APPLICATION DESIGN / ASSESSMENT 1 : MOBILE APPLICATION PROPOSAL

╎Gwendalyn Firly Bong / 0374580

╎Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

╎Application Design

I. Instructions

II. Lectures

III. Project 1

IV. Feedback

V. Reflection

I. INSTRUCTIONS

II. LECTURES

Week 1: Introduction to Mobile Application Design

Application Design

Application design is the foundation upon which great software is built
Effective mobile application design allows for a seamless user experience, boosts engagement, retention, and overall customer satisfaction
Thoughtful design improves app performance and accessibility for the wider audience

Usability

The measure of how effectively and efficiently a user can accomplish their goals when interacting with a product
Factors like learnability, efficiency, memorability, and user satisfaction.
Applying usability principles ensures that an application's design is tailored to the needs and behaviors of the users.

This includes optimizing elements like navigation, information architecture, and visual hierarchy

Conducting Usability Testing

Usability testing involves observing users as they interact with the application, gathering feedback, and iterating on the design based on identified pain points

Importance of Mobile in the Digital Era

Ubiquity of Smartphones

An integral part of our daily lives, enabling constant connectivity and access to information

Shift in User Behavior

Increased reliance on mobile phones for many activities, like web browsing, social media, banking, shopping, etc.

Mobile-First Approach

Businesses are embracing a mobile-first strategy, designing their products/services with a focus on the mobile experience

Competitive Advantage

Delivering a better mobile experience provides a competitive edge, as it enhances customer satisfaction, loyalty, and overall business performance in the digital landscape

Unique Challenges of Designing for Mobile Applications

Limited Screen Real Estate

Mobile devices have smaller screens compared to desktops
This requires designers to prioritize content and interactions to ensure a clean, uncluttered user interface

Diverse Device Capabilities

Mobile applications must be designed to accommodate a wide range of device specifications, screen sizes, and input methods
To ensure a consistent and responsive user experience across different platforms

Contextual Awareness

Mobile users often interact with apps in diverse environments and situations
Designers must consider factors like location, connectivity, and user mobility when creating the application's functionality and interface

Designing for Small Screens

Compact Layout

Optimize design elements and content to fit seamlessly on compact mobile screens
To ensure a clean and uncluttered user interface

Visual Hierarchy

Establish a clear visual hierarchy, prioritizing the most important information and features to ensure they are easily accessible on the small screen.

Intuitive Navigation

Implement intuitive navigation patterns like swiping, tapping, and scrolling to enable effortless exploration of content

Tactile Interactions

Leverage the touch-based nature of mobile devices, designing interactions that are natural and responsive to users' fingertips

The User-Centered Design Approach

Focuses on deeply understanding the target users and their needs
Involves an iterative process of research, ideation, prototyping, and testing to ensure the final result delivers a seamless and intuitive experience
How to apply?

Research

Gather insights into their needs, behaviors, and pain points
Establishes a solid understanding of the target audience and their requirements

Design

Begin creating wireframes, prototypes, and mockups that address the users' needs
Involves continuous refinement and feedback gathering

Evaluation

Usability testing and user feedback are crucial
Helps validate design decisions and identify areas for improvement

Benefits

Increased User Satisfaction

By prioritizing user needs and preferences, UCD ensures that the final product delivers a delightful and engaging user experience
Leads to higher levels of user satisfaction and loyalty

Improved Product Adoption

When an application is designed with the user in mind, it is more likely to be readily adopted and integrated into the user's daily routine
Leads to increased usage and engagement

Reduced Development Costs

Allows for early identification and resolution of usability issues
Preventing costly rework and modifications later in the development process

Enhanced Brand Reputation

Applications that prioritize user experience and deliver a seamless, intuitive interaction tend to foster a positive brand reputation
Builds trust and loyalty among users

Prototyping and Testing

Low-Fidelity Prototypes (Lo-Fi)

Used to explore design concepts and get early user feedback
Paper prototypes and clickable wireframes are some ways to validate ideas efficiently

Interactive Prototypes (Hi-Fi)

Progress to more sophisticated, interactive prototypes that simulate the full user experience
Tools like InVision and Adobe XD allow us to create highly interactive demos for in-depth user testing

Iterative Testing

Continuously test prototypes with real users to uncover usability issues and refine the design
Use a mix of in-person and remote testing methods to gather insights throughout the design process

Optimizing for Performance

Crucial for delivering a seamless user experience
Key strategies include minimizing app size, leveraging caching and lazy loading techniques, and optimizing network requests and data transmission
Can reduce load times, conserve device battery, and ensure your app remains responsive even on older or lower-end devices
Ways to Optimize:

Minimize app size by compressing assets and using vector graphics where possible
Implement caching and lazy loading to only load content when needed, reducing initial load times
Optimize network requests by batching, compressing, and only fetching the data required for each screen

