CrystalCali is a weather relief app designed for individuals seeking security amidst unforeseen climatic fluctuations. By providing precise forecasts and proactive insights, it guarantees that both adventurers and locals can confidently navigate California's dynamic weather terrain.
3 weeks
Individual Project
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, AfterEffect
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In the past century, climate change has emerged as a prevailing global challenge. Given the escalating impact of climate-related issues in California, especially concerns regarding inaccuracies, I have chosen to develop a weather relief application targeted specifically for this region.
Most of the weather apps provide data on a global scale or based on
a country, and its market has already become red-ocean. Despite the
existence of numerous useful apps covering weather information, I
wondered why almost all of them have similar function. Weather
information is important as there is no one not affected by the
weather, but the specific needs required will be different for all.
The smaller the scope is, the more precise and clear the public’s
actual needs are.
Therefore, I wanted to make a weather
relief app for a specific region rather than a country, which led me
choose California that has been facing an increasingly severe
climate disaster for decades.
26 | Author
Single | Berlin, Germany
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I am traveling in California for couple of weeks.
Many travel
apps offer generic recommendation
and I usually feel less risk
with the unexpected disaster but,
due to the recent flooding
and heatwave in California
makes me put more stance on weather.
I am traveling in California
for couple of weeks.
Many
travel apps offer
generic recommendation
and I usually
feel less risk
with the unexpected disaster
but, due to
the recent flooding
and heatwave in California
makes me
put more stance
on weather.
✧ Worried unpredictable weather
✧ Hard to decide when to
visit different towns
✧ Frustrated by the fact that I was
caught off guard by the severity of the recent weather events
✦ To enhance preparedness and avoid unforeseen weather impact
✦
To prevent weather disaster
✦ To get the weather data
tailored to the place I want to visit
34 | Casting director
Married | LA, USA
I have been working as a casting director in a model agency
for
couple of years, and often goes out and move around cities
to
find the talent. But due to the increasingly extreme heatwave
and
its wild swings, it makes me sick when working outdoors.
I have been working
as a casting director
in a model
agency
for couple of years, and often
goes out and move
around cities
to find the talent.
But due to the
increasingly
extreme heatwave
and its wild swings,
it
makes me sick
when working outdoors.
✧ Embarrassed when facing unexpected conditions unlike the
forecast
✧ Uncomfortable when missing weather updates I
genuinely need
✧ Hard to spot potential models in a bad
weather
✦ To check important weather sources
✦ To customize
notifications and alerts according to my preferences
✦ To
be mentally and physically safe in a bad weather
How can we help these individuals seamlessly integrate essential
weather-related information and resources
into their daily
lives in order to ensure their requirements are met effectively?
How can we help these individuals seamlessly integrate essential weather-related information and resources into their daily lives in order to ensure their requirements are met effectively?
CrystalCali, a weather relief application, is designed to empower
people in California with the precise weather insights they need to
navigate their dynamic environment. Through localized weather
insights, users gain a deep understanding of weather patterns unique
to their region. Real-time updates ensure that users
stay ahead of rapid changes, offering timely information crucial for
planning.
Complementing this, the app delivers
location-focused news, helping users contextualize
weather impacts on their daily lives. Moreover, CrystalCali put
control in users' hands with
customizable notifications, enabling them to receive
alerts tailored to their preferences. With these
features, the application is a comprehensive solution, delivering
accurate, real-time, and location-aware weather support to
Californians and travelers.
The weather we face everyday is like a music.
It would be bright,
gloomy, energetic, or peaceful.
But sometimes, its tones are too
noisy and wild to listen.
No matter how the weather is off key,
CrystalCali protects your days
with the real-time
solutions that can predict weather disaster earlier.
The weather we face everyday is like a music.
It would be bright,
gloomy, energetic, or peaceful.
But sometimes, its tones are too
noisy
and wild to listen.
No matter how the weather is
off key,
CrystalCali protects your days
with
the real-time solutions
that can predict weather disaster earlier.
The weather we face
everyday is like a music.
It would be
bright, gloomy,
energetic, or peaceful.
But sometimes, its
tones are
too noisy and wild to listen.
No matter how
the
weather is off key,
CrystalCali protects your days
with the real-time solutions
that can predict
weather
disaster earlier.
CrystalCali employs AI and machine learning-powered technology to anticipate and mitigate natural weather disasters in California, enabling users to proactively devise personalized plans, including shelter and relief strategies. Its solution leverages predictive insights to forecast the occurrence of natural weather disasters, underpinned by geological principles and informed by research data, facilitating effective disaster preparedness and response.
When you onboard the app, CrystalCali is greeted with a friendly welcome message and introduction. We showcases our key features, like real-time weather updates and emergency alerts, ensuring that you can quickly grasp how to use the app and find value in it. We also invite you to follow our social media accounts and join a community to encourage long-term engagement.
Forecast & Radar - With a
user-friendly interface, CrystalCali
present hourly and daily predictions, temperature trends, and wind
conditions etc. This empowers users to seamlessly plan activities and
commutes, armed with accurate weather insights.
