BUDDIES
Connecting cannabis users safely and securely
Timeline
October-May (30 weeks)
My Role
Solo student project for Springboard UX/UI Bootcamp
Problem
Cannabis users struggle to source cannabis
The legalization of cannabis in many parts of the country has opened up new opportunities for cannabis enthusiasts to connect with each other and share their favorite strains. However, there is a lack of safe and secure platforms that allow individuals to share cannabis with each other in a safe and secure manner. Many people are hesitant to share cannabis due to concerns about legal consequences or being judged by others.
As an occasional cannabis user and a part of an increasing home growing community, I’ve noticed how many of my peers struggle to find cannabis that actually suits them and is sourced responsibly. Many are disconnected from their cannabis and have no clue where it comes from and how it may affect them. They just settle with what is given to them. This sparked the question, why is it so difficult to source cannabis?
The Solution
Buddies: mobile cannabis sharing app
1
Connect with other users safely and securely
Verify age and identity before creating an account
Prevent minors from using the app
Find a community of users and local growers
3
Rate and review cannabis
Rate their experience with the grower and experience with cannabis
Helps build trust and accountability within the community
In depth review form
2
Find quality cannabis and growers
Advanced search filters and categories
Gifting process
Recommendations
Secondary Research
The medical field is not keeping up with the pace of legalization…
Starting with secondary research I found there was a limited amount of research done on cannabis and even more limited on the selection process of cannabis. Even so, I began to draw from research articles on the topic of medical cannabis and patients when i stumbled upon an eye-opening statistic from the Society of Cannabis Clinicians :
“...only 10% of residents felt comfortable prescribing medical cannabis, and just 35% felt comfortable answering any questions about cannabis at all. A majority (85%) of graduates reported receiving no education in medical school or residency, which aligned with the 9% of medical schools that had documented content in the AAMC Curriculum”
Competitive Analysis + The Gap
The competition had NO SHARING aspect between users and local growers
While keeping the above statistic in mind, I analyzed the 4 most popular apps surrounding this cannabis space. I found that almost none of them had this aspect of users sharing cannabis with local growers. This then became my opportunity for the solution.
Weed maps
Leafly
High There
WeedPro
User Interviews
users were more likely to settle when in sketchy situations
Although I saw from secondary research that having concise information if any was important, I’ve conducted interviews with 6 participants who had different but similar experiences with cannabis strains. I’ve asked them questions below to find trends on why they had negative or stressful experience sourcing cannabis versus others then organized my data through affinity mapping.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
Talk me through the last time you struggled with sourcing/selecting a cannabis strain?
How would you change that for next time?
Describe any tools you use to facilitate selecting/sourcing your cannabis.
Could you explain your experience with these tools?
Do you prefer a specific type of strain?
If you had more resources would you try different types of strains?
Major Insights
None of the previous apps my interviewees used worked due to the lack of a secure sharing feature
Based on the trends in my affinity map, I’ve noticed users had a limited source of trusted people to receive cannabis from and even then the variety is limited, this pushes users to settle with whatever is available even if it does not suit their personal preferences or medical needs.
THEME 1: Locally Sourced
Many interviewees stated if a friend grew their own cannabis they would almost always prefer that over other cannabis
THEME 2: Concise Information
Having a lot of information about strains can be helpful and overwhelming at the same time.
THEME 3: Preferences
When interviewees have had bad experiences with indica dominant strains they tend to stick to sativa dominant strains and vice versa
Major Insights
My interviewees worry about sketchy dealers and try to get from trusted people
When speaking with primary care physician about strains that help with anxiety they had very little information to give about specific strains.
When presented with flower interviewees prefer a strain that smells most appealing
Users stressed that there are very few ways to support local growers and cultivators without it feeling illegal or getting shut down by the cops
Most of the interviewees spend time using a cannabis app when searching for information about a new strain and its effects
Interviewees prefer strains that have effects that help with any ailments they might have
THE BUSY BODY PERSONA
26 Year Old | Yoga Teacher
User Story
Hey! I’m Willow. I’m 26 years old and teach hot yoga. Trying to find a balance between parenting, friends and family, work, and getting sleep is hard enough without worrying what is in my cannabis. Luckily I get mine from a dispensary but I don’t like sketchy dealers. Most of the time, I need to have a clear mind to get my to-do list for the day done and when it is time to go to bed, I want zero troubles doing so. That’s why I need to know exactly what I am going to consume for the day.
