Wingsee

Why We Need This

While birdwatching is a growing passion, critical sightings of endangered species often go unrecorded or live in siloed social media groups. There was no centralized, standardized platform connecting casual birdwatchers with conservation bodies, leading to a massive gap in data that could otherwise save species from extinction.

The Goal

To design Wingsee, a "Citizen Science" platform that functions as a social network for enthusiasts but acts as a rigorous data collection tool for conservationists—bridging the gap between hobby and science.

The "Hybrid" Approach

Creating an interface that serves two contrasting needs: Casual Sharing (Fast, Fun, Social) vs Conservation Reporting (Detailed, Accurate, Serious).

• For the Hobbyist: A familiar social feed experience (similar to Instagram) to drive engagement and retention.
• For the Environment: A structured data entry system masked as a "Game" to encourage detailed reporting without overwhelming the user.

Key Features

AI-Assisted Identification (Reducing Cognitive Load)

Design Challenge: Beginners often struggle to identify bird species correctly, leading to "dirty data."

Solution: Integrated an AI-scanning flow. Users snap a photo, and the system suggests the most likely species based on visual patterns and location data. I designed the confidence score UI (e.g., "98% Match") to guide users while allowing manual override for experts.

Morphology-Based Input (Structured Data)

The Logic: Instead of a blank text box for descriptions, I designed a visual selector system. Users select beak shapes, feather colors, and sizes using icons.

The Impact: This standardizes the dataset for researchers while making the input process faster and more intuitive for users on mobile screens.

Offline-First Experience (Technical UX)

The Constraint: Birdwatching often happens in remote areas with zero signal.

The Solution: Adopting a "Local-First" UX strategy.

• State Management: Designed clear indicators for "Data Saved Locally" vs "Synced to Cloud."
• Queue System: Reports created offline are stored in a local queue and auto-uploaded once the connection is restored, ensuring no critical sighting is lost due to bad internet.

The "Red Flag" Reporting Flow

Priority UX: When a user identifies an endangered species, the UI shifts context. A specialized "Urgent Report" flow triggers, prompting for precise GPS coordinates (auto-fetched) and habitat details, which are then flagged for immediate review by conservation bodies.