Regional Fedora Hubs: Location-Based User Connection

Executive Summary

As an interaction designer and UX researcher on the Regional Fedora Hubs project, I tackled the complex challenge of designing a system to collect, store, and utilize location information for connecting open-source contributors. The project aimed to enhance community engagement by allowing users to find nearby Fedora community members and events.

Through methodical user research, interaction design, and usability testing, I identified key challenges in location data handling and relationship visualization. My iterative design process revealed that locations are a far more complex problem than initially assumed, leading to refined solutions that balanced user privacy with community-building functionality.

The project resulted in an improved interface for location collection and display, along with valuable insights about relationship indicators that directly informed the platform's development. My work demonstrated that simplifying complex technical challenges into intuitive interfaces requires careful attention to users' mental models and needs.

The Challenge

Fedora's open-source community thrives on collaboration, but geographic distribution can limit engagement. Without effective tools to connect nearby contributors, the community risked low retention of new contributors who were unable to connect with the community in a lasting way, as well as limited attendance at events and meetups.

The Fedora community faced several challenges when looking to connect with others in their geographic region:

  1. Incomplete location data: Many users had partial or no location information in their Fedora Account System (FAS) profiles

  2. Privacy concerns: Users needed control over how much location data they shared

  3. Complex relationship visualization: It wasn't clear how to represent relationships between community members to facilitate meaningful connections

  4. Technical feasibility: Location data handling is inherently complex with multiple layers (country, region, city, etc.)

Methodology

Interaction Design Process

I employed a systematic design methodology to address the location interface challenges:

Understanding the Problem Space:

    • Participated in team brainstorming sessions to identify requirements

    • Created flowcharts to map user journeys based on different location data scenarios

    • Developed handwritten sketches to explore initial concepts

Challenge Identification:

  • Discovered critical assumptions about location handling that needed reconsideration

  • Recognized that the technical implementation was more complex than expected

  • Collaborated with developers to ensure technical feasibility

Evolution of the location-related interface based on feedback

Example flowchart mapping user journeys

Early concept sketches exploring different approaches to location data.

Iterative Design:

    • Created Balsamiq mockups to visualize different location collection interfaces

    • Conducted stakeholder reviews with the Fedora UX lead and development team

    • Refined designs based on feedback, particularly focusing on the tension between granularity and privacy

Final map-based location visualization balancing precision and privacy

Usability Testing

After creating interactive prototypes, I conducted usability testing to validate the design decisions:

  1. Testing Preparation:

    • Identified and prioritized key tasks based on frequency and impact

    • Developed realistic scenarios for participants (e.g., finding Fedora community members while traveling)

    • Created a testing protocol with clear task descriptions

  2. Testing Execution:

    • Conducted multiple testing sessions with participants

    • Made early adjustments to testing protocols after initial sessions

    • Improved testing fidelity by replacing screenshot-based elements with Balsamiq components

  3. Analysis:

    • Transcribed testing sessions and organized findings in a spreadsheet

    • Collaborated with the UX lead to brainstorm solutions for identified issues

    • Focused analysis on relationship indicators as a critical finding from testing

Annotated usability testing prototype for finding people nearby

Findings & Solutions

Key Findings

  1. Technical Insights:

    • Demonstrated that location handling requires careful consideration of privacy, accuracy, and usability

    • Revealed that showing relationships between users requires multiple dimensions beyond simple "friendship"

  2. Design Evolution:

    • Initial mockups assumed location data was a solved problem

    • Final designs acknowledged complexity while maintaining user-friendly interfaces

    • Provided map-based visualization that balanced privacy with usability

  3. Testing Revelations:

    • Users struggled to determine who to contact without relationship context

    • Participants needed signals about others' willingness to help or meet newcomers

    • Location alone was insufficient for meaningful connection decisions

Solution

The final design solution included:

  1. Simplified Location Collection:

    • Focused on city and country rather than street-level information

    • Provided map-based visualization showing approximate locations

    • Incorporated privacy controls allowing users to determine how specific their location appeared

  2. Relationship Indicators:

    • Identified the complexity of representing relationships between community members

    • Explored multiple relationship types (team membership, communication frequency, mutual connections)

    • Designed indicators for users interested in meeting or helping others

Exploration of relationship indicators to help users decide who to contact

Conceptual exploration of availability indicators to reduce barriers to connection

Outcomes & Learnings

The project delivered several valuable outcomes:

  1. Improved User Experience:

    • Created an intuitive interface for location information despite underlying complexity

    • Provided clear visual indicators of approximate location without compromising privacy

    • Identified relationship visualization as a critical next area for exploration

  2. Project Contributions:

    • Documented design decisions and rationales in Pagure tickets

    • Produced comprehensive analysis of usability testing findings

    • Created reusable design patterns for location handling in open-source projects

  3. Personal Development:

    • Deepened understanding of location-based interface challenges

    • Strengthened skills in usability testing methodology and analysis

    • Enhanced collaboration with technical teams on complex implementation issues

Conclusion

This project demonstrated my ability to take a complex technical challenge—location data management—and transform it into an intuitive user experience. By employing methodical interaction design processes and rigorous usability testing, I created solutions that balanced technical constraints with user needs.

The insights gained about relationship visualization continue to inform the Fedora Hubs platform development. Most importantly, the project highlighted that effective user experience design must challenge assumptions and address the nuanced ways people understand their relationships with others in a digital community.

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