Goals
Seeks out opportunities for rest & relaxation
Needs significant amount of information before deciding on cannabis products
Needs effects of cannabis products to meet expectations set
Curious to see how different terpenes react with her body
Motivations
More harmonious life
More proactive during the day
Cannabis that’s personalized for her needs
Pain Points
Worries that the effects of cannabis might be too strong and/or give her advert effects
Seeks a personable, quick, & easy cannabis selection experience
Familiar with only a few strains
THE EXPLORER PERSONA
31 Year Old | Chef
User Story
Hey! I’m Carl. Being fully immersed in my community & craft as a full time chef is what I'm all about. Local produce, meat, cannabis growers and breeders is my cup of tea. Whether I'm growing bud at home or creating a new dinner special at work, my creative juices have to be flowing & cannabis keeps me fueled.
Goals
Seeks a way to relax at the end of a day after a long stressful shift
Curious to see how different terpenes react with the body
Ability to easily search for trusted local breeders and seeds
Find more strains that help him create in the kitchen
Motivations
Fuel creativity
Desire to try different strains
Reduce stress
Pain Points
Feels anxious when buying seeds online
Anxiety when going to pop-up cannabis shops
High risk buying seeds online
Design
Setbacks + a new direction for cannabis sharing
At first, I spent a couple weeks trying to play with three different directions: An educational, social media, or an e-commerce app solution. However, upon thinking about the effects and I realized what users were missing for my final solution. An app that streamlines the cannabis selection process by having all aspects of it in one condensed app. The cannabis sharing app allows users to easily access invaluable information including reviews, recommendations, and ratings from others who have tried the strains from growers in their community. Also, providing an assortment of local growers whom are willing to share their stash.
Early Iterations
Testing & Improvements
3 major improvements in my design
Based on various feedback from several peers & mentor feedback, I continually iterated my design over the span of 6 weeks- with 3 major improvements:
Identity Verification
Originally designed with only the option of “yes” or “no” for sharing cannabis
Based on feedback, identity verification boosts users trust
Users go through a 2 step verification before account is created in order to share cannabis
2
Final Direction
The final product
1
Advanced Search Screen
Originally designed with current location map as main focus and categories under search bar
Based on feedback, app search engine screens with categories guides the user on what to search for
Users get recommended strains and growers without having to search
3
Write in depth reviews
Originally designed for only viewing reviews and no option write reviews
Based on feedback, users need an actionable button to be able to trust reviews are easy and accessible to write
Allows users to leave detailed reviews about the full experience of the flower and buddy
Link to full Figma file here.
CONCLUSION + LESSON LEARNED
What I’d do differently next time.
This was my first-ever UX project. I’m immensely grateful to have been through an entire UX process so I can see what it’s actually like. On that note, a few things I’ve learned:
Iterate as much as you can. In the beginning stages, I’ve explored so many different options to try finding the right solution for my cannabis users- I’ve ended up “restarting” my project over 4 times with several iterations of major screens and flows. I did not expect to go through so much sketching and iteration changes. Next time I would keep a record of every iteration, to show how design changes.
Staying unbiased. Having some background in this topic, I came into it jumping the gun and thinking I knew what direction I was going. But during the interviews and continuous retesting, I would question if my own decisions were what was best for the users. No matter where you think you want to go, if it is not backed by client goals and research, then you doing everyone a disservice.
Read between the lines. I knew coming into this project that there would be a lack of recent and relevant research on this topic but really deciphering what the data means and its relevance to my design is something I look forward to doing in the future.
Nobody is perfect. From uncovering mistakes in my UI to fixing foundational UX issues in my app, I’m extremely thankful for the constant feedback from my mentor and peers. Ultimately, I pushed to have the app as best as I could and reminded myself to not dwell and to keep moving forward.