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But why?
Design students often face long queues and frustrating delays at print shops, especially as submission deadlines loom. The lack of streamlined scheduling and technical guidance turns a crucial task into a stressful, unpredictable waiting times leaving them overwhelmed and racing against the clock.
Deadlines and peak hours were described as particularly chaotic, with users feeling immense stress and anxiety due to the sheer inefficiency and unpredictability of the process.
Users expressed significant frustration with the entire printing process, describing it as excessively time-consuming and crowded, making it a major hurdle in their schedules.
Many users reported facing serious issues such as long distances to print shops, subpar print quality, endless waiting hours, frequent technical glitches, and a lack of clear guidance on print-related tasks, leaving them overwhelmed.
When asked to rate their printing experience, most users could only describe it as "average," indicating widespread dissatisfaction with the service quality.
Interviews were conducted with 25 design students, each offering unique perspectives to identify if the problem was really a problem
or not
Conducted ecosystem mapping to identify and categorize all stakeholders involved in the problem, prioritizing them based on their significance and impact.
detailed
Important
Technology
trends
Technological challenges
print shop
staff
Design
Students
Local Business Regulators
Colleges and Universities
Data Security Teams
optimize the workflow
technical assistance
reducing
stress &
frustration
availability of the right materials and tools.
Printing machines
Online platforms
Social media
Physical counter at print shop
stakeholder
User Needs
External Factors
Resources &
Infrastructure
Discover
User realizes the need to print their design work.
User decides on a print shop and prepares to get their design printed.
User interacts with the print shop to complete the printing process.
User successfully completes the
printing process.
User reflects on the experience and considers improvements for next time.
Physical shops, queues, staff interactions, printing equipment.
Printed material, payment systems, transport options.
Social media/review platforms, peer groups, reflection tools, alternative service research.
Distance between home/campus
and the print shop.
Time lost waiting in queues.
Miscommunication or lack of understanding of technical requirements by print
staff or user.
Potential errors in print settings
or materials.
High costs if reprinting is needed
Lack of convenient tools or systems to streamline the process.
The realization that valuable time and energy were lost unnecessarily.
Lack of consolidated information about available print shops and their services.
Personal Devices, Communication Channels & Search Engines
Print shop websites/profiles, digital design tools, file-sharing tools
User Journey
Activities
Pain points
Touch points
Enroll
Engage
Achieve
Extend
After all this It was crucial to craft a detailed user journey to deeply understand and analyze the problem at its root level.
Users feel frustrated even before heading to the print shop due to the lack of clarity on wait times and availability of services.
Long waiting queues and poor communication with staff create frustration
Clear guidance on technical requirements can prevent errors.
Long queues during deadlines create immense stress and anxiety, especially when users are racing against submission timelines.
Even after completing the print, users often reflect on how much time and energy was wasted waiting in queues, making the experience feel exhausting.
Deadlines amplify the negative perception of the experience, especially when users recall how the waiting process added unnecessary stress.
Conducted a heuristic evaluation based on the touchpoints identified in the journey map to assess the usability and effectiveness of existing systems, uncover usability gaps, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Heuristic
Visibility of System Status
Match Between System and the Real World
User Control and Freedom
Error Prevention
Food delivery apps like Swiggy show real-time updates
Swiggy uses intuitive language ("Out for delivery").
Food delivery apps allow canceling/modifying orders.
Food apps flag incomplete addresses.
Practo uses familiar language and visuals.
Appointment apps like UrbanClap allow rescheduling.
Appointment apps send reminders to reduce no-shows.
Platforms like Zocdoc provide status updates for appointments.
Google Drive provides real-time sync and version history.
Dropbox integrates real-world file organization effectively.
Google Drive allows undoing actions.
Dropbox prevents duplicate uploads.
Google Calendar offers flexible manual edits.
Google Calendar alerts users about overlaps.
Zocdoc auto-suggests alternative times.
Calendar apps like Google Calendar reschedule events efficiently.
No major app has AI mockup previews for print tasks.
Canva uses AI tools intuitively.
Canva allows restarting mockups but lacks direct AI editing options.
Canva doesn’t validate input quality for mockups.
Opportunity: Show live queue updates and estimated print completion time.
Opportunity: Avoid technical jargon like "DPI" and explain terms in user-friendly ways.
Opportunity: Enable users to edit/cancel printing orders post-booking.
Opportunity: Warn users about incomplete/incorrect file uploads before printing.
Opportunity: Provide visuals of available appointment slots in the app.
Opportunity: Allow instant changes without re-booking hassles.
Opportunity: Notify users about missing appointment details.
Opportunity: Clearly display confirmation and timeline for appointments in the app.
