Apple Weather App

Track Weather on Specific Dates for Seamless Scheduling

Case study | 7 min read

Table of Content

Project Overview

This project was completed in Fall 2024 as part of the Major 1 Studio course in the MPS Communication Design program at Parsons School of Design

Design Challenge

Select an existing product and design a new feature to improve its functionality.

Select an existing product and design a new feature to improve its functionality.

Goal/Opportunity

Add a new feature to the Apple Weather App.

Add a new feature to the Apple Weather App.

Timeline

Nov 4 - 29, 2024

Role

Product Designer

Skills

User Interview

Sketching

Design System

Industry

Weather

Tools

Figma

Industry

Technology

Skills

User Interview

Wireframing

The Process

Problem Discovery

Problem Discovery

Design & Ideation

Design & Ideation

Feedback & Prototype

Feedback & Prototype

Usability testing

Usability testing

Synthesis & iteration

Synthesis & iteration

Hi-Fi

User Testing

User Testing

Next Steps

Next Steps

The Problem

Weather Uncertainty Makes Planning Difficult

Users struggle to plan events and activities due to the lack of tools that track weather on specific future dates, leading to uncertainty and scheduling conflicts

The Solution

A personalized dashboard that allows users to manage and track weather conditions for their planned days

Pinned events at a glance

A personalized dashboard for users to monitor weather and plan ahead with greater efficiency

Easily add plans around the weather

Plan smarter with the weather in mind. Easily create events like workouts or meetups right from your forecast

Background

Understand the app and its purpose

The Apple Weather app is a pre-installed app on iOS devices that provides users with real-time weather forecasts, hourly and 10-day outlooks, and details like temperature, precipitation, air quality, and more. While it's widely used for its simplicity and convenience, the app primarily serves as a static snapshot of weather conditions rather than a dynamic planning tool.


Before diving into my case study, I wanted to better understand how users interact with the app, its current limitations, and what role it plays in their day-to-day planning—especially when it comes to organizing events around unpredictable weather.

Whether it’s a picnic or a weekend trip, I always check the weather ahead of time. Like many people, I rely on it to feel prepared—especially before stepping out. I use the Apple Weather app because it’s simple and already built into my phone.

But I started noticing a pattern: I’d plan something on my calendar, then constantly jump back to the weather app to see if conditions had changed. It made me wonder—why do I need to rely on separate tools to monitor the weather for something I’ve already planned? How do others stay updated without toggling between apps?

That curiosity led me to a new idea: What if checking the weather wasn’t just a one-time action, but a planning tool that evolves over time? A feature that lets users track weather changes for specific events—so they can stay informed, feel more prepared, and avoid surprises from last-minute forecast shifts.

Discovery

Problem Discovery

Whether it’s a picnic or a weekend trip, I always check the weather ahead of time. Like many people, I rely on it to feel prepared—especially before stepping out. I use the Apple Weather app because it’s simple and already built into my phone.


But I started noticing a pattern: I’d plan something on my calendar, then constantly jump back to the weather app to see if conditions had changed. It made me wonder—why do I need to rely on separate tools to monitor the weather for something I’ve already planned? How do others stay updated without toggling between apps?


That curiosity led me to a new idea: What if checking the weather wasn’t just a one-time action, but a planning tool that evolves over time? A feature that lets users track weather changes for specific events—so they can stay informed, feel more prepared, and avoid surprises from last-minute forecast shifts.

Whether it’s a picnic or a weekend trip, I always check the weather ahead of time. Like many people, I rely on it to feel prepared—especially before stepping out. I use the Apple Weather app because it’s simple and already built into my phone.


But I started noticing a pattern: I’d plan something on my calendar, then constantly jump back to the weather app to see if conditions had changed. It made me wonder—why do I need to rely on separate tools to monitor the weather for something I’ve already planned? How do others stay updated without toggling between apps?


That curiosity led me to a new idea: What if checking the weather wasn’t just a one-time action, but a planning tool that evolves over time? A feature that lets users track weather changes for specific events—so they can stay informed, feel more prepared, and avoid surprises from last-minute forecast shifts.

Discover

How Might We transform the Apple Weather app into an engaging experience that enhances users’ daily lives?

Research

Understanding the problem through interviews

To understand how the Apple Weather app fits into daily planning, I spoke with users who rely on it to check forecasts before commuting, scheduling events, or deciding what to wear—uncovering the small decisions and routines shaped by weather updates.

Some key questions I aimed to explore were designed to better understand users’ behavioral patterns, planning habits, and their overall expectations when using the Weather app.

01

01

How often do they use the app, and in what contexts (time of day) ?

02

02

How do users currently plan events around weather forecast?

03

03

Do people want to spend more or less time on the Weather app?

Synthesis

Synethesizing Interviews

I learned that users often face uncertainty when planning events or activities, as the app lacks features to track weather tied to specific future dates.

Insight O1

Users want real-time weather updates and alerts to quickly adjust plans for unexpected or extreme conditions.

Average Time

3 min

People spend on the app

# of interviewees

4

Age range: 19-28

Insight O2

Users want personalized alerts and calendar integration to better link forecasts with upcoming events

Insight O3

Users want quick weather info, prefer simplicity, and value personalized outdoor activity suggestions

Research

Research

Who are the primary users?

Who are the primary users?

Apple users

All Apple products include Apple's weather app

Daily Commuter

People that check the app for daily travel

Outdoor enthusiast

People who depend on real weather data to plan

Research

This then led me to ask….

01

How might we deliver simple and clear real-time weather updates and reminders?

02

How might we help people stay informed about weather changes in advance?

03

Do people want to spend more or less time on the Apple Weather app?

Ideation

How Might We's Sketches

I facilitated a quick, fun design exercise with three classmates to generate a wide pool of ideas. Each participant chose one of three prompts and sketched their concept within five minutes, allowing us to explore diverse perspectives rapidly

Idea 1

Clean UI user-interface

Idea 2

A feature where user can sync with their calander/schedule

Ideation

Before & After (Site Map)

Building on these sketches, I created a streamlined site map to clarify the app’s flow, ensuring users could get the weather information they need quickly without unnecessary steps

Ideation

Low-Fidelity

I facilitated a quick, fun design exercise with three classmates to generate a wide pool of ideas. Each participant chose one of three prompts and sketched their concept within five minutes, allowing us to explore diverse perspectives rapidly

Ideation

Mid-Fidelity

From having the revised site map, which made it easier to transition into mid-fidelity wireframes, allowing me to focus on refining interactions while keeping the user flow direct and intuitive.

Usability Testing 01

Usability Testing

The MID-fidelity designs show

Hi-Fidelity

After my user test, I refined my high fidelity wireframes

Interested in another story?

1st Place Design Hackathon

48hrs AI Design Challenge

Fall 2024

Posty - Team PHU

View Case-study

1st Place Design Hackathon

48hrs AI Design Challenge

Fall 2024

Posty - Team PHU

View Case-study

1st Place Design Hackathon

48hrs AI Design Challenge

Fall 2024

Posty - Team PHU

View Case-study

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© Vee Mai, 2025