SHRED
My Role:
Wireframing
Prototyping
UX Research
UI Design
Testing
Overview:
Designing a mobile app for skateboarders to learn, connect and discover.
Project Duration:
6 Weeks
Contents
01.
Project Overview
02.
Understanding the User
Emphasize
Define
03.
Starting the Design
Ideate
Prototype
Test
04.
Refining the Designs
05.
Final Designs
01. Project Overview
The Project
Learn, discover and connect with Shred. Shred app is a progress tracking, learning and social networking platform designed to help skaters of all levels learn tricks, discover skate spots, and connect with the community. The app motivates skaters, improves skill progression, and fosters engagement by making skateboarding more accessible, interactive, and rewarding.
The Problem
Skateboarders often struggle with:
tracking their progress
learning new tricks
finding good skate spots
connecting with the community
Motivation can be inconsistent, and there’s no structured way to document skills, gain recognition, or easily access skateboarding content in one place.
The Goal
The goal of this app is to make skateboarding more accessible, engaging, and community-driven by providing skaters with tools to track their progress, discover new skate spots, and connect with others.
02. Understanding the User
User Research
Type of Research
I am planning on doing primary research by utilizing user interviews and surveys. I am interviewing 5 users who align with what my fictional user personas reflect. A survey poll will be posted on a skateboarding Instagram page that is located in Cape Town to get furthermore quantitative input regarding my research.
Research Goals
1
I want to know if skateboarders have a possible desire to connect more with other skaters.
2
Assess how skaters find new skateboarding spots.
3
Find out if a points ranking system and trick book checklist would encourage engagement and consistent practice.
4
Evaluate how many skaters do/prefer street skating versus going to a skate park.
Based off user interviews
Empathy Map
Pain Points
01. Disconnect from the Community
Skaters, especially beginners, struggle to connect with others and feel part of the scene. Incorporate friend connections, direct messaging, and social feeds to foster community engagement.
02. Lack of Recognition
Skate clips often get lost in mainstream platforms where the algorithm doesn’t prioritize skateboarding. By making a skate-focused content feed will ensure a boost in engagement and visibility.
03. Unaware of Skate Spots
Many skaters don’t know where to skate beyond their local park. Our interactive skate spot map with user-generated locations, video previews, and ratings help skaters discover new spots.
04. Struggle with Learning
Beginners often don’t know what tricks to learn next or how to improve. Implement a structured trick book with tutorials, skill progression tracking, and community advice to guide learning.
Who are the users?
User Personas
“As a beginner skateboarder, I want to learn and connect with other skaters so that I can improve and practise together with others.”
“As a beginner skateboarder, I want to learn and connect with other skaters so that I can improve and practise together with others.”
User Journey
Taking Bandile through the journey of finding a new skate spot on the interactive map and posting a clip from it.
Competitive Audit
Taking a look at competitors in the market
Based off the emphasize process
Key Takeaways & Findings
The three main areas of focus for the app is the ability for users to:
Connect
Discover
Learn
78%
of skaters want more ways to connect
Shows a demand for a community-driven and social platform. They want a social connection but need the right platform.
64%
prefer street skating & 36% skate parks
This highlights the need for diverse skate spot listings - solidifying the success of the idea of an interactive skate spot map feature.
82%
would use a structured trick book
This confirms the need for guided skill progression and trick tutorials.
03. Starting the Design
Paper Wireframes
Goal for the paper wireframes was to brainstorm the most optimal home screen dashboard layout. I came up with 6 different variations, each of which I think has an element in that will be used for the final version.
Digital Wireframes
Home Screen
Features and Benefits
1
Quick glance of users level and daily challenge to keep them motivated and engaged
2
Trick of the Day video based on the most likes in a day to create exposure for skaters
3
Section showing top spots near the users location for easy access
4
Leaderboard section showing what rank the user is amongst other users, creating a sense of community and competition.
Interactive Map - Discover
Features and Benefits
1
Search and filter option
2
Live updates on how many users are at a specific spot.
3
Feature to add a skate spot - increasing accessibility to spots for the whole community
4
Option to favourite/bookmark locations for easy access
5
Skate spot locations, listing multiple features, details and images about the spot.
