CicLAvia

project overview

Problem

CicLAvia events draw over 100,000 participants from across the county, all eager to explore different parts of the city. They approached us, SMC IxD students, with a request to transform visitors' perception of them from being just a cycling event. While CicLAvia's mission is to unite the community, the current interactive map they provide poses challenges in terms of accessibility and usability.

Insight

When collaborating with non-profit organizations, it is essential to prioritize mobile experiences. A survey revealed that while over 60% of CicLAvia participants have attended the event more than once, a significant 80% have never used their digital map. Many attendees at CicLAvia expressed the need for maps and directions. Moreover, an overwhelming 90% of participants expressed interest in having a list of businesses along the route.

Solution

CicLAvia's Interactive Map is a mobile-first digital map built on Proxi, a mapping platform that is easy to build and customize, and completely free for non-profits. The new Interactive Map helps event-goers effortlessly navigate and better explore their city. In addition to that, the solution includes Spots Along the Route — a list of points of interest, shops, and restaurants including a description and filter options.

Jump to final solution

discovery

Stakeholder and Expert Interviews

We conducted interviews with 4 stakeholders and 2 industry experts to gain a deeper understanding of the project's requirements.

Rachel Burke

Chief Program Officer

Alissandra Valdez

Event Producer

Sandra Kulli

Board Member

Meisha Rainman

Chief Impact Officer

Julie Lacouture

Good Ways Inc

Consultant for Non-profits

Mario Rini

Strada Made

Digital Design Director

Key insights

1. CicLAvia is a small non-profit team, so we must consider their limited resources like time and money.

2. Prioritizing the mobile experience is crucial since attendees use the website while at the event.

3. To accomplish their mission and encourage event-goers to explore the community, CicLAvia wants to motivate people to get off their bikes.

Heuristic Evaluation

Heuristic evaluation was conducted to assess the overall usability of the CicLAvia website and identify areas for improvement. We then utilized affinity mapping to synthesize our research findings.

Key insights

1. The navigation is overwhelming.

2. The interactive map is very difficult to find.

3. The website doesn't tell CicLAvia's story and mission well.

validation

Physical Prototype Testing

In this step, our goal was to test the assumption that CicLAvia event-goers are interested in exploring the event. We designed a physical itinerary for participants to make during the event.

Itinerary Front Side

Itinerary Back Side

Survey

In addition to the physical prototype, we surveyed 43 participants at the event.

event insights

1. Many participants were approaching us, either because they were lost or seeking recommendations on activities in the area.

2. 83% of survey participants have been to CicLAvia website, but 80% have never seen the interactive map.

3. Over 90% of survey participants expressed interest in a list of businesses participating in the event.

approaching a solution

Competitive Research

Now that we knew participants were in need of an interactive map, we were ready to move forward with its redesign. CicLAvia initially used Google Maps due to its cost-effectiveness, but CicLAvia needed something more user-friendly.

We chose Proxi as the most suitable option for CicLAvia due to its affordability and user-friendly interface. After arranging a meeting between Proxi and CicLAvia, we started working on the final prototype.

solution

Unlock Your City

A mobile-first, easy-to-use interactive map that helps event-goers navigate and better explore their city, along with an informative list of restaurants, shops, and points of interest on the route.

CicLAvia Interactive Map prototype - Map View

CicLAvia Interactive Map prototype - Point Card

Final Concept Video | Yena Kim

User Testing

Final user testing session took place at the next CicLAvia event. It helped uncover 3 final insights:

1. Multiple users struggled with finding bathrooms and event parking in the past and wanted to see this feature added in our next iteration.

2. Users wanted more filter options, like having the ability to filter restaurants by Outdoor Seating so they can make sure their bike is safe while they are eating.

3. Multiple businesses were missing from CicLAvia's map.

impact & reflection

The stakeholders were so excited about the direction we took that they made the decision to transition from Google Maps to Proxi.

This was one of my favorite projects in college because we closely collaborated with stakeholders and consistently received feedback on the project's direction. I also enjoyed interacting with CicLAvia's participants because it helped with idea validation and eliminated guesswork from the project. Finally, this project gave me real-life experience in navigating business constraints and taught me to be more resourceful and creative.