Opportunity: Ensure visibility of changes and uploads specific to print settings.
Opportunity: Align cloud folders with real-world categories (e.g., design types).
Opportunity: Let users restore previous print settings easily.
Opportunity: Prevent duplicate/redundant print job uploads.
Opportunity: Allow users to confirm or reject auto-rescheduled slots.
Opportunity: Notify users if auto-reschedule conflicts with other tasks.
Opportunity: Align cloud folders with real-world categories (e.g., design types).
Opportunity: Notify users instantly about auto-rescheduling due to delays
Opportunity: Offer a preview of print outputs using AI before finalizing.
Opportunity: Guide users with easy-to-understand tools for mockups.
Opportunity: Provide users control to tweak AI-generated mockups.
Opportunity: Alert users about low-quality design inputs affecting print mockups.
Heuristic Evaluation
Real-Time Updates
Book Appointments
Mockups with AI Integration
Cloud-Based System
Auto Rescheduling
Queue Transparency
AI Mockup Integration
Error Management
Rescheduling Flexibility
Adaptation
how they do it ?
I explored platforms like Swiggy, Blinkit, Zomato, and Google Drive to learn how they use real-time tracking, notifications, and customer feedback to enhance user experience.
Practo and Zocdoc
Google Drive & Dropbox
Swiggy, Blinkit, & Zomato
Uses AI to offer precise ETA updates, dynamically adjusting for delays.
Simplifies appointment booking with real-time slot availability, reminders, and rescheduling options.
ensures real-time synchronization and accessibility across devices.
CRM systems like HubSpot and Salesforce centralize data for efficient customer interaction.
Blinkit alerts users about out-of-stock items or delays, helping manage expectations.
Next, users participated in a card-sorting exercise where they categorized the features into three groups: "must-have," "nice-to-have," and "not needed."
The "must-have" features are directly addressing the main problems users face—things like delays, stress during deadlines, and the lack of visibility in the printing process. These are the core pain points we need to solve right away.
Users value anything that improves efficiency and transparency, like real-time tracking, easy scheduling, and clear communication throughout the process. These features resonate the most and should be prioritized.
View Details
These questions were crafted to gain insights into user interactions with current systems and uncover opportunities for enhancement.
Do you find notifications and live updates on apps like Swiggy or Zomato helpful?
How do you usually book an appointment?
What challenges do you face when booking appointments?
How’s your experience uploading files on Drive or Dropbox?
What do you think about uploading documents on Google Classroom?
How do you feel about Figma’s export preview feature?
Is there any feature you’d love to see added to this app?
Factor
General
(G)
Industry
(I)
Government (G)
Academic (A)
Macro Analysis
Micro Analysis
- Increasing reliance on technology for daily tasks and services.
- Growing demand for real-time updates and convenience across sectors.
- Heightened awareness around time management and efficiency.
- Rapid adoption of digital tools across various service sectors.
- Shift towards automation and AI-based systems for enhanced efficiency.
- Growing competition in tech-driven service platforms.
- Encouragement of digital adoption through policies and incentives for tech-based solutions.
- Data privacy laws like GDPR shaping app development standards.
- Environmental regulations pushing businesses towards sustainability.
- Increased use of digital tools in educational institutions for assignments and submissions.
- Growing dependency on file-sharing platforms for collaboration and resource management.
- Stress and time management are significant concerns for students.
- Students face challenges with inefficient print systems during peak deadlines.
- Integration with tools like Google Classroom and cloud services could simplify workflows.
- The app must comply with local data privacy regulations, especially regarding file uploads and personal information.
- Sustainability practices (e.g., using eco-friendly materials) could be a competitive advantage for partner print shops.
- Print shops are yet to widely adopt appointment booking and live tracking systems.
- Limited user-friendly platforms specifically tailored for printing needs.
- Users value real-time updates to reduce uncertainty during tasks like printing.
- Expectations for seamless digital interfaces that simplify processes.
GIGA analysis helped me understand the bigger picture, identify gaps and opportunities keeping the solution user-focused, and strategically positioned for success.
Macro-Level: There’s a broader trend toward digitalization and real-time systems, creating an ideal environment for a print-focused app to thrive.
Micro-Level: Direct pain points, such as long wait times, lack of visibility, and inefficient workflows, highlight clear areas for improvement in the printing experience.
User flow
start
end
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select time
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look for available slots
book appointment
upload files
mockup
select size
view mockup
appointment confirmed
continue
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give prompt
no
yes
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View Mockups
Users can access a range of features, including booking appointments, pre-uploading files, and viewing mockups to identify and correct any errors beforehand.
Appointment Booking
Users can manage their bookings with options to view, modify settings, cancel, or reschedule appointments.