The Radar
page immerses users in real-time visualizations,
overlaying live radar imagery onto maps. By tracking rain, snow, and
storms, users gain a deeper understanding of weather dynamics,
fostering a sense of preparedness and control.
Forecast & Radar - With a user-friendly interface, CrystalCali present hourly and daily predictions, temperature trends, and wind conditions etc. This empowers users to seamlessly plan activities and commutes, armed with accurate weather insights. Complementing this, the Radar page immerses users in real-time visualizations, overlaying live radar imagery onto maps. By tracking rain, snow, and storms, users gain a deeper understanding of weather dynamics, fostering a sense of preparedness and control.
Shorts - Get concise and current news stories tailored to your specific location. It fosters a deeper connection to your local environment and bridge the gap between weather and community, enhancing the overall user experience and establishing the weather app as a vital source of essential updates and engaging content.
Shorts - Get concise and current news stories tailored to your specific location. It fosters a deeper connection to your local environment and bridge the gap between weather and community, enhancing the overall user experience and establishing the weather app as a vital source of essential updates and engaging content.
Location - CrystalCali offer a personalized and efficient way to manage and access weather information for multiple places. It empowers you to seamlessly add, organize, and switch between different locations of interest.
Location - CrystalCali offer a personalized and efficient way to manage and access weather information for multiple places. It empowers you to seamlessly add, organize, and switch between different locations of interest.
Settings - CrystalCali offers a comprehensive suite
of customization options. From choosing preferred units and
notification settings in Preferences to selecting visual themes and
weather details in Appearance, you can
curate an interface that resonates with your style.
Moreover, the Parameters page presents with granular
control, enabling adjustments to data sources, refresh rates, and
more. This level of customization ensures a tailored experience that
aligns with users' technical preferences.
Settings - CrystalCali offers a comprehensive suite of customization options. From choosing preferred units and notification settings in Preferences to selecting visual themes and weather details in Appearance, you can curate an interface that resonates with your style. Moreover, the Parameters page presents with granular control, enabling adjustments to data sources, refresh rates, and more. This level of customization ensures a tailored experience that aligns with users' technical preferences.
To get a better idea of what residents and travelers in California need in the app, I set up a survey and conducted some interviews. The survey produced 28 respondents and the interview was conducted with 8 people between the ages of 18 and 50.
Participant 01 - “I think we are in the weather whiplash right now. This will become more common in the future. As a resident living near coastlines, I am thinking to move from my place, but it’s really hard since my workplace and family are in this city.
Participant 06 - “I am living in Kings County and have been severely impacted by the floods and drought for couple of years. Despite the financial assistance from the government, my family and I still worry about how to stay safe during the extreme weather events.
Participant 09 - As a traveler, I feel less vulnerable to unexpected disasters than residents. Predicting disasters is challenging, making preparation tough, and government alerts often face the downside of becoming too frequent, potentially leading to desensitization among users. Personally, I prefer combined customizable alerts and services through weather apps for wider, engaging, and trustworthy communication.
During the survey and interviews, participants expressed a desire for the app to help them manage the increasing weather volatility. While existing government SMS alerts offer some information, participants found it distracted due to the frequent alerts and hard to predict when exactly disasters might strike. They stressed the importance of a combined approach, where emergency alerts and weather services come together in engaging apps for broader outreach. This user-centered approach resonates with their need for accessible and trustworthy information.
During the survey and interviews, participants expressed a desire for
the app to help them manage the increasing weather volatility. While
existing government SMS alerts offer some information, participants
found it distracted due to the frequent alerts and hard to predict
when exactly disasters might strike.
They stressed the
importance of a combined approach, where emergency alerts and weather
services come together in engaging apps for broader outreach. This
user-centered approach resonates with their need for accessible and
trustworthy information.
In the competitive landscape of weather applications, CrystalCali shines brightly as it hones in on four key pillars: customization, detailed & localized data, user-friendliness, and accuracy. These critical features place the brand in a unique and advantageous position, elevating the user experience and setting us apart from the other weather apps.
These outlines provide insights into the daily lives of two participants as they navigate scheduling challenges and contend with unpredictable weather patterns. Their journey involves striving to maintain preparedness and security for both themselves and their plans.
These outlines provide insights into the daily lives of two
participants as they navigate scheduling challenges and contend with
unpredictable weather patterns.
Their journey involves
striving to maintain preparedness and security for both themselves and
their plans.
With five essential domains—Forecast, Radar, Shorts, Location, and Settings—its framework guides users in achieving specific goals while navigating the product. This architecture amplifies information discoverability and accessibility, culminating in an optimized user journey.
With five essential domains—Forecast, Radar, Shorts, Location, and
Settings—its framework guides users in achieving specific goals
while
navigating the product.
This architecture amplifies
information discoverability and accessibility, culminating in an
optimized user journey.
