Designer, Researcher, Logo Refinement
The challenge was to redesign an existing app, Choona, that lacked a successful user experience and interface. The app I chose is an existing music-sharing app called Choona. The main three problems I addressed were 1) difficult navigation, 2) a complicated posting interface, and 3) a lack of opportunities to find and connect with other users.
I made a more intuitive user experience and prioritized features that would allow for connecting people. The app required more personalization, for example, allowing the user to save music to specific folders and choose song segments to post. It was important that the app would be accessible to all types of users, and follow Human Interface Guidelines.
3 months
Figma
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The original application had many points of tension with the user experience. It made it difficult to find new users and connect with them, specifically because there was no way to message other users. The app needed easier navigation, a community experience, an updated aesthetic, and opportunities for personalization. I wanted to cater to a large audience, all genders, backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and abilities.
I audited the current app by looking at what it was doing, what worked, and what didn’t. This led me to realize what needed to be prioritized in the new build. I also looked into the users of similar applications and their demographics. These studies helped me make my decisions on the app and the aesthetic.
I created a more in-depth journey of what the app would need to have in order for the user to complete the end goal of connecting with others. Not only did the app need to have many points of connection along the way with other users, but it also needed to be as simple as possible.
I went through various hand-drawn iterations to make sure the screen layouts were practical and the location of buttons made sense before moving to digital. For example, using sticky notes helped me decide to put notifications on the top left because users will need to navigate there more often than settings.
The design stage was my favorite part of the process, I got to see all my research and planning come together in a way that reflects the needs of the users.
The prototype stage was where I got to see this app come to life. I learned how important it is to have clear indicators of where users should click and responds to their actions.
The challenge with the wearable was paring down the essence of the mobile app to be done within 3 seconds. The most important element from the mobile that would be useful on a watch is messaging.
Wearable PrototypeAfter I completed the prototyping phase I created a document with all the assets and components that the developer would need to transform the prototype into reality. I went through my entire app and annotated where there could be any confusion on how the app would perform and any standards that needed to be followed.
