UX Design: Final Compilation
15/12/25 - 04/01/26 / Week 1 - Week 14
Brendan Fedya / 0376283
Application Design I / Bachelor of Design
(Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
UX Design
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Lectures
II. Tasks
III. Feedbacks
IV. Reflections
I. LECTURES
➼ An App you love, and why?
WhatsApp is the app I used most often in my phone, and I do quite like it a lot. Instead of having a lot of features, I felt this app did the opposite — it only focuses on the content, and enhancing the usability aspect which is messaging.
➼ What is market research?
We need to understand market needs, size, competition and the fit (specialized/niche or not). In a team of business and design, we are responsible for conducting user research to identify user needs easily and make sure that the product will cater to their demands.
Find other competitor's core feature , find the thing that they are weak at — and use it as our core feature.
We need to breakdown a task of a process (in this case, the experience of the business proposal), in order to understand which points could be improve on.
➼ How about user research?
We need to understand user's needs, feel that you are the users, and what do you think you need in the experience. One weakness that we have is that we always have assumptions towards something — and this could be summarized through our knowledge towards the environment. Assumptions can only replicate a solution that has already existed.
And to break down asumptions, user research is needed.
Find other competitor's core feature , find the thing that they are weak at — and use it as our core feature.
We need to breakdown a task of a process (in this case, the experience of the business proposal), in order to understand which points could be improve on.
➼ More into user research
Firstly ask, who are the customers, and what to they need and want? We asked these questions to connect the dots and identify the root cause.
Problem statement constantly change, the first one we made is our assumed problem. It must answer 5W1H,
User interview should aim for answers that we don't expect. Ask what problems are they experiencing, not what they want. Questions should go beyond yes and no (asking what,how, why), but get ready to get back on track when neccessary.
➼ Synthetize Research
Data that is only mentioned one or twice may only be point of interest, but may also be just noise. The data that is always mentioned should be prioritize. Sometimes, you may also feel something is missing—draft more research to cater to your instincts.
➼ User Persona
Is a character with certain characteristics so we can put ourselves in their shoes and understand their problems and frustrations. A persona may represent more than 1 person's interview data. User personas are not supposed to make the readers think and assume further.
After I statements, create a total of 3 personas. 1 main persona supported by 2 secondary personas. The main persona should represent 80% of the common goals and needs from all the interviewees.
➼ User Scenario
Put the persona in scenarios, show their goals, needs, and frustration in the scenario. Give them crisis. After that create a journey map for them.
➼ Ideation
Ideas can come from anywhere, brainstorm as many ideas as you can do, and select it later. In a diverse group, each individual have different unique experiences that may trigger different set of ideas.
How Might We questions, when we're deciding on this, we must flip it around. Example if someone is anxious in their journey, how do we convert it into excitement instead?
➼ Project Management
Frameworks:
1. Waterfall, do steps one at a time.
2. Agile, basing on customer feedback, test, deploy, review, and redesign.
3. Lean, work at being most efficient to maximize value, but lose flexibility and fragile to unplanned events.
Use SMART goals, which are quantifying KPIs to achieve on the stipulated timeframe. Then use RACI framework to delegate each tasks.
ART DIRECTION
use the base of 3d character, then paint over it so it looks 3d
for ui, photobash the assets.
➼ Usability Heuristics
Users expectations must be proven right.
1. Visibility of system status, should show which steps the users are in every time in the app. Predictability and control translates to better decision making.
https://share.google/VxqP7g5mjrjxW1QsW Naturebox, good example
e.g. confirmation messages
e.g. confirmation messages
2. Match between system and the real world
e.g. how icons and the words used in apps resembles things that we usually use in real life
3. User control and freedom
e.g. Allow users to undo/cancel an action.
4. Consistency and standards
There are no reasons to change standards practices (e.g. search bar is always on top)
5. Error prevention
As how the name suggests, give extra confirmation steps whenever there's anything unusual from the usual user flow. Also, could have error prevention for high circumstances actions.
6. Recognition rather than recall
e.g. remember their favorites, remember search history, personalize things based on user preferences.
➼ UI principles
Use design principles to build your UI.
Center alignment vs optical alignment. Sometimes things needs to be readjusted from center alignment as thee negative spaces in objects vary.
Making an app that is unconventional, requires us to give onboarding hence users are on the same page as us when navigating through the app. For existing users, can give reminders, updates, when they are not using the app already (e.g. showing the basics again) for quite some time. When screen becomes inactive we can do (e.g. showing them guide because we imply they might not know how to navigate through.
Contrast for app should be 60% whites, 30% different shades of tone in between, 10% of highlight.
Contrast could be created through spaces, colors, sizing. To differentiate within the same colors, borders, or highlighting can make it stand out.
Ergonomics—frequent used buttons should always be near the finger.
Intuitivity—any element that is introduced, should reuse it. Any element introduced will make the app more complicated. For example, a mechanic in a game you only use once.
➼ Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue can come from too many options. So when offering options to clients, reduce it as much as possible. Decision fatigue strips out mental energy, and makes us unable to process risk and rewards correctly.
