I helped build, ship and iterate a consumer Progressive Web App (PWA) that gives free Wi-Fi to South African public transport commuters in exchange for brand engagement through a plug-and-play access point, and access to an APN driven network.
TEAM
3 Entrepreneurs, 1 PM, 3 -7 Engineers, 2 -3 TAEs, 1 UX Specialist
MY ROLE
Product Discovery and Ideation, UX Design, User Research, UI Design, Copy, Framer Development
I mostly focused on the consumer facing PWA
TIMELINE
Feb 2022 - May 2024
UNDERSTAND
The average South African has limited Wi-Fi access, and mobile data rates are costly
The entrepreneurs behind Hop Wifi (a nameless product at the time) presented an opportunity: Device usage is high during taxi and bus commutes, but internet usage is low because of high data costs. In this environment, there is minimal competition for attention creating a chance for advertisers to sponsor internet connectivity.
Our Goals
- Understand Audience Needs: Conduct comprehensive research to identify data usage patterns, commuting habits, and device preferences.
- Develop a Viable Product: Create a user-friendly platform that offers free or affordable internet access during commutes, funded by advertisers.
Methodologies
At the outset of the project we wanted to develop an understanding of our audience, and potentially discover additional opportunities. To this we used:
- Structured Interviews: Moderated in-person discussions to gather detailed insights.
- Field Observations: Unstructured, real-world observations of commuter behaviors.
- Usability Tests: Semi-structured tests to evaluate the usability of potential solutions.
- Literature Review: Analysis of research papers and existing studies.
There were 3 key findings