The Tech Awards
Expanding a tradition
A signature program of The Tech Interactive, The Tech Awards is an international awards program that celebrates innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.
We designed an app to help users engage and learn about the 10 honored international innovators who apply technology to confront humanity’s most urgent challenges. The features and usability help to promote these individuals, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies who use technology to significantly improve human conditions in 5 awards categories.
The exhibit and the big data
An exhibit at the museum was also a key part of the celebrating the 10 honored international innovators. We designed 5 multi-panel showcases featuring incredible amounts of relevant data and information. This content was also presented in the app for guests, attendees, media, and other target audiences to easily consume and understand.
Designing the app
Ideation started by exploring the types of stories that could be told. Information was structured into the 5 primary humanitarian areas. Organized this way, users could easily access information, learn, and be inspired in a single swipe.
User testing
I oversaw an exhaustive process of testing the app interface and functions, as well as the related museum exhibit, the showcase event, and companion web site. The products were tested by users both from within and outside our organization. Dozens of the participants performed specific tasks in realistic conditions to ensure great outcomes.
Site journeys
Mapping our user’s journey afforded us to understand exactly how a person is feeling at each point of interaction with the info we presented. Many key questions we didn’t expect were asked, and we got a very good understanding of specific needs at each stage of their journey. We learned how the user arrived, and where they went next, which helped to build a stronger, more optimized design approach. It also helped aid the natural flow and browsing behavior of the app user.
Prototypes
App prototyping was our most important form of user research. We created interactive prototypes to simulate how the app might work and allow us to mimic the actual use of the app. Our mobile app prototypes helped to understand how The Tech Awards users might interact with the product and, therefore, validate our assumptions. We got a very good assessment on the feasibility of the app, which those learnings were used for the other aspects of the entire program.
Usability & Information
Initially there were a great many challenges and set backs during the usability testing process. Determining which content and how users are presented that information went through several stages before arriving at the final product stage. There were many versions of task lists created for test subjects before we finally found the right ones usable enough for users to easily navigate and achieve their goals. Luckily we had a very patient group of subjects that allowed for us to observe and note their interactions.
Engage with the product
The app proved to be a huge asset for the overall program. This product connected thousands people, and synergized with all the aspects of The Tech Awards. The app was the center-piece at the live event along with all the stage presentations. The app also complimented the exhibit at the museum, the travelling road show exhibit, and the web site, all devoted to promoting the 10 honorees and their accomplishments benefiting humanity and their part within the global technological landscape.
