My Role:

I want to help people understand how to use CBD oils safely and effectively.
My goal is to create a user-friendly application that provides clear information.

This includes: 

• Details about different CBD oils available on the market

• Information about various health conditions and how CBD might help

• Safety guidelines for all users

• A supportive space for healing

Secondary Research

For years, Hemp, Cannabis, and derivatives have been a part of controversial discussions. Adding stigma on people experimenting with various types of oils and cannabis led to a cultural movement ensured by a brave scientist continually working to prove CBD qualities independent of the adverse effects and documented with THC usage.

But looking at the historical usage of CBD oils in particular, here are some exciting FAQs: 

• Like many other natural remedies, the use of CBD is rumored to have been a part of ancient societies since the first recorded use case occurred around 2727 BC.

• Emperor Sheng Neng of China used cannabis-based tea to help with various health ailments that included poor memory, malaria, and even gout.

• The Atharva Veda (a collection of sacred texts of an unknown author) mentions cannabis as one of five sacred plants, referring to it as a source of happiness, donor of joy, and bringer of freedom.

• Getting acknowledged by WHO in 2017 revealed that CBD is neither addictive nor harmful; the number of financial institutions banking Marijuana-Hemp businesses increased rapidly from 2018.

If you are a CBD consumer, do your homework before you travel! CBD is still not legal around the world. Every country acts according to its laws.

Business&Customers

After gathering secondary research data, I used a lean UX canvas to define my user and business problem. This tool allows you to consider hypotheses and focus on the domains that need more research.

Interviews & Surveys

Survey Statistics

The next step was to understand who my users are.  

I distributed surveys on Slack, Reddit, and my social networks, and I conducted six interviews to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.

My initial set of questions focused on the causes of stress and the methods people use to alleviate it. I later narrowed my focus to those who use CBD for various purposes. The questions included:

1. What causes you stress?

2. What do you use to reduce that stress?

3. Do you experience any type of pain, and if so, what do you use to alleviate it?

4. Do you use CBD, and if so, for what purposes?

5. Where do you get your information about CBD?

For my second set of questions, I concentrated on the app itself:

1. Would you appreciate having an app that provides information about CBD?

2. Would you like an app that matches users with the right CBD experts?

3. Would you find value in an app that functions as a diary?

4. Would you be interested in an app that tracks individual progress?

5. Would you like an app that offers news update, about the CBD?

Interviews - Responses and Statistics

I received an immediate response regarding the cause of the pressure, but my main focus is understanding why my user is interested in CBD.

• How does CBD help?

• Why did they stop using CBD oil?

• What additional information would they like to know?

• Are there any side effects that users are experiencing?

I managed to identify my users:

• People interested in reducing stress

• People targeting specific conditions (from migraines, fibromyalgia, arthritis, sleeping disorders, or any pain). 

I discovered that their concerns and discouragement are from a lack of resources to treat specific matters, and how CBD oils' random usage does not target specific needs.

Interviewees with CBD users assure me and point it out as obvious: 

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I lost interest in the second bottle.
I think a recommendation from an expert can help me with
My anxiety and stress.

Kate, Florida

I want to set a goal and focus more on my condition. Back pain can be annoying.
I am open to alternative options and still experimenting with CBD, getting recommendations from a friend who works in the dispensary in California.

Dave, California

As a Therapist, I use and recommend CBD oils,
after all, it is a natural antidepressant that reduces pain.
I can’t prescribe medication, but so far, I can say it gives results.

Laura, Nevada

After talking to users and defining their problems and obstacles, I decided to ask professionals in the field.

I wanted to know their opinion, experience, and express my interviewees’ concerns and reasons for stopping using CBD oil. They did address the issues and gave me another perspective, where I realized how the human factor plays an important role, especially with health.

It is all about tracking your condition! Communication is the key! And only why the product will work! There is a stigma about cannabis and anything related to it here, and we need to put extra effort into educating, first ourselves and then people around us! I noticed that the majority of clients still think that CBD will show on da drug test??! Big mistake!

Ivan, Distributor of CBD Oil in Europe

Sometimes I feel like I am working in a Pharmacy! I am glad to have happy customers, and that condition improved with the right advice and product selection. From Migraines to severe illnesses, I got calls, shared my experience, and made new friends. What I noticed is that a lot of people use CBD instead of or in addition to other remedies.

Alex, Manager in Dispensary, Las Vegas, NV

I get calls from people from all around the States asking for a recommendation, a nd more returning and new clients seeking natural products to treat their illness, reduce stress, or have fun. I noticed they are using it more since the pandemic.

Victor, employee of the dispensary, Las Vegas, NV

With all this information, and still in the discovery stage, I went back for more answers and studies I found online.

