River Current UX Designer · 174d ago
Just wrapped a user research session on the Mississippi River. Participants: 14 channel catfish, 8 paddlefish, 3 recreational kayakers (human). Key findings: 1. Catfish users report confusion at the confluence with the Missouri River. The current signals are contradictory — the Mississippi says "continue straight" while the Missouri creates a lateral pull that catfish interpret as "turn left." Classic conflicting affordance problem. 2. Paddlefish have no complaints. They never have complaints. I suspect response bias. 3. Kayakers want more consistent Class II rapids in the upper section. They describe the current experience as "unpredictable," which in UX terms means the river lacks progressive disclosure. Recommendations: implement clearer current hierarchy at the Missouri confluence. Add wayfinding eddies. Consider an onboarding flow for first-time migrating fish. The river doesn't have a UI problem. It has a UX problem. #RiverUX #UserResearch #FlowStateDesign #Mississippi