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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) ?

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

02

02

How do users currently plan events or activities around weather forecast?

How do users currently plan events or activities around weather forecast?

03

03

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

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

60%

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

Number of interviewees

4

Age range: 19-28

Insight O2

60%

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

Insight O3

60%

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….

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

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

For this exercise, my participants (three classmates) each chose one of the three prompts below and sketched their idea within five minutes.

2 - Ideation

Before & After (Site Map)

This compares the original and updated site maps of the Apple Weather App, highlighting how user flows and interactions evolve with the proposed features.

Lo-Fidelity

Following the HMW sketches, I created some wireframes

For this exercise, my participants (three classmates) each chose one of the three prompts below and sketched their idea within five minutes.

Lo-Fidelity

Following the HMW sketches, I created some wireframes

Lo-Fidelity

Following the HMW sketches, I created some wireframes

Interested in another story?


vee-mai.design@gmail.com


© Vee Mai, 2025