Design Exploration - Compilation

22/9/2024 - 22/9/2025 (Week 1 - Week 14)
Shawn Wong Kai Hen / 0375372
Design Exploration / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Design Exploration - Compilation



  INTRUCTIONS  



  PROJECT MANAGEMENT  




  Week 1 -3  

I defined my project direction by focusing on designing Studee, a student-centered productivity app aimed at enhancing my UI design skills and deepening my exploration of user experience. During this stage, I conducted competitor analysis on existing planner applications, studied student user behaviors, and identified gaps that informed my unique value proposition. I also began developing the app user flowchart and established the visual styling and mood direction to ensure a clear and consistent design approach.


  Week 4 - 5  

During this week, based on feedback from Mr. Asrizal, I was advised to further refine the competitor analysis and unique features, as the previous research did not clearly show how my app stands out compared to competitors.

Fig 1.1 Competitor Refinement

Fig 1.2 Unique Features Refinement


  Week 6 - 10  

After reviewing and receiving confirmation from Mr. Asrizal, I began working on the sketches and low-fidelity designs for my app. I researched relevant references and brainstormed ways to design a useful study app. Below are my early low-fi designs, which will be further refined in the high-fi stage.

Fig 2.1 Low-Fi Design

In Week 7, the low-fidelity design was reviewed and approved by Mr. Asrizal. I then continued developing the high-fidelity design, which progressed through to Week 10.

Fig 2.2 High-Fi Design

During Week 9, I had almost completed the high-fidelity design, but the prototype was not ready yet. I planned to present the prototype in Week 10 and realized I still needed to build it in FlutterFlow, so I continued refining the design to ensure everything was completed on time.

Fig 2.3 High-Fi Design With Prototype

In Week 10, I completed the prototype and presented the progress to Mr. Asrizal. After receiving his approval, I began developing the app using FlutterFlow.

  Figma Workspace  

Fig 2.4 My Figma Workspace


Fig 2.5 Prototype Design

Access Here For Better View:

  Week 11 -13  

During these weeks, I started working on the app in FlutterFlow. Since I hadn’t used it for some time, I needed to familiarize myself with the tool again. Unfortunately, FlutterFlow has introduced many updates since last semester, and several features are now paid, which limited some design options. Despite this, I did my best to complete the app based on the available features.

Fig 3.1 FlutterFlow Design Progression

After completing the design in FlutterFlow, I tried to publish it as a web link but encountered an issue similar to last semester. The project was displayed in a web view instead of a mobile view, causing layout issues. Since the design was created based on the iPhone 16 Pro Max size (440 × 956), the responsive scaling did not match properly when viewed on the website or tested on my phone.

Fig 3.2 Published For Test Run

Fig 3.3 Website View Responsive Problem

Fig 3.4 Mobile View Problem

Some parts of the mobile view worked correctly, but others did not. Although all containers were designed to be white, they appeared black during testing, possibly due to a publishing issue or bug. I will share the properly completed test version below once it is fixed.

  Flutter Flow  
  • Access the Flutter Flow Test - Here

  Week 14  
  • Presentation Slide

  • Presentation Video




  REFLECTION  

    Experience

    Throughout the development of Studee, I experienced the complete UI/UX design process, from industry and competitor research to wireframing, prototyping, and final high-fidelity design. Each stage challenged me to think beyond visual aesthetics and focus on usability, clarity, and user needs. Designing features such as the dashboard, task tracking, notes, and widgets required careful consideration of information hierarchy and interaction flow. Working on the app’s visual styling, layout system, and presentation slides strengthened my confidence in applying UI/UX principles in a structured and purposeful way.

    Observation

    I observed that many students struggle with academic planning not because they lack motivation, but because existing productivity tools are either too complex, fragmented, or not designed specifically for student workflows. Users often switch between multiple apps for tasks, deadlines, and notes, which increases cognitive load and stress. Through iterative design, I noticed that simplifying layouts, reducing visual clutter, and prioritizing “today’s overview” significantly improved clarity. Feedback from my lecturer also emphasized the importance of clearly communicating the core solution rather than overcrowding the design with excessive features.

    Findings

    From this project, I learned that effective UI/UX design goes beyond creating visually appealing interfaces; it requires empathy, problem-solving, and strong narrative thinking. Studee’s key value lies in consolidating essential study tools into a single, student-centered experience that is calm, accessible, and easy to use. I found that organizing features around clear user goals—such as managing deadlines, tracking assignments, and taking notes—made the app more intuitive and relatable. Additionally, I realized that how a project is presented is just as important as the design itself, as clear visual storytelling helps communicate intent, usability, and overall design value.







    Comments