Habits form through pleasure. These are 4 stages to hook people:
1. Trigger, things that remind users about the product.
Hence we should know, what does the user really want? And how do we bring that in to our product?
2. Action, when trigger is met with motivation and ability.
If you have lower energy, you will go to short-term benefits, If you have higher energy, you will consider more towards the long-term benefits.
Hence how do you make your options lower energy than other alternatives, so it actually favors your own preference? This will help users get back the loop.
3. Reward, it brings impact on the users. Could be external which is through social standing or approval from a community. Or internal, personal mastery or an ability or a betterment for self.
Make people feel good about themselves, and how to apply this seamlessly in our product. They are most likely to make action.
4. Investment, rewards are cumulative towards a goal. Hence, the time and effort spent became worthwhile, and this reinforce previous choices.
➼ Portfolio and its best practices
Don't be hesitant to show bad projects also, it could showcase our learning curves, storytelling, and also thinking process throughout our journey.
We want to make them see our potential in their company, and how to match it to their own workflow.
Include only specific contributions from group projects.
Include only specific contributions from group projects.
Give them estimated time needed to read the portfolio.
Give context why does our project matter? either to the audience or to even to the clients.
Show that people are enjoying our product, because eventually these products are used by humans. It will resonate with them better.
Show functions of the product, starting from the significant ones.
Show that people are enjoying our product, because eventually these products are used by humans. It will resonate with them better.
Show functions of the product, starting from the significant ones.
Show what is does batter through comparison and data.
Show our project improving over time, and how our project is not perfect nor a smooth ride at first. But this comes after you have presented the work. People are more interested in the process after they are interested in the work.
Show our project improving over time, and how our project is not perfect nor a smooth ride at first. But this comes after you have presented the work. People are more interested in the process after they are interested in the work.
Organize our projects, be flexible, give portfolio variations that shows different focus on each variation.
Dont explain the process, explain the results when using the process.
II. TASKS
‣ Week 1
From the very first week, we are tasked to form a group. We are encouraged by Mr Sylvain to have team members from different specializations. So we can build on each other's strengths
In class we are tasked to analysis on each other bag and pointed the good and the bad in with the design and drawing the improved version of the bag.
‣ Week 4
For this week, we were tasked to create task analysis breakdown on the steps necessary for users to use our app. We also did our individual competitor analysis. I did an analysis on the app Waitwhile, it is a virtual waitlist, bookings, and real-time customer communication systems. This is to make us more familiar with the competitors that are similar to our app. From this analysis, we saw a lot of similar patterns and insights that helped us on building our app.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAHMIRgMsms/FVyCO6-Sk6n2cu3O-3WKGQ/edit
In class we are tasked to analysis on each other bag and pointed the good and the bad in with the design and drawing the improved version of the bag.
‣ Week 2
*Public Holiday*
‣ Week 3
In class we did an exercise on navigating an app on ordering nasi lemak and we had to break it down into a 2x2 matrix. In this task we write down all of the steps needed to order nasi lemak and categorized them on high impact, low impact, high effort, low effort.
‣ Week 4
https://www.canva.com/design/DAHMIRgMsms/FVyCO6-Sk6n2cu3O-3WKGQ/edit
‣ Week 5
In week 5, we interviewed students from Taylor’s university about their eating habits and experience in Syopz. Each of us interviewed 2 people. In total, we interviewed 8 Taylorians.
These are the interview questions we asked:
1. What do you do when you want to settle for lunch during short breaks?
2. What usually influences your decision when choosing where to eat on campus?
3. What specific factors affect your choice of restaurant on campus?
4. Can you tell me about the last time you queued or ate at Syopz?
5. How do you feel about the current environment and overall vibe in Syopz?
6. How long would you typically tolerate waiting while trying to find seats at Syopz?
7. How do you feel when you are unable to secure seats?
8. What do you usually do afterward when you can't find a place to sit?
9. Looking back at those crowded moments, what information do you wish you knew before deciding where to eat?
These are the interview questions we asked:
1. What do you do when you want to settle for lunch during short breaks?
2. What usually influences your decision when choosing where to eat on campus?
3. What specific factors affect your choice of restaurant on campus?
4. Can you tell me about the last time you queued or ate at Syopz?
5. How do you feel about the current environment and overall vibe in Syopz?
6. How long would you typically tolerate waiting while trying to find seats at Syopz?
7. How do you feel when you are unable to secure seats?
8. What do you usually do afterward when you can't find a place to sit?
9. Looking back at those crowded moments, what information do you wish you knew before deciding where to eat?
‣ Week 6
After interviewing our participants, we transcript the data of our interviews and sorted it in our figjam: https://www.figma.com/board/hzlU08VMdqf2ZVFGR3NMZB/UX-Design---QuickEase?node-id=0-1&t=o77ZPRhmxiTL8Ldr-1
Then, we extract the useful information from the interviews for faster reading. From there, we did card sorting, which is sorting the useful information into groups that were similar with each other. For this task, we all worked together to sort it.
