KINDRED MOBILE APP
Creating a mobile app to offer a secure and private social media experience
UX Research I UX Strategy I UX Design I Product Design
MY ROLE
UX Researcher
UX Designer
KEY ACTIVITIES
Research & Insights
Wireframes
Prototyping
Content
Usability Testing
COMPANY
Online Class Project
INDUSTRY
B2C
DATE
2019
Summary
People have more technology available to them than at any other time in history. So why do we communicate less, feel lonely, and overwhelmed? Every day we consistently fill our schedules with work, school, and other priorities that don’t include loved ones. Before we know it a week turns into a month and a month then turns into a year.
The Problem: Build an app to keep loved ones connected. This was the final project for an online UX course.
-
We miss crucial events and before we know it loved ones have grown up or drifted apart.
-
We don’t have time to sift through politics, news, unorganized photos/videos, and media files in order to connect with loved ones.
The Outcome
-
A mobile app that prevents users from losing touch with loved ones.
-
Users can securely upload and store photos/ videos.
-
Seamlessly connect calendars to schedule calls.
-
Schedule reminders to connect with certain loved ones.
Research
1: Identify opportunities, market gaps, and inspire differentiation
Starting with the current market to determine Kindred's unique value
In conducting my competitive analysis, I researched apps within the same market segment. My objective was to assess their success in meeting similar design goals and to identify areas where Kindred can add value and fill gaps within this market.
Methodology
I meticulously researched various social media apps to evaluate their design, functionality, and user experience. This analysis aimed to understand how these apps fulfill user needs and how Kindred can differentiate itself while enhancing user satisfaction. I focused on the user interface (UI), feature sets, content sharing capabilities, and community engagement tools.
Chart comparing the key features of popular social media apps: Facebook, WhatsApp, and Apple Photo Albums.
Where Kindred can add value
-
An app could bridge the gap between WhatsApp's privacy-centric messaging and Facebook's community engagement by offering a platform that balances privacy with meaningful social interaction.
-
Integration of comprehensive media organization and editing features into a messaging platform could provide users with a seamless experience for capturing and sharing memories.
-
Incorporating collaborative content creation tools within photo albums could encourage social interaction and facilitate shared experiences among users.
2. Interview the users to find out what they need
Interviewed and Surveyed M/F, Ages 24-74
I gained insights from a combination of user interviews and surveys, which focused on social media sharing habits and experiences. These insights were incorporated as the foundation of the design and development process.
After completing the interviews, I wrote down all of the responses on sticky notes and began to cluster them based on the topic. I used an affinity map format to discover themes and insights.
Clustered sticky notes to identify insights and themes
Grouped sticky notes representing the six major themes that emerged.
Key Findings
-
Most users were short on time and preferred to read only a few sentences, not paragraphs.
-
Since time is of the essence, a visual story or narrative of their loved ones by photos, videos, and geocaching
is preferred.
-
Users feel frustrated when they frequently miss voice or video calls. They can’t find time to communicate with
each other.
-
Parents do not want their kids to have a digital footprint on the internet or risk exposure to digital stalking.
3. Create detailed personas based on research findings
Synthesizing research and establishing design personas; identifying user goals and pain points. These personas helped to communicate research insights, direct design, and product development.
User persona cards created to represent the real stories, real people, guiding our design journey.
Ideate
4. How Might We...
After I concluded my primary and secondary research, I synthesized my research for insights and highlighted themes, then discovered the top three "how might we" statements with the features to solve them.
1. How might we decrease "information overload" due to social media?
2. How might we create a personal experience with loved ones while apart?
3. How might we organize all shared memories seamlessly?
How Might We statements addressing the main problems to solve, along with potential solutions for each.
4. Opportunities to differentiate
Better by Design
Simple, streamline, and secure is what separates Kindred from the rest of the apps.
Key words serving as the guiding 'North Star' concept during the app design process.
5. Prioritizing features based user needs
I was able to map the value of product features from the research gathered. This gave clarity to the product roadmap, effectively describing where feature development should be focused.
Must-Have:
-
Security
-
Shared photo album
-
Shared calendar
Should-Have:
-
Contact history
-
Scheduled reminders
-
Contact reminder
MoSCoW feature map outlining all proposed features and their priority levels.
6. Visualize the structure and clear overview of the content
Since connection with photos, shared groups and join events were the main features of the application, I decided to put them on the home page. I also added notifications and messages on the home page to provide a quick connect option. Creating a sitemap allowed me to plan the content effectively. It helped identify gaps or redundancies in the content structure and ensured that all necessary information is included.
Kindred app's sitemap
Design & Test
7. Create basic wireframes to layout the structure and key functionality
Low to Mid Fidelity Wireframes
I created the mid-fi in Sketch and tested asking my target audience to complete the MVP tasks. I drew out the main screens as part of the first round of my paper prototype. Next, I brought the prototype up to mid-fidelity in Sketch and tested again asking users that were part of my target audience to complete the MVP tasks.
Usability Testing Feedback
-
Users liked the reminder feature.
-
Users thought the footer felt too crowded.
-
The icons on the footer confused users.
-
Users wanted more photos on the Groups page.
Lo-fidelity wireframes presented on index cards.
Mid-fidelity wireframes crafted in Sketch for usability testing purposes.
8. Time to ask the users
I asked more users to test the mid-fidelity prototypes. I gave them two tasks, "schedule a video call with a contact" and "view photos in your group", then I gathered and prioritize user feedback to make the appropriate changes. Then I applied the newly designed features to the hi-fidelity mockups in Sketch.
Key Findings
-
Every user successfully sign-in on the app
-
Every user found the app user-friendly
-
A few users had trouble deciphering the icons on the footer
-
A few users recommended a newsfeed on the home screen
A Reiterative Process
Plus/Delta chart outlining successes and areas for improvement.
Iterate
Remembering the users are incredibly busy, i.e. a traveling parent, busy professional keeping in touch with old friends or young mothers sharing key events, the intention behind the initial screen the design included finding a delicate balance between a “one-stop-shop” without overwhelming the user.
The intuitive design, large and clearly labeled buttons provide an ideal design for grandparents and other elderly users. Users can see groups and contacts with the press of a few buttons.
9. Confirm the user flow
Interactive flowchart demonstrating key interactions between pages.
10. Deliverable: Kindred is born
Through the user experience, insights gathered as part of this project I designed Kindred's mobile app in Sketch. Once I tested out all usability mistakes, I started designing the final screens and prototype in Sketch.
