Government of India 
introduction
The official portal of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) serves as a comprehensive platform offering a diverse range of meteorological information to the public. Its features encompass weather warnings, public observations, specialized forecasts, real-time weather updates, and extended range forecasts for the upcoming two weeks.
Additionally, the site supplies monthly climate summaries, long-term predictions for rainfall and temperature, as well as rainfall data for all districts across India. Notably, visitors can access the IMD's journal, MAUSAM, directly on the application. Demonstrating a dedication to public engagement and ongoing enhancement, the IMD encourages users to actively contribute to the design of their new homepage. This initiative reflects their commitment to involving the public in shaping the platform and signifies a continuous pursuit of improvement.
Objective of the application
The Mausam mobile application prioritizes user-friendly access to a comprehensive set of weather information, encompassing observed weather, forecasts, and radar images. The application ensures the continuous updating of data to provide users with the most accurate and up-to-date weather information.
- User-Friendly Interface-The application boasts an intuitive interface, prioritizing user-friendliness. Users can easily navigate through the application to swiftly locate the desired weather information.
- Proactive Weather Warnings- A key feature is the provision of proactive warnings for impending weather events. This is particularly beneficial for users who rely on accurate weather forecasts for planning their activities.
- Seamless Access to Weather Products- The application aims for seamless access to all weather products available on the IMD application. Users can access a consolidated set of information in one place, eliminating the need to visit multiple platforms or applications.
- Global Connectivity- The application aspires to transcend national and ethnic boundaries. By documenting and celebrating common cultural values and economic ties, it seeks to revive and strengthen global connections across the Indian Ocean 'world.
The application is committed to simplifying the accessibility of weather information for the public, with a focus on disaster management, agricultural planning, and other weather-dependent activities.
Target Audience
The application caters to a wide-ranging audience, tailoring its meteorological information and forecasts to various user categories-
- General Public- The site delivers weather forecasts, current conditions, and warnings relevant to the day-to-day lives of the public.
- Farmers and Agriculturists- Agromet Advisory Services offer weather-based advisories specifically tailored for agricultural activities, serving as a valuable resource for farmers and those engaged in the agriculture sector.
- Aviation Industry-Aviation Services provide essential meteorological services crucial for civil aviation, particularly in-flight planning and safety considerations.
- Urban Planners and Administrators-Urban Meteorological Services supply weather forecasts and updates tailored for urban areas, serving as a useful tool for urban planning and administration.
- Climate Researchers and Environmentalists- Climate Services and the Climate Hazard & Vulnerability Atlas provide long-term climate forecasts and information about climate hazards and vulnerabilities. This is especially valuable for climate researchers, environmentalists, and policymakers.
- Geospatial Analysts and GIS Professionals- Geospatial Services offer geospatial data and forecasts, catering to the specific needs of geospatial analysts and GIS professionals.
The application effectively addresses the diverse needs of its user base by providing meteorological data and forecasts tailored to each category, enhancing its utility across various sectors and professions.
The Challenge
Users of the Mausam application encounter several challenges that impede their overall usability. The scrolling behavior on the home screen contributes to a cluttered interface, with the search bar and hamburger menu moving along, causing potential confusion. Additionally, scrolling issues create a visual discrepancy, leaving an undesirable blank space beneath the background. The real-time weather display card further complicates the user experience, as the icons fail to accurately reflect current weather conditions, leading to potential misinterpretation of data. Loading issues with the 'Warning' page and functionality problems on the favorite page compound these challenges, affecting the accessibility of critical information and causing frustration among users. Addressing these issues is essential for enhancing the app's usability and ensuring a more seamless experience for its users.
Usability Study Findings
Insights from the usability study of the Mausam application reveal challenges in language selection, UI design, navigation, and content accessibility. Users experience cluttered screens, undesirable aesthetics, and inconsistencies in weather display, impacting engagement. Addressing these issues is vital for an enhanced and user-friendly experience.
Here is a summary of the insights-
- Home Screen Scrolling Issues- The Mausam application's home screen scrolling poses challenges in visibility and accessibility. The search bar and hamburger menu move with the home screen, extending into the internal mobile accessibility bar area. This results in a cluttered interface, potentially confusing users and impacting overall usability.