From there, Brendan created I-statements from the organized information to spot similarities with one another.
After understanding more on what the students are experiencing/feeling, we created 3 user personas based on the I-statements. Chika did Daniel lee, Sam did Victor, and Brendan did Rebbeca.
We had our briefing for project management on how to delegate our tasks, who is responsible, accountable, or consulted, and then started to breakdown the tasks needed for the upcoming weeks—especially since we need to deliver our first version of the app to the business team already on week 12.
Samuel and Chika started on putting in information and working on slides, while Caitlyn did brainstorming with the logo designs. Brendan began planning on Lo-fi designs and deciding on MVP features. Click here to see what we’ve proposed to the business team: QuickEase Research Deck for Business Team - Presentation
This week, the business team is going to have their presentation. Since previously, it was still on the lo-fi stage, we continued working on the prototype of the app. We tried to meet the business team's expectations, so we tried the best we can and send the prototype to them on time.
‣ Week 13
Then, we extract the useful information from the interviews for faster reading. From there, we did card sorting, which is sorting the useful information into groups that were similar with each other. For this task, we all worked together to sort it.
From there, Brendan created I-statements from the organized information to spot similarities with one another.
After understanding more on what the students are experiencing/feeling, we created 3 user personas based on the I-statements. Chika did Daniel lee, Sam did Victor, and Brendan did Rebbeca.
‣ Week 7
This week, Sam created a storyboard on how it would look like in a typical day of Taylorians when trying to find food.
‣ Week 8
‣ Week 9
‣ Week 10
Caitlyn finished her Gantt Chart, and everyone is in the same stage as last week. Samuel came up with a new idea for the logo, where it is derived from people icons, then converted to vectors—seemingly like a queue. Brendan did user tests on lo-fi, and did some changes accordingly before actually proceeding to high fidelity designs.
Caitlyn finished her Gantt Chart, and everyone is in the same stage as last week. Samuel came up with a new idea for the logo, where it is derived from people icons, then converted to vectors—seemingly like a queue. Brendan did user tests on lo-fi, and did some changes accordingly before actually proceeding to high fidelity designs.
‣ Week 11
This week, Brendan worked on the app design mostly as the business team deliverable is required to submit the next week.
This week, Brendan worked on the app design mostly as the business team deliverable is required to submit the next week.
‣ Week 12
‣ Week 13
On week 13, we (Sam) continued working on the slides and made a "brand identity for the slides to create visually consistency throughout the whole presentation.
‣ Week 14
Week 14 was the most hectic week for UX Design, since we have to pretty much finalize everything, the prototype, slides, everything. We have a little bit of alterations to the prototype suggested by our peers, and also our lecturer, changed some aspects to make it a smoother experience for users.
And it's time for us to do our presentation! Here's our final presentation deck:
https://canva.link/46ltgr2glhtw40t
https://canva.link/46ltgr2glhtw40t
III. FEEDBACKS
‣ Week 11
- Monetization can be benefited from the vendors that pay more, they get better placements on the app (the top)
- Don't create grids first. Create cards, and then arrange it, then settle the grids. Its like you wont know which rack to put on if you dont know what books you have.
‣ Week 12
- Put icons on our shops (e.g. non halal logo etc the ones that people use often)
- Logo that represent the shops from we first look at it on the map
- Highlight activity bar, so we know where we are right now.
- Main features need to be more highlighted, Estimated waiting times, queueing numbers (e.g. now how many queue in line)
- Another home page after an order has been created. How to highlight that the order is urgent? Orders countdown attached to the navbar for example.
- (Feedback from teammate) Put numbers on orders
- mimic shopee orders, where we put shop name so we can go back to order from that restaurant again(Feedback from teammate)
- Cut down quantity popup
‣ Week 13
- 35 mins estimate on the restaurants page should be on another layer to signify importance.
- Use QuickEase logo instead of taylors logo
- Add payment page after confirming order as an extra layer of error prevention. People will be more cautious during paying.
- Your queue and customers in line should be more emphasized.
- Emphasize that there is a problem to solve, through pictures, etc. on the slides
- Profile page showing gamification, how many minutes have we saved etc.
‣ Week 14
- Break down wordy slides to multiple slides.
IV. REFLECTIONS
Being the only one who specialize in UI/UX design on my group really ramped up the difficulty of the whole assignment. I took App Design 1 previously, but because it is tailored as an individual assignment, workload is actually much less. As for UX Design, I would need to guide my group on how to start everything (setting up interview questions, how to conduct the interviews, who to target, analyze the data, and so on....) before we start on the operations.
And due to time limitations, I could not run my usability testing effectively. To be frank, my design sense is not the greatest, hence I would need user feedback to actually make my work even polished. I wished I could do better in this task, as this is one of my main workflow if I were to be a UI/UX designer in the future—which I really hope I will be.
Anyways, there's no point in dwelling in the past. Everyone in the team tried their best and got a lot of learnings—that is what matters for now.
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