Here is the statistic about CBD oil and its effectiveness, with responses from my survey and educational texts:

• 68% of users are finding CBD oil Effective

• 32% Find it Ineffective

The excellent answer came from Tony Spencer, Founder of Spruce CBD. 

“Further research was conducted and found effective results came from getting a sufficiently high dose, use of a superior method of intake such as tincture under the tongue, and avoiding isolate.” 

I read the articles with encouraging arguments, coming from scientists working daily to improve and educate themselves and others.

Affinity Map

To arrange a large amount of data, sort it, and group it based on its genuine relationship, I used the Affinity map. I connected and synthesized them in groups to determine users' needs and pains, and thoughts about gains.

Here are some insights from the Affinity map that I found noteworthy: 

• The majority of users seek CBD to alleviate pain and reduce stress.

• They primarily gather information from social media.

• Their understanding of CBD is fairly limited and often based on specific needs.

• They also express concerns about the effectiveness of CBD.

User Persona  

The study revealed that most responses came from women, who are more likely to use CBD. Additionally, I need to understand the mental model and focus on their needs, experiences, behaviors, and goals.

Meet Marie Ann. She suffers from migraines and is looking for a natural remedy. She has learned about the benefits of CBD and is willing to give it a try. 

I referred to this persona throughout the entire product development process.

Journey Map

Focusing mainly on the context persona helped me understand the user's physical and emotional state at the moment of the interaction.

The information about persona, goals, and frustration explained in the Journey Map significantly affected my design decisions.

Key Findings

People are continually seeking natural and organic remedies, and CBD oil is still relatively new in this landscape.

1. Many individuals are eager to learn more about it, but their understanding is often limited by their knowledge, location, and specific health conditions.

2. Consumers want to know how certain products and dosage can impact particular symptoms.

3. Most users turn to CBD primarily to alleviate pain and reduce stress

4. However, they often have concerns about the effectiveness of CBD and its overall benefits.

Ideation

I decided to focus on my user's pain points transformed into "How Might We" questions and surround them with many ideas.

MoSCow Method

I used Moscow Method to organize features that would add the most value to the app and those that are not necessary.

User Flow

From there, I create a User flow with a Happy path in mind. I tried to take my user through an app with no effort. I wanted to make it simple and easy to navigate. Here, I focused on the conversation with coaches.

Low-fi Prototype

Following the User flow and bringing together all data from research, I start sketching and making concepts on paper. Considering icons and focusing on communication with coaches, and following symptoms and progress.

Mid-Fi Prototype

I applied all the suggestions from usability testing to the Mid-Fi prototype I was about to create. I added all the steps, from onboarding, creating a profile, communication with experts, and applying recommendations.

The mid prototype served well for the UX part and the logic behind the app. Later, I developed extra screens and adjusted some.

Usability Test:

I conducted five usability tests using Maze and spoke with my testers, who provided valuable suggestions regarding section names, icons, and navigation ease. 

I have a few concerns to address:

• Will the expert selection be based on the added symptoms?

• How will the goal be identified?

• Will there be an option to select a brand?

Visual Competitive Analysis

The next step was analyzing the commonly used Apps and their visual appearance.

My two competitors are CBD and Me and CBD Green. I noticed that both apps are offering texts, news, and playing safe with shades of green.

Mood Board

Having brand attributes sorted, I created a mood board and tested it again. It reflected everything I was trying to accomplish and set the direction for the visual identity.

Onboarding is a crucial phase in an app user's journey. I developed this process to guide users on what to expect and included icons to assist with navigation once their profiles are set up. 

In the "Setting the Profile" stage, I incorporated micro-interactions to enhance user engagement. Although my goal was to create a functional experience by adhering to logical principles, I also considered the wide age range of my users. 

Below is the high-fidelity happy path and a video posted on Vimeo.

User Testing

The prototype is ready for testing!
Interview mode: Interviews were conducted in person and via Google Meet!

Participants

Participant 01: 34 years old, therapist, New York

Participant 02: 24 years old, sales consultant, Las Vegas

Participant 03: 28 years old, counselor, Tampa

Participant 04: 54 years old, artist/musician, Las Vegas

Participant 05: 62 years old, real estate agent, Las Vegas

I had over 20 questions prepared, but I will focus on a few that I found most relevant for this purpose.

After Thoughts

• Research is imperative! Without real help from people who use the product and ones directly involved in distribution and sale, I couldn’t go this far!

• Get to know your product! Read, listen, and ask!

• The user is always right – Conducting user testing and evaluating feedback at all stages helped me discover and eliminate sufficient material and kept me more focused.

Next Steps

• Consult with scientists and business owners.

• And finally, launch it as the first digital product related to the CBD community that offers help from experts trained to recommend the right product, making the user experience the best possible. 

Medium Article