PROJECT TYPE

Personal Project

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DURATION

August - September 2022

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MY ROLE

UX researcher and designer

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RESPONSIBILITIES

Conducting research and interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.

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The Problem

Users who are already overwhelmed with the wedding planning process need to select their catering menu by visiting the wedding venue to do so

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The Goal

Build an App that will let users quickly and easily select cost-effective wedding menus which will help users who are about to get married by giving them menu options that save them time

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User Research

Before the design process, I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users that I will be designing for, and also to know their needs and identify pain points.

A primary user group identified through research was potential brides and grooms who were already too overwhelmed with combining their daily work with wedding planning. Research revealed that apart from time being a factor, other obligations, convenience and ease of use were critical factors that needed addressing.

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Painpoints

User Personas

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User journey map

Mapping Rita’s journey revealed a lot of frustration with the process and established that having an app will greatly introduce ease into the whole process

Competitive Audit

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Starting the Design

Paper Wireframes

Drawing paper wireframes helped me visualize a way to create the proper user experience. I was able to create a refined homepage that gave priority to a quick and easy selection process for the user

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Digital Wireframes

The main focus was on the home screen. I wanted to give the user an easy way to do the menu selection, and also varied options for more experienced users

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Click here to view low fidelity prototype

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Testing the low fidelity prototype

Using the lo-fi prototype, I conducted a usability study to test the user flow between screens. This was essential for conducting a usability study so that I could find out what worked or not and fix in the next design iteration.

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Second Design Iteration to Wireframes

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Refining the Design and Creating Mockups

Initial designs after the first usability study focused on giving users a clean and easy-to-use interface. I removed the Tips carousel; though it provided beautiful aesthetics, it got in the way of usability. I also streamlined the additional elements to reduce visual clutter and cognitive load

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Second Round of Usability Testing

The second usability study helped clean up the homepage better. I removed the call-to-action buttons and replaced with a cards layout. A background colour helped the cards pop and be prominent. For accessibility, the text size was increased and icons replaced with filled icons with text labels that can be read by a screen reader.

Click here to view Research Presentation

Final Mockups

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Click here to view high fidelity prototype

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Impact

Users reported that the simplicity of the app is quite impressive for them and it made them feel that their needs were taken into consideration.

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User feedback from usability test:

"I like the whole experience. It isn't burdensome. I like that I can get things done easily and directly."

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What I learned

There is definitely no substitute for research. During this project, I further reinforced my belief that research and testing are even more important than the design itself. What is the purpose of beautiful design if it can’t meet users’ needs?

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Next Steps

1. Conduct another round of testing to see if the refinements meet users’ requirements

2. Check if there are more accessibility considerations that should be added to the design

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Thank you!

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Click here to view Full Case Study Slide Deck