Airate - air-quality monitoring app

Air pollution is a major problem that affects people all over the world. Communities in neighbourhoods with extreme air pollution have limited knowledge on how to protect themselves from the polluted air. This product aims to bridge that knowledge gap by providing information on latest pollution levels and how to protect people and neighbourhoods from air pollution.

Interviews gauged the understanding and awareness of users about pollution levels in their areas and protective measures they can take. There was low awareness about current air pollution levels, resulting in lack of knowledge of measures users can take to protect themselves.

A questionnaire covered demographics, awareness about pollution, and ways to get information about pollution levels. Based on survey results, findings were divided into Desired Features and Pain points.

Personas keep cross-functional teams aligned on end-user challenges, goals, and motivations. Two primary personas were defined to represent the range of user goals: those seeking personal protection information, and those who wanted to report pollution sources.

The aggregated empathy map is the outcome of user challenges identified in Personas. It informs understanding of the needs, wants, and pain points of users seeking an air pollution monitoring app.

Key features surfaced: real-time air quality data, ability to track air quality over time, alerts when air quality is bad, sharing of air quality information with others, and educational resources about air pollution.

Colors were chosen to communicate meaning directly: light blue for information pages, red for low air quality screens, light green for good air quality, dark gray for foreground text, and white for backgrounds and accent text.

Typography: Roboto, selected for readability on small screens, familiarity (default Android typeface), and availability in multiple weights for flexible application across headings and body text.

The final design allows the user to check the air quality of their current area quickly without distraction. The user can also choose to be notified in real-time about the air quality.

Experience can be further customized by choosing the update interval, units of measurement, and data sources. Ability to report polluting activities to relevant authorities has been added as well.