Week 2: The Art of User-Centered Design

User Experience Design

A person’s perception and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, service, or system
Focuses on the functionality
Builds upon that foundation by ensuring a smooth and functional interaction

User Interface Design

Aesthetics and finishes
UI design brings the user experience to life visually

User Centered Design (UCD)

An overall design philosophy that considers the needs of the users first and foremost
An iterative cycle where designers focus on understanding user needs and incorporating that understanding into every stage of design
Provides a framework and the foundation to create a product that's both user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing
Process:

Discover/Analysis

Business requirements
User personas

Define

Ideation
Experience mapping

Design

User experience + user interface

Validate

Usability testing
Prototype validation
Minimum viable product (MVP)

Develop

Production/coding

Week 3: Usability- Designing Products for User Satisfaction

Usability

The effectiveness, efficiency, and success of a user in utilizing a product or design within a specific context
Usability asks how well users can achieve their goals within a product or design, considering how quickly they can learn it and how many errors they encounter.
A usable design adapts to the user's situation and caters to their specific needs
Can be evaluated through testing methods to identify areas for improvement

Common Usability Pitfalls

Complex interfaces

A wide range of features can overwhelm users
Information is organized within the interface isn't logical or consistent
Lack of clear labeling and instructions

Confusing navigation

Lack of search functionality
Inconsistent layout
Users spend excessive time searching for the information they need, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
Increased Bounce Rates (% of visitors who go to a website and leave without taking any action)

Lack of clear Call to Action (CTAs)

Can lead to missed opportunities for engagement and conversion

Inadequate error handling

Vague error messages like "An error occurred" don't tell users what went wrong or how to fix it.
Lack of guidance

Common Usability Pitfalls

Consistency

User-Friendly:

Avoids confusing users with unexpected changes in color schemes, navigation, or fonts

Cohesive Experience:

Creates a unified feel where all website elements (navigation, layout, branding) work together seamlessly

Intuitive Navigation:

A consistent navigation system that allows users to find their way around effortlessly

Familiarity and Learnability:

Consistent layouts and menus reduce the need for users to relearn how to navigate each new page

Stronger Brand Identity:

Consistent use of fonts, colors, and logos reinforces the brand image and strengthens user recognition

Simplicity

Effortless to use

Minimize the number of steps users need to take to complete tasks.
The interface should be intuitive and self-explanatory, reducing the need for extensive instructions or re-learning

Clear communication

Utilize familiar symbols and terminology that users readily understand to reduce confusion

Visibility

Clarity and Hierarchy

Information and interactive elements should be presented clearly, with appropriate visual hierarchy guiding users' attention towards the most important actions or content
Factors like size, color, spacing, and typography

Focus and Attention

The app's design should direct users' focus towards the elements that are most relevant in the current context

Feedback

Confirmation and Clarity:

Good feedback provides users with a clear signal that their actions have been registered and understood by the app
Helps users feel confident in their interactions and avoid confusion

Guidance and Learning:

Guide users towards successful task completion or provide learning opportunities. This can involve:

Textual Messages: Providing clear and concise on-screen messages to inform users about the outcome of their actions or offer guidance on the next steps
Visual Cues: Changing an icon colour, adding animations, or using progress bars to visually indicate success, failure, or ongoing processes
Sounds: Using audio cues like chimes or beeps to acknowledge actions or provide warnings
Haptic Feedback: On mobile devices with haptic technology, subtle vibrations can be used to confirm actions

Error Prevention

To reduce frustration and increase efficiency

Less time spent correcting mistakes translates to a smoother and more efficient user experience

Improved accuracy

Ensure users enter the correct information, leading to more accurate data within the system

Examples:

Input validation

Features that validate user input before actions are taken
This could involve highlighting incorrect formats, suggesting corrections, or preventing invalid submissions

Clear feedback

Provide feedback to users after any interaction
This feedback should indicate success, failure, or potential errors

Confirmation steps

Gives users a chance to double-check their selections before finalizing the action
Can be an effective technique in reducing cancellations

III. ASSESSMENT 1

Application Design Final by gwennie

IV. FEEDBACK

Week 1
I proposed my idea of doing the app "Indomaret".

Week 2
Changed my app to "Ainz&Tulpe Malaysia", and got approved. The teacher advised me to find more pros for the app, and start looking for competitors and the left field.

Week 3
Finalized slides, added usability slides.

Week 4
Fix up the conclusion to basically summarize the entire slideshow.

V. REFLECTION

Throughout these 4 weeks, I was able to learn the basic idea of mobile application design, and how it is much different when compared to website design. Because mobile screens are much smaller, designing for them requires more thought and careful planning. I also realized that good design is more than how it looks; it’s about creating something that’s easy and accessible for everyone to use.

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Gwendalyn Firly Bong (0374580)