Trick Book - Learn
Features and Benefits
1
Trick completion counter, level progression and daily challenge for motivation
2
Trick book checklist in order of easy to advanced for guided progression
3
In depth trick tutorials to teach the user
4
Tips and tricks section for extra learning and knowledge
Social Feed - Connect
Features and Benefits
1
TikTok style feed with tagged location so users can find more spots.
2
Feature to upload own video clips.
3
Fully integrated social media functionality - add and message friends, view their clips and see their stats
Lofi-Prototype
Information Architecture
Usability Study
Overview
After the wireframes and prototypes I decided to conduct an unmoderated usability study.
Participants: People who are new or already experienced in skating (5 participants)
Research Questions
How easy is it for users to find and add a skate spot?
How effective is the trick book and video tutorial system in helping skaters improve their skills?
Do users feel more connected to the skateboarding community through the app?
Research Goal
Figure out if users would know how to find/add new skate spots
Evaluate whether the learning section effectively helps skaters progress in their trick development.
Determine if the app successfully fosters community engagement among skateboarders.
Prompts
After each prompt, I asked follow up questions to develop a better understanding of their experience. These are just summaries.
1
Locate and a Skate Spot on the interactive map and find directions to it.
2
Add a new skate spot to the interactive map.
3
Find the trick book and try to understand how to do a trick you haven’t practiced.
4
Try post a new trick, follow and message other users, and engage with the social feed.
Based off usability study
Themes
1.
Users struggled to find friends on the app
3/5 users didnt know where to add friends or search for them
"It’s cool to see other skaters post, but I don’t really know how to find my friends on here.“
Insight:
Users need a better navigational structure to find and add friends
2.
There is not enough content in the trick book learning section
2/5 user want more learning material in the trick book section
“Would be cool if users could upload their own trick breakdowns.”
Insight:
Users need more learning content in the trick book section
3.
Adding a skate spot feels like too long of a process
3/5 users reported that adding a skate spot feels very lengthy
“The process for adding a skate spot feels a bit long”
Insight:
Users need the task of adding a skate spot to be broken up into smaller steps or let it be progressively disclosed to reduce cognitive overload (Hicks Law)
04. Refining the Design
Improvement on social functionality
Added a friends search feature to the personal profile and social feed page for improved functionality for finding friends. Furthermore, a live location update shows when friends are at a skate spot on the interactive map/
Reduced cognitive load for adding a skate spot
Broken up the task into smaller steps and progressively disclosing it to reduce cognitive overload (Hicks Law)
BEFORE
AFTER
Added extra content to trick tutorials
Added the feature for users (above level 20) to post their own trick tutorials. This will improve engagement and provide helpful knowledge from different perspectives to users.
05. Final Designs
Splash & Onboarding
Home Screen
📊 Level Up at a Glance
Instantly see your progress and daily challenge—stay motivated every session.
🎥 Trick of the Day
The most-liked trick gets the spotlight—show off your skills and get discovered
📍Top Skate Spots Nearby
Find the best local spots fast—no more scrolling or guessing.
🏆 Community Leaderboard
See where you rank—fuel your progression with friendly competition.
Discover
Skate Map
📍 Find & Add Skate Spots
Add and explore new spots—make skating more accessible for everyone.
🔍 Smart Spot Search & Filters
Search and filter with ease—find the perfect spot fast, no hassle.
1
Bookmark Your Faves
Save your go-to spots—access them anytime, anywhere.
2
Live Spot Check-ins
See how many skaters are at a spot in real-time—roll up when it’s buzzing.
3
Spot Details & Media
Get the full picture—view features, reviews, and images before you go.
Add a Spot!
Learn
Trick Book
📊 Progress Tracker & Daily Challenges
Track your progress, level up, and stay motivated every session.
📋 Trick Book Checklist
Master tricks step-by-step—from beginner basics to advanced moves.
🎥 Pro & Community Tutorials
Master tricks step-by-step—from beginner basics to advanced moves.
💡 Tips & Tricks Section
Unlock insider advice to sharpen your skills and skate smarter.
Connect
Social Feed
🎬 Spot-Tagged Video Feed
Scroll a TikTok-style feed to discover clips and the exact spots they were filmed.
📤 Upload Your Own Clips
Share your best tricks and build your skating presence in the community.
🤝 Fully Social Experience
Add friends, message them, check out their clips and stats—stay connected on and off the board.
