Company: Boy Scouts of America
Role: UI/UX Designer

The BSA used a platform called Scoutbook to track the advancement of all scouts through their program. However, what we needed was a modern, native app (iOS and Android) that could connect to that same database, and give the active, on-the-go BSA users the accessibility they desired.

Challenges and Compromises

The scope and potential impact of this project within the organization necessitated a unique approach to it's design. Early on the whole team came together to combine their expertise and needs and drive the direction of the project. Everyone from the product owner and their business requirements to the developers and their technical limitations was involved, and being a part of that process opened my eyes to the many fields that both impact and are impacted by my designs. Being such an involved process though, there were inevitably challenges to face, and compromises to be made.

1. Scope: the scope was a constant point of focus for me, and the team as a whole. With so many teams involved at every stage of production, not to mention feedback from end users with the old Scoutbook platform, it was easy to let the project bloat out of proportion. So I made sure to always keep the focus on the MVP, while still making sure my designs were easily scalable with future functionality. 
2. Team Rotation: changes in teammates were also an issue early on. Several developers left the company, and when new ones joined the team, they of course brought their own ideas and perspectives to the table. Balancing bringing them up to speed on the work and ideas so far while also valuing their own input was an important step.
3. Techical limitations: there were a few features that I personally felt were very important to the function of the app and began designing for. However, by working closely with the developers througout the process, I came to realize that issues with the APIs made those features problematic. In the end, we collectively decided that they would have to be cut from the MVP. And while I still think they will be great additions one day, I saw how their inclusion was only hurting the initial release.

App's Architecture

Overview - App Architecture Map

STYLE GUIDE

The UI design was lead by the style guide to ensure that both designers and developers implemented a consistent design for the application that was being built. 

Track the
Scouting Experience

Analysis
Jan - Oct 2018

19,762

83,395

App Installs

Logins

Project Learnings
Best Design Comes from Collaboration

Working with a multi-diciplinary team from an early stage made everyone feel more passionate about the project, and it showed in the final result. It opened the door for a far more collaborative workflow, as everyone was able to give feedback on each others work at every stage. And in the end, it gave us a realistic and refined product that was accepted by users and business owners alike.

© Nour Maatouk Yabra 2024
UX Strategist