overview
Infobuzz is a drug information website that provides users with nuanced and easily digestible information. My team wanted to create an unbiased and user-friendly platform that focuses on education rather than prevention. Our goal with this project was to protect and inform, not judge and dismiss.
audience
The target demographic of our product is university students as they are one of the most susceptible populations to drug use.
Research
Interviews and field research were used to determine how and where our product could best intervene and help individuals make informed decisions. An affinity diagram helped organize the information collected by our team and allowed us to draw connections between the different categories relating to drug education. Common themes found during this phase included unsuccessful anti-drug campaigns that focused on prevention and reliance on anecdotal evidence prior to experimenting with recreational drugs.
sketching
Sketching helped our team conceptualize the different features for informing users. The sketches below feature the initial thought process behind the "drug mixing" and "FAQ" screens of our product.
personas
Personas created based on user interviews helped identify needs of stakeholders. They served as a reminder of the vast drug use spectrum that should be considered in order to maintain an unbiased approach.
user flow & wireframing
Based on user interviews, key problems with the current drug education tools are:
1) There is no centralized source for all things drug related.
2) Articles can be confusing and important information can take too long to find.
Our site includes features for learning about the risks of mixing drugs as well as a calculator to find "safe" dosages based on body type. User flows were kept as short as possible to make sure users did not lose patience before finding what they needed to know.
final prototype
The final prototype features a simple color palette to maintain a neutral stance on drug use. A dark background helped make the site feel discreet so that users feel comfortable knowing they would not draw attention to themselves at a dimly lit party.