The wireframe offers a glimpse into CrystalCali's user-centric design, providing an intuitive interface for precise weather insights in California. It plays a pivotal role in the initial stages of the design process, facilitating swift iterations and feedback prior to advancing into more intricate design and development phases.
The wireframe offers a glimpse into CrystalCali's user-centric
design, providing an intuitive interface for precise weather insights
in California.
It plays a pivotal role in the initial stages of the design process,
facilitating swift iterations and feedback prior to advancing into
more intricate design and development phases.
User testing & reflection provides invaluable insights, illuminating the impact of personalized weather insights on individuals' daily lives. By capturing user experiences and perspectives, I gained a deeper understanding of how the app's tailored information and real-time updates empower users to navigate California's dynamic weather landscape with confidence and preparedness. These reflections guide my continuous efforts to enhance the app's user-centric design and deliver a truly transformative weather-relief experience.
User testing & reflection provides invaluable insights,
illuminating the impact of personalized weather insights on
individuals' daily lives.
By capturing user
experiences and perspectives, I gained a deeper understanding of how
the app's tailored information and real-time updates empower
users to navigate California's dynamic weather landscape with
confidence and preparedness.
These reflections guide my
continuous efforts to enhance the app's user-centric design and
deliver a truly transformative weather-relief experience.
User 01 - “I really like how the app provides weather info that actually matters to me. It makes checking the weather more interesting and relatable to my daily stuff."
User 04 - “The minimalist design of the interface is a breath of fresh air. It's so easy on the eyes, and I can quickly access weather details without being overwhelmed by unnecessary elements."
User 03 - “The notification control is awesome – it's like the app totally gets that I want things my way and on my schedule. It's all about giving me the info I need, when I need it."
User 02 - “While the customization functions are a great feature, it would be even more effective if the app could learn from my preferences over time and provide suggestions that truly resonate with my tastes."
User 05 - “Imagine the delight of planning your days becoming an exciting adventure that lifts your spirits. It would be wonderful if the app could give suggestions based on the weather, adding that extra spark of joy and anticipation to each day.
User testing & reflection provides invaluable insights, illuminating the impact of personalized weather insights on individuals' daily lives. By capturing user experiences and perspectives, I gained a deeper understanding of how the app's tailored information and real-time updates empower users to navigate California's dynamic weather landscape with confidence and preparedness. These reflections guide my continuous efforts to enhance the app's user-centric design and deliver a truly transformative weather-relief experience.
User testing & reflection provides invaluable insights,
illuminating the impact of personalized weather insights on
individuals' daily lives.
By capturing user
experiences and perspectives, I gained a deeper understanding of
how the app's tailored information and real-time updates
empower users to navigate California's dynamic weather
landscape with confidence and preparedness.
These
reflections guide my continuous efforts to enhance the app's
user-centric design and deliver a truly transformative
weather-relief experience.
CrystalCali's logotype has a straight shape with no change in thickness, and the width of its letters is unified at the same ratio of a quadrangle. It gives off a neutral tone that represents trust.
CrystalCali's brand logo forms a well-structured relationship between its symbol and logotype by creating portrait and landscape layouts for media solutions and applications.
Crystal Cali's color is classic blue which provides a stable and comfortable feeling. It shows a positive brand image in a calm but bright tone. The neutral monotone (black, grey, and white) is used as a secondary color. This enhances professionalism and reliability of the brand by giving a delicate and sensuous feeling to the right place.
CrystalCali's visual images are designed to be flexibly extended based on the brand value.
CrystalCali's Iconography has exactly the same thickness, and enough breathing space applied around it for easy touch and convenient spacing adjustment. Each icons infuse brand voice with consistent visual weight and stylistic rules to make sure them readable and resonate with the other elements of the interface.
Crystal Cali's pattern enhances its brand image and distinguish a company's unique personality or aesthetic appeal. It forms stronger emotional conncections between the brand and useres who might associate a certain pattern, which eventually improve user experience.
CrystalCali, a weather relief brand based in California,
aims to
help you more resilient to deal with possible
climate risks with
the structured weather data.
In this regard, the brand
CrystalCali
will always be close to you
with
crystal clear information
to make your important
decisions.
+ a concise weather reporting service & local news
+
informing users on what actions they should take to prepare
+
customizable notifications to users' preferences.
CrystalCali,
a weather relief brand
based in California, aims
to
help you more resilient
to deal with possible climate
risks
with the structured
weather data.
In this regard,
the
brand CrystalCali
will always be close to you
with
crystal clear information
to make your important
decisions.
+ a concise weather reporting
service & local news
+
informing users
on what actions they
should take to
prepare
+ customizable notifications
to users'
preferences.
Designing the weather relief app for California illuminated the importance of localized insights, real-time updates, and user-centered design. Tailoring information to specific regions and swiftly delivering accurate data emerged as key factors in enhancing user engagement and preparedness. This experience reinforced the value of technology in bridging weather challenges with personalized solutions, highlighting the potential for innovation to empower individuals in navigating their environment effectively.
