Project Type
Tool
Year
WebApp Prototype
Figma
2025
Personas
Based on preliminary interviews, Morgan and Jona represent far ends of a spectrum of potential users.
Paddleboarder :: Kayaker :: Surfer :: Diver
About Me
I love nature, especially the water. Every chance I get, I’m here. I don’t care much what the weatherman says, and I don’t mess around too much with technology, but it’s good to know if things are going to get rough.
Needs
-
A simple interface that doesn’t take too much work to understand.
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Fast load time.
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Tonal alerts for coming storms.
Goals
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Get on the water as often as possible.
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Unplug and connect with nature.
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Chill and connect with like-minded folks.
Frustrations
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When the forecast shows rain and it’s hardly anything.
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Can’t find a reliable forecast for water clarity and temperature.
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Too many numbers.
#nature
#connection
#keepitsimple
Jona
Morgan
Kayaker :: Rafter :: Tuber
About Me
I have to keep moving, and I love to breathe the fresh air. I organize lots of trips for my community and I love getting to know so many awesome people.
Needs
-
Something easy to share and easy for anyone to understand.
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Forecasts for every activity, and answers to every question.
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Commonsense warnings of unexpected weather.
Goals
-
Get everyone to the rendezvous.
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Be as prepared as possible.
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Make sure everyone is safe and has fun!
Frustrations
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When people cancel over a low chance of rain.
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I need a lot of information, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time figuring out what everything means.
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Crazy weather I didn’t expect.
#getoutside
#yallmeansall
#keepmoving
Low and Mid Fidelity Wireframing
Considering my personas, I thought my users would want a simple interface that would display the most important information plainly so they would not have to spend much time evaluating intricate data.
One of the guiding principles for the project was to promote safe behaviors while on the water, so the app sends an emergency notification in case of dangerous weather.
Since different water sports need different weather information, the user can customize their homescreen by tapping the plus button to add a variety of weather metrics.
In my initial design, the desktop and mobile layouts were the same. However, this did not use the larger screen efficiently, so I created a modular design to fit more information above the fold.
High Fidelity Wireframes
I added realistic images to represent actual weather conditions and bring life to the app. I also added a feature called "Weather Analysis," which tells the user if the weather is good or bad for their preferred sport. This reduces the complexity of weather metrics for users uncertain how they translate to actual conditions.
Positive Quotes
"I like that the important information is front-and-center."
"The search bar draws the eye so it’s easy to find the Add a Forecast button."
"It’s easy to change location."
Observations
Users are wary about allowing notifications.
Sidebar images may read as ads.
No users realized you could tap a card for more information.
A lot of the copy is confusing.
Weather Analysis
A last-minute addition, the super personalized, plain language forecast received more enthusiastic and engaged feedback than any other feature.
"Weather Analysis is very fun and useful!"
"That's a core feature."
"You should move Weather Analysis higher on the Menu."
Rethinking the Problem
Current's main goal is for users to get on the water that day, so its focus is shifted from long-term and global weather to hyper-local same-day weather.
