📅 Oct - Dec 2022
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River Snap. Capturing the Current.
The Hawkesbury-Nepean River is the lifeblood of Sydney's western edge. While it flows past suburbs and farms, it's been facing a silent crisis. Increasing urbanization, agricultural runoff, and industrial development have taken their toll. Another challenge was that despite living alongside it, most people had lost their connection to the river. When Western Sydney University's Sustainability Team approached me, they had a seemingly straightforward request: "We need an app to monitor the river's health."
But as we dug deeper, we discovered we weren't just building a monitoring tool – we were trying to rebuild a relationship between a community and its river.
The Initial Dive
Stakeholder interviews revealed surprising insights
To better understand the needs of the community and stakeholders, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews. These conversations revealed some surprising insights that shaped our approach -
The community connection gap
During our research, we heard from a resident: "I've lived here for six years, and I'm not sure how much the river has changed over that time except for the increasing flood." This sentiment kept repeating in different forms across our interviews. It highlighted the emotional and informational disconnect that many residents felt – they wanted to care for the river, but lacked both the knowledge and the tools to do so effectively. Reconnecting the community to the river would require more than data – it would require an emotional, accessible approach that would inspire ongoing involvement.
Changing Approach
It seemed, we needed it all
Our first instinct was to prototype an all-encompassing solution. Something that would address all stakeholder needs. This included -
DIY Water Quality Monitoring (pH levels, dissolved oxygen, turbidity)
Community Engagement (Discussion forums, taking photos, events)
Data Visualization (Historical trends)
Annual Hawkesbury-Nepean regional forum, hosted by HNWA
Then a lightbulb moment
During our first round of testing, we hit several sobering realizations. Despite our best intentions, the prototype was overwhelming and impractical for most users -
User engagement
🔻 Most users dropped off after seeing complex input forms
🔻 Scientific terminology was intimidating
🔻 Training requirements were too high
Technical challenges
🔻 Data accuracy couldn't be guaranteed
🔻 Calibration requirements were impractical
🔻 Maintenance costs would be unsustainable
Community feedback
🔺 Users loved taking and comparing photos
🔺 Visual changes were more engaging than numbers
🔺 Simple actions had higher completion rates
Setting our focus
During a co-design session, something happened. We showed users different prototypes when an elderly participant picked up her phone and showed us photos she'd taken of the river from some selected spots for years. "I just wish I had taken them more consistently," she said. That's when it clicked. We realized that the most powerful way to engage the community was through something they were already doing, taking photos. By building on this familiar behavior, we could create a sense of continuity and connection.
We made a bold decision: strip away everything except the photo-taking feature. We'd make it the best possible tool for consistent environmental photography. The community's enthusiasm for a simpler, photo-focused approach confirmed we were on the right path. By focusing on one core function, we could ensure that the app was easy to use, effective, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical background.
The User Experience
Designing a mount
One of the key challenges was ensuring that photos were taken from consistent angles and positions, which would provide valuable data over time. This required designing a custom mount that users could easily use:
Adjustable mount
🔻 Inconsistent angles
🔻 Confusion about correct positioning
🔻 High maintenance needs
Fixed mount
🔺 Perfect angle every time
🔺 Weather-resistant
🔺 Zero maintenance
The final version of the mount ensured that users could consistently take photos from the same angle, which was crucial for monitoring changes over time. The fixed simplicity of the design reduced maintenance needs and made the entire process seamless for users.
Onboarding app users
What looks like a simple photo-taking app requires careful consideration of the first-time user experience. We designed an onboarding flow that builds trust while setting clear expectations -
Welcome & context
Opens with a simple explanation of the river's importance
Immediately establishes the citizen scientist role
Uses a clean, uncluttered design with the river wave icon
Removed technical jargon about "data collection" and focused on the simple idea of "helping monitor the river".
Terms of use
Clear explanation of photo usage rights
Plain language about research and publicity purposes
Explicit mention of research community and partners.
Built trust - explaining photo usage rights upfront, and made the privacy policy easily accessible.
Camera permission
Asking for camera use permission in two logical steps - giving context and granting access
Use native iOS permission dialogues
Added reassuring "only when using the app" message
Addressed user concern -
"You can change this from your settings anytime".
"You can change this from your settings anytime".
We found that taking the time to carefully explain each step and provide reassurance was key to building user trust and ensuring ongoing engagement. By focusing on clarity, we minimized drop-offs during the onboarding process.
Taking a snap
After numerous iterations, we landed on a three-step process that allows users to quickly capture photos without needing extensive instructions or training.
Mounting device
Users are guided with simple numbered instructions, starting with rotating the device to get a landscape view and then placing the device in the mount.
In case users aren't close to a mount, they can always look up a "Find a mount near you" option, which provides clear visual guidance and location-specific information, making mount locations easily discoverable.
Made mount locations discoverable rather than requiring pre-knowledge.
Frame and snap
We used the native camera interface for familiarity, featuring a simple capture button along with clear retake and use options to make the process intuitive and easy for users.
Removed custom camera UI elements (AR guide) as development cost outweighed value.
Submitting the snap
The final steps were crucial for both data quality and user satisfaction. To ensure a smooth and rewarding experience, we simplified the final steps into a cohesive process.
Corfirm location & submit
First, users select their mount location through a radio button interface, limited to actual mount locations to improve accuracy.
Next, a clear upload process, including a progress indicator and an always-available cancel option. Finally, we included a success celebration with immediate positive feedback, recognizing users as "Citizen Scientists" and inviting them to learn more about the research community.
Final thoughts..
What started as a river health monitoring app has evolved into something more meaningful – a bridge between people and their environment. By focusing obsessively on doing one thing exceptionally well, we created a tool that not only collects valuable data but also helps rebuild the connection between a community and its river. The most valuable lesson? Sometimes, the most impactful solution isn't the most complex – it's the one that people actually use, consistently and correctly.
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