Account Information, About App, FAQs, and Log out in one section, usually through a menu icon. When we asked users to navigate to any one of these locations, they all seemed to intuitively click on the upper right hand hamburger menu.
This insight validated our decision to keep them in one place, simplifying the process for users so they can use more brain power on the more exciting features of the app, which leads us to our next area of focus: gamification!
Gamification - Fish for Thought: Turning Learning Into a Game
In usability testing sessions, gamification increased user interaction by 20%. Some users even reported feeling “motivated” to keep reporting and learning about algae blooms thanks to the fish reward system. These rewards can also be shared on social media to spark friendly competition, celebrate achievements, and help the app reach a wider audience.
You may be thinking, "Rewards sound great, but how do users earn these fish?" One of our core objectives for BlockABloom is to provide tools that help users learn about algae blooms. To earn fish, users can complete flashcards, take quizzes, and embark on educational quests!
AlgaeLab - Dive into knowledge: Learn, Quiz, Repeat
The AlgaeLab includes educational tools such as flashcards, quizzes, and links to external resources for further reading about algae blooms. These tools are incentivized through the fish reward system. Reviewing flashcards help prepare users to pass quizzes, which they can retake to earn fish and grow their collection.
All resources are interconnected, ensuring users are equipped to reach their goals in the app, and feel good knowing they're contributing to a meaningful cause.
Wondering if there are other ways to earn fish? Absolutely. Coming up next is our Daily Quests!
Daily Quests - Stay on Track, One Quest at a Time
During one of our testing phases, a user asked if there was a way to track their progress in the app to stay consistent. While ideating what this could look like, I proposed a checklist that users could mark off after completing each task. This approach helps users stay aware of their activity, build consistency, and earn a fish after completing five daily quests. It's also an opportunity for the users to grow their collection each day, encouraging engagement and improving retention.
One of the quests, also a core objective of the app, is reporting algae blooms. Designing this reporting process to be seamless was crucial in meeting our research partners' request to collect accurate and reliable data.
Report - Seamless Science: Reporting That Works
Users appreciated having an introduction to the app before getting started. A dialogue box on the home screen that explains the buoy ratings provides essential context, helping users understand what the app is about, how to interpret the data, and how to apply that knowledge when reporting an algae bloom.
The guide screen that appears before starting a report is also a key element. It ensures users understand how to use the reporting tool correctly in order to submit accurate findings.
During usability testing, users described the reporting process as seamless, thanks to helpful info icons, supportive graphics for each question, and the ability to review and edit their answers before submitting.
Other Features: Tools that Anchor the Experience
Buoy Data
Map
Localization (language translation)
OUTCOMES AND RESULTS
Goals Achieved
Our team successfully designed the entire app experience, from early sketches and wireframes to a fully functional, high-fidelity prototype built in Xcode. Stakeholders were highly impressed with the final outcome and approved of the design for development.
We achieved all of our core goals for the project:
1. Simplicity and Accessibility: Users consistently described the app as simple and intuitive. Even beginners with no prior knowledge of algae blooms, such as students, were able to navigate and understand the content with ease. At the same time, the app provided enough depth to engage more advanced users like scientists and researchers.
2. Education and Accuracy: Tools like flashcards, quizzes, and guide screens helped users feel more confident in their knowledge, which directly supported accurate algae blooms reporting, a key request from our research partners.
3. Increased Engagement: Gamification elements such as the fish reward system, daily quests, and social sharing boosted user interaction by 20% during usability testing. Several users noted feeling "motivates" to keep learning and reporting because of
these incentives.
This project not only met the functional and educational goals set by our stakeholders, but also provided a delightful and engaging experience for users. We truly enjoyed making a traditionally complex topic more approachable.
Where is BlockABloom now?
The final high-fidelity prototype was designed on Xcode, made usable just as the app would be used by real users, for presentation to stakeholders. This project was a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Ostfalia University in Germany, serving as both a learning opportunity for the designers at UIC and a contribution to the Ostfalia University and Hydrogaurd UG's mission to educate the public and provide the necessary tools for anyone to report algae blooms.
Engineers are building the technology to use on the lakes' buoys in order to provide its data to the Buoy screen and for users to receive real-time information on the lakes.
Lessons Learned
As a designer and researcher on the team, the following are lessons I learned:
1. User research and usability testing were essential to creating a user-friendly app. Not every idea from our brainstorming sessions made it into the final design, as some didn’t align with user needs and expectations. By conducting usability testing early in the development process, we were able to identify and address issues before they became harder to fix, helping us stay on track with key deadlines.
2. It was also important for us to design a responsive app that functions and looks consistent across both tablet and smartphone platforms, while also supporting accessibility for users who need a larger screen or other forms of assistance.
3. Oftentimes, the most simple, straightforward designs outran the more complex, "take the time to solve me" designs. Our users wanted an intuitive app, especially as they were learning and recording complex material.
Finally, as project manager on the team, the following are lessons I learned:
1. One-on-one conversations with team members helped surface concerns early and created a space for open dialogue. This proactive communication strengthened team cohesion and allowed for timely course corrections.
2. Creating an environment where team members felt heard and supported contributed to stronger collaboration and better decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
3. Weekly check-ins were instrumental in monitoring progress, resolving blockers, and maintaining momentum. Early clarification of individual responsibilities helped reduce redundancy and allowed the team to work more efficiently within their areas of expertise.
The Germany-based startup Hydroguard UG, has developed innovative bio-monitors capable of assessing water quality in real time using custom sensor technologies.
Our interdisciplinary citizen science app additionally engages the public in water preservation and protection by offering free tools to estimate algal growth in local waters using Auto-X sensor technology, report water conditions, and learn about toxic algal blooms.
