Affinity Map
From the user interviews, I made notes of common themes when it came to quotes, paint points, and motivations.
Affinity map built up of user interview quotes, pain points, and motivations.
Empathy Maps
After organizing common themes through the affinity map, I was quickly able to see that there were two user personas that I would be focusing on throughout the duration of this project.
User Personas
Out of the five user interviews I conducted, 3 out of the 5, clearly voiced their motivation for volunteering was to connect with like minded people and look for opportunities to build relationships. 2 out of the 5 communicated that they were motivated to volunteer to network and look for opportunities to grow professionally. All five shared their desire to give back and bring joy to others.
The Community Man persona, is new to volunteering and perhaps recently moved to a new city/state. He is looking to meet people and build relationships with like-minded people, while at the same time, making an impact in his community
The Career-Focused Woman persona, is an experienced volunteer, who is interested in giving back to her community, while networking and looking for professional growth.
Paint Points
Once affinity and empathy maps had been created and organized, I was able to step back and ask myself, “what did I hear throughout all of the user interviews?” I heard four common pain points:
Clarity
Lack of information was the most common theme throughout research findings. Examples included not knowing enough about the volunteer event before having to commit, having to reach out to the organization host for more information, or not knowing the role one would play within a volunteer event, and what skills were required, if any.
Flexibility
Time flexibility was often mentioned throughout research. Some examples include not being able to find events that worked with one’s availability, and not finding out about the day and time until they are at the point of signing up, resulting in frustration and having to start the search process all over.
Reminders
Committed accountability was a commonly voiced topic. People felt there wasn’t a smooth way to remind you of upcoming events you were signed up for, or a way to provide some type of accountability for the commitment you are signed on for.
Connecting
Networking and Connecting was very common too, such as being able to know who of your friends, or those within your network circle, might be volunteering in your area. More often than not, people are more likely to volunteer for a cause with people they know.