26/9/2024 - 17/10/2024 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Shawn Wong Kai Hen / 0375372
Application Design 1 / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative
Media
Project 1: Mobile Application Proposal
In the first week, Mr. Zeon conducted an introductory briefing on the module, specifically focusing on the MIBand, and outlined his key expectations. He emphasized the critical role that application design would play in determining the success of our project. To kick things off, our initial task was to develop a draft proposal, setting the foundation for the rest of the module. This marked the beginning of a hands-on approach that would guide us through the design and development process.
This week’s lecture focused on the principles of User-Centered Design (UCD), User Experience (UX) Design, and User Interface (UI) Design. We were introduced to the key processes involved in UCD, emphasizing the importance of designing with the user's needs and experiences in mind. For the final submission of Project 1, we have been informed that additional components must be incorporated, which will be crucial for the project's evaluation. It is essential to refer to the Week 2 lecture slides for detailed guidance.
Furthermore, we are required to concentrate on one specific company app for our final proposed idea. This document will serve as a critical evaluation to determine whether the mobile application concept is viable and should move forward to the next stage of development.
This week's lecture underscored the pivotal importance of usability in application design, focusing on key principles such as consistency, simplicity, visibility, feedback, and error prevention. These principles are essential for creating a seamless and intuitive user experience. In preparation for Week 4, we are tasked with presenting our final proposals. Each student will be given 5 minutes to deliver their presentation. Attendance is compulsory, and any absence will result in a reduction of presentation marks. It is critical that we use this opportunity to present our concepts clearly and effectively.
This week marks the presentation of our Project 1 proposals. Each student will be allocated 5 minutes to present their idea. Mr. Zeon will select one individual from each table to present in turn, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to showcase their work. Following each presentation, he will offer constructive feedback to guide improvements and next steps.
- Create a proposal documentation for the mobile app project
- Identify 3 apps with unsatisfactory user experience or interface design
- Focus on one app
- Get feedback from peers and lecturer
Our task is to draft a proposal that involves a thorough analysis of various mobile applications. The goal is to identify three apps from different companies that could benefit from improvements in their design. We'll focus on evaluating their current user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), pointing out existing issues, and offering practical solutions. The process will involve taking screenshots of all the app’s pages, organizing these images into slides, and zooming in on specific areas that require attention. Each identified issue will include a detailed explanation, followed by recommendations aimed at enhancing both the UI and overall user experience. At the end of this process, we will generate a concise report summarizing our findings, which will be presented through slides and reviewed for feedback during Week 2.
After reviewing the image provided, which shows several apps such as TGV, GSC, Mega Cineplex, Netflix, Dadi Cinema, MyJPJ, and Discord, I conducted a thorough examination of these applications. After comparing their features and user experiences with similar apps, I have selected Dadi Cinema, MyJPJ, and Discord as the three final choices for my proposal to the lecturer.
- Dadi Cinema
- MyJPJ
- Discord
Following feedback from Mr. Zeon during Week 2, he recommended proceeding with the Dadi Cinema app. Therefore, I will continue to focus on and develop the progress for this project.
- Prepare the final proposal slides
- Slides should include:
- Introduction (Purpose + Importance of App Design)
- Background & Context (current app design evaluation, strengths & weakness, competitive analysis, user demographics/target audience)
- Goals & Objectives (redesign objectives, primary and secondary objectives, design strategy and user needs)
- User Research (research methods, research methodology, user testing plan)
- References
- Prepare for the presentation on week 4
We were given five minutes to present our final proposal, with Mr. Zeon controlling the slides, creating a unique experience. I redesigned my presentation slides, focusing on key points and removing unnecessary details. I successfully completed the presentation within the time limit. Afterward, Mr. Zeon provided suggestions, as shown in the image below, noting that highlighting key points makes the content easier to read and summarize compared to text without highlights.
Dadi Cinema enables online payment for both tickets and concessions. It is one of the initiatives developed under the 'Smart Entertainment & Leisure' domain (About Us – Dadi Cinema, n.d.).
The progress appears promising, especially with your decision to focus on the Dadi Cinema app for redesign. It is a strong choice for this project. Well done, and I encourage you to continue advancing your work.
- I'm asking you to refer to the seniors' work for guidance on what to include, not to copy their content. Please ensure this doesn't happen. Check slides 7, 13, and 15 and replace any identical content.
- Currently, there are only three reviews on slide 11, which I believe are still in progress. Please summarize the reviews in the corner as well.
- There is no ratings for your competitors in slide 20.
- Several seniors are also working on TGV and GSC, so ensure your content is original.
- Regarding the user research methods, user testing plans, and references from seniors, I assume those are still in progress?
- Try to add short form point at the empty space on the rating and review page to make it more easy to see.
- Need to change for the research objective and primary goals because of some content are repeat.
- Change the user demographic location part, research first before put the location. Be careful.
- Highlight the key point word for easy review.
Experience
Overall, my experience with this project was quite positive. We received clear expectations for Project 1 in advance, along with examples of previous seniors' work to serve as a framework. In truth, without these examples or the guidelines provided in the lecture, developing the content for my proposal would have been significantly more difficult. The primary challenge I encountered was selecting an app to redesign that had genuine negative user feedback. Nevertheless, the process went smoothly, and I look forward to maintaining this momentum in the next project.
Findings
A significant insight I gained during this project is that studying case studies on existing app redesigns greatly aids in understanding the necessary steps and concepts to apply. Observing the workflows of others' redesigns offered me a clear and concise framework for executing my own project. Furthermore, I was able to learn various concepts and techniques utilized by others for testing and analyzing usability.
Observations
One observation I made throughout the project is that the elements contributing to a good and seamless user experience are largely universal. I noticed that several of my classmates selected apps I had also considered, indicating that they too found the interfaces lacking. The primary distinction between us lies in our individual design preferences. Additionally, I observed that our presentation styles varied significantly. It's fascinating to see how a single idea can be interpreted and expressed differently by each person.
Comments