Bachelor’s thesis
In 2023, I successfully completed my Bachelor’s thesis, titled “Digitaalisen vuorovaikutusalustan käyttäjälähtöinen suunnittelu ja toteutus” (you can read my thesis here: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023121838093), as part of the Lyckan Living Lab project in collaboration with the municipality of Lapinjärvi. The objective of the thesis was to drive innovation by designing and implementing a digital service tailored to the specific needs of small businesses within the municipality, thereby facilitating their growth and development. This project provided a unique opportunity to apply UX design principles in a real-world environment. My primary motivation was to deepen my practical understanding of user-centered design methodologies while gaining hands-on experience across all stages of the design process.
Project Overview
This thesis project was carried out in collaboration with LyckanHub, a project dedicated to fostering rural business development. The primary objective was to design and develop a digital interactive networking platform for the employees of Lapinjärvi municipality and the entrepreneurs in the region. The project followed a user-centered design (UCD) approach to ensure the platform met the specific needs of its users. The theoretical foundation of the thesis was built upon literature, research articles, and digital resources on UCD principles and the content management system WordPress.
Design Process
The project utilized the five-step RABBIT process for UCD:
1. Background Research:
- Conducted qualitative content analysis on pre-recorded interviews with local entrepreneurs.
- Identified the need for an online discussion forum as an effective communication platform.
2. Assessment of the Situation:
- Conducted benchmarking research on existing municipal networking services for entrepreneurs.
- Evaluated WordPress forum plugins to determine the best options for implementation.
3. Content and Feature Selection:
- Identified and refined the most relevant forum features to ensure an intuitive user experience.
- Balanced content and functionality to align with the specific needs of the target users.
4. Prototype Development:
- Designed and built a functional prototype using WordPress.
- Ensured the prototype was structured to support easy navigation and engagement.
5. Testing and Evaluation:
- Conducted usability testing through surveys, heuristic evaluations, and direct user feedback.
- Implemented necessary improvements to enhance user-friendliness based on test results.
Project Outcomes
The final prototype successfully provided an accessible and engaging networking forum that met its intended purpose. The user-centered approach ensured that the design was intuitive and practical for the target audience. Several key improvements were made based on user feedback, demonstrating the effectiveness of iterative UCD methodologies.
The Discussion forum
was implemented on the lyckanhub.fi/forum/ -webpage in 2023
Future Development
While the platform proved to be a valuable tool for municipal employees and local entrepreneurs, its long-term sustainability depends on continued user engagement and support. Although the LyckanHub project has ended, further development of the platform is feasible by reapplying the UCD process iteratively. Additionally, the project serves as a reference model for other municipalities aiming to create similar free networking platforms tailored to their local business communities.
Conclusion
This project exemplifies how a structured, user-centered design approach can be effectively applied to create digital solutions that meet real user needs. The experience gained from this process has reinforced the importance of iterative design, user research, and continuous improvement in UI/UX development. Moving forward, this work provides valuable insights for similar digital networking initiatives, emphasizing the role of thoughtful design in fostering business collaboration and community growth.
Tools
Figma, WordPress, MS Word and Teams