- Blank Space and Limited Content Visibility- Scrolling up on the Mausam home screen causes a visual discrepancy where the background slides up with the content, leaving a white blank space beneath. This unintended effect creates an undesirable appearance, disrupting aesthetic cohesiveness and leading to a suboptimal user experience.
- Real-time Weather Display Card Concerns- The real-time weather display card in the Mausam app has usability issues where weather icons do not accurately reflect the current conditions. This inconsistency poses a risk of user confusion and misinterpretation of real-time weather data.
- Warning Page Loading Issues- The 'Warning' CTA link in the hamburger menu leads to a warning page in the MAUSAM app, but loading issues, particularly with the lower content, significantly impact the user experience.
- Favorites Scrolling Issues- The favorite page in the Mausam application encounters functionality issues, specifically with loading weather data for certain pinned cities. This problem may lead to user frustration and a diminished trust in the reliability of the favorite page.
In summary, addressing these specific challenges in language selection, UI design, navigation, and content accessibility within the Mausam application is crucial. Implementing improvements would contribute to a more effective and engaging user experience, fostering greater satisfaction and usability.
Synthesizing Phase
With the insights gathered during the research phase, we have gained valuable understanding of the users' interactions and challenges while using the application of Mausam, Government of India. Building on this knowledge, we have now entered the Defining phase, where our aim is to deepen our comprehension and transform the research findings into practical design solutions. To maintain a user-centric approach, we have created personas that embody essential user archetypes-
User Personas Persona 1- Rohit, the Urban PlannerRohit, a 32-year-old urban planner, heavily relies on the Mausam application for accurate weather forecasts and updates tailored to urban areas. His work involves city planning and administration, where precise weather information is crucial for decision-making.
Goals-His goal is to have a streamlined user interface that allows for intuitive navigation, making it easier for him to obtain the weather data essential for effective urban planning.
Pain Points-One of Rohit's main challenges with the current application is the cluttered interface on the home screen. The scrolling behavior makes navigation confusing, with the search bar and hamburger menu constantly moving. This results in a visually unappealing and disorganized layout, hindering Rohit's ability to quickly access the specific weather information he needs.
Persona 2- Anjali, the FarmerAnjali, a 40-year-old farmer, heavily relies on the Mausam application for weather-based advisories crucial for her agricultural activities.
Goals-Anjali's goal is to have a more reliable and visually clear representation of current weather conditions, ensuring that she can make informed decisions about her farming activities. Additionally, Anjali encounters loading issues with the 'Warning' page, making it difficult for her to access timely information about impending weather events. Her primary goal is to have a seamless experience with the application, allowing her to plan her agricultural activities efficiently and mitigate potential risks posed by adverse weather conditions.
Pain Points-Anjali faces challenges with the real-time weather display card, where the icons fail to accurately reflect current weather conditions. This misinterpretation of data can impact her decision-making regarding crop planting and harvesting.
Mapping User Journeys and Extracting InsightsWe have chosen to focus on Anjali, a dedicated farmer striving for successful agricultural practices, to gain comprehensive insights into her needs, pain points, and behaviors while using the Mausam application. Her journey illuminates the challenges she faces and highlights potential areas for improvement in the application to enhance her overall learning experience.
User Story"As a dedicated farmer striving for successful agricultural practices, I want a seamless experience on the Mausam application. Additionally, I hope to overcome challenges related to misinterpretation of real-time weather data, loading issues with the 'Warning' page, and ensure the application supports my decision-making in farming activities."
Framing challenges and hypothesis Problem StatementAnjali, a committed farmer utilizing the Mausam application, encounters challenges with the misinterpretation of real-time weather data, loading issues with the 'Warning' page, and seeks an application that better aligns with her decision-making needs in farming activities. The inaccuracies in real-time weather representation can lead to suboptimal decisions, impacting her agricultural practices. Additionally, the loading issues with the 'Warning' page create a barrier to timely information, potentially affecting her preparedness for impending weather events.
Hypothesis StatementIf the Mausam application improves the accuracy of real-time weather data representation, addresses the loading issues on the 'Warning' page, and enhances features supporting decision-making in farming activities, then Anjali's experience will become more reliable, efficient, and conducive to successful agricultural practices, ultimately mitigating risks associated with adverse weather conditions.
