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Land Your Dream Job at Amazon and IBM with My UX Portfolio!

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Problem Discovery
4. Research and Analysis 4.1. White Paper Research 4.2. Competitive Analysis 4.3. User Research 4.4. Insights and Themes
5. Design Process 5.1. Initial Design Directions 5.2. Feedback and Iterations 5.3. Final Solution 5.4. Design System and Style Guide
6. Conclusion
7. Feedback and Improvement

Introduction

In this article, we will explore a UX design case study presented by Sharon, a third-year undergraduate student at Parsons School of Design. She showcases her project, an accountability app for college students. The app aims to address the disconnect between achieving academic goals and personal goals among college students. Through in-depth research, user insights, and iterative design, Sharon creates a solution that promotes accountability for personal goals. Let's Delve into the details and learn from her design process.

Background

Sharon initially identified the problem of college students struggling to accomplish their personal goals as successfully as their academic goals. This observation led her to question why there was a disconnect between the two types of goals. To gain a deeper understanding of the psychology behind goal-setting and motivation, Sharon conducted extensive research on the topic. She discovered a statistic that indicated people are more likely to meet a goal when they make it public and have a specific accountability partner to report to.

Problem Discovery

Based on her research findings and the lack of accountability features in existing goal-setting apps, Sharon decided to focus on accountability as a solution for college students' personal goal achievement. She conducted interviews with college students from various majors to understand their experiences and challenges with setting and achieving goals. Through affinity mapping, she identified three major themes: community, motivation, and performance, which work together to promote accountability.

Research and Analysis

Sharon's research and analysis provided valuable insights into her target audience's needs and preferences. She discovered that college students were more likely to succeed in achieving their goals when there was a consequence associated with not completing them. This led her to realize the importance of incorporating accountability and social consequences into her design solution. Additionally, she found that students preferred habit-like goals over milestone-like goals for better consistency.

Design Process

Sharon took an iterative approach to design, continually refining the app based on user feedback and testing. She made four major improvements throughout the design process. First, she removed the bottom navigation tab to allow for a more natural flow within the app. Second, she switched to a Broadcast feed, resembling a social media-like platform, to encourage public accountability. Third, she incorporated the ability to track, manage, and execute multiple goals simultaneously, catering to the specific needs of college students. Finally, she introduced a guided onboarding experience, using low-fidelity UI to give users a Sense of how the app would function.

Conclusion

Sharon's accountability app for college students addresses the problem of achieving personal goals by promoting accountability through community, motivation, and performance. Through thorough research, user insights, and iterative design, she created a user-friendly solution that empowers college students to stay accountable and achieve their goals. While there is always room for improvement, Sharon's case study serves as a valuable guide for UX designers in creating effective and user-centric solutions.

Feedback and Improvement

Feedback plays a crucial role in the design process, and Sharon acknowledges the importance of continuously seeking feedback to improve her work. She highlights the importance of concise and visually appealing presentations, as well as utilizing screen sharing during interviews to showcase prototypes effectively. Additionally, she emphasizes the value of designing with intentionality, considering accessibility standards, and exploring more possibilities for increasing accountability in future projects.

Highlights

• Sharon presents a UX design case study focused on an accountability app for college students.
• The app aims to address the disconnect between achieving academic goals and personal goals among college students.
• Through extensive research and analysis, Sharon identifies accountability as a solution for personal goal achievement.
• She conducts interviews with college students to understand their experiences and challenges with goal-setting.
• Based on user insights and feedback, Sharon iteratively designs the app to incorporate accountability features.
• Sharon's design process emphasizes the importance of intentionality, user-centricity, and continuous improvement.