Application Design: Project 1
26/9/2024 - 20/10/2024 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Lim Yu Xuen / 0359676
Application Design 1 / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Project 1: Mobile Application Proposal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
✿ Lectures
Module Information
LECTURES
Week 1 — Lecture
Introduction to Mobile Application Design
During the first week of lecture, Mr Zeon briefed us on MIB and
emphasised the importance of application design. We were tasked to
start on our draft proposal.
Figure 2.1 Week 1 Lecture
Week 2 — Lecture
The Art of User-Centered design (UCD)
In this week's lecture, we learnt about user centered design, user
experience design and user interface design. We mainly learnt about the
process of UCD. Besides that, Mr Zeon briefly mentioned that our final
submission of project 1 should incorporate a few components. He also
reminded us to look through the examples and lecture slides. In this
proposal, we have to mention 3 apps, but only one app will be used for our
final.
Figure 2.2 Week 2 Lecture
Week 3 — Lecture
Usability
We learnt about the crucial role of usability in application design, which
highlights principles like consistency, simplicity, visibility, feedback,
and error prevention. Mr Zeon also mentioned that we have to do a
presentation for our final proposal during week 4's class. Each student will
have 8 minutes to present their slides.
Figure 2.3 Week 3 Lecture
Week 4 — Presentation
This week is the presentation for our Project 1 proposal. Each presenter
will be given 8 minutes. Feedback is provided after presentation.
PROJECT 1: MOBILE APPLICATION PROPOSAL
Task Requirements
- We were required to create a proposal documentation for their mobile application project.
- Redesign an existing app that you find unsatisfactory in terms of the user experience or interface design and it's subject to preliminary approval by the module coordinator.
- Do surveys, interviews, market studies, and research on the selected topic.
- The document should also include key features of their mobile application and provide clear flowchart of the app.
- The document will determine whether the mobile application idea is good to continue to the next development phase.
Things to include in the proposal
1. Introduction
- Purpose: Revamp existing mobile app to elevate user experience and interface quality
- Stress the pivotal role of mobile app design in shaping user contentment
2. Background & Context
- Evaluate current app's design and functionalities
- Identify strengths and weaknesses
- Competitive Analysis
- Gain insights into user demographics and requirements
3. Goals & Objectives
- Establish clear objectives for the redesign initiative
- Prioritize addressing current deficiencies and enhancing user satisfaction
- Define primary and secondary goals to align with user expectations
- Developing your design strategy
Research
I first started off by searching for apps in the App Store that has low
rating. I kept the low rating to 1-3 stars. Listed below are some of the
apps I found that has low rating.
Apps with low rating:
- Mcdonalds
- Lotus
- MyJPJ
- U Mobile
- MAE by Maybank2U
- Starbucks
When presenting these apps to Mr Zeon, he mentioned that the apps I
decided on are too saturated, and was used by many of my seniors and
course mates. Hence, he recommended to research on other apps. Keep in
mind to look for apps with bad UI, it doesn't have to have low rating, as
long as there are things that could possibly be "fixed".
Draft Proposal
Instructions:
- Research various applications. Choose three company apps that you believe could benefit from enhancements in their design. Your objective is to identify all existing drawbacks and propose potential solutions.
- Attached company information, capture screenshots of all pages on each company application design and compile them onto individual slides. For subsequent slides, focus on specific areas within the screenshots that you believe could be improved on their user interface design and user experience. Accompany each analysis with the rationale behind the identified issues and propose suitable solutions.
- We are tasked with generating a concise report outlining your discoveries, which will be showcased via slides and presented for feedback during next class.
Downloaded Apps
I downloaded various apps for study, in the end, I went ahead and chose
these 3 apps:
- Carousell
- Temu
- Steam
Figure 3.1
I chose Temu as I personally used the app multiple times and I think it
has many dark patterns and distracting UI/UX design that should be
researched on. Besides that, Carousell has very limited features which may
impact the user experience. Lastly, the app Steam is badly made compared
to the Desktop application. Below are the screenshots of each app's
current design.
Draft Proposal Slides
App Background
Application Name: Temu
Category: E-commerce
Color: Orange & White
Temu is a e-commerce platform that launced in September 2022 by PDD
holdings, the parent company of the Chinese retail giant Pinduoduo. Known
for its low-cost products and wide range of offerings, Temu has quickly
gained popularity in international markets. Temu targets price-sensitive
shoppers, offering everything from clothing and electronics to home goods,
often with flash sales and significant discounts.
The app's user friendly design, frequent sales, and persoanlized
recommendations have helped it attract a large customer base. Despite its
success, Temu faces challenges such as longer shipping times and occasional concerns
about product quality. However, for many consumers, the low prices outweigh
these drawbacks.
Temu continues to expand its presence, positioning itself as a strong competitor in
the global e-commerce market alongside other e-commerce platforms.
Figure 3.5 Temu on App Store
Rating of Temu
After researching about Temu, I begin to proceed with in-depth research by
exploring the features and functions, to analyze what can be improved in
terms of the user interface and user experience. The overall rating of
Temu on the app store is 4.4 stars. The rating is considered high as there
are a total of 11K ratings. Nevertheless, I still decided on Temu as there
are a lot of flaws of the app, which can be supported by my personal
experience, as well as, the bad reviews by other users.
Figure 3.6 Ratings & Reviews on App Store
Competitive Analysis
I also downloaded other E-commerce apps to do a competitive analysis.
These apps include: Shopee, Lazada, Taobao, and Shein. These apps are
commonly used in Malaysia.
Figure 3.7 Competitive Analysis
Final Proposal Slides
REFLECTIONS
Experience
During the proposal preparation, I initially tried finding apps with
numerous issues on Google, but the results didn't align with my
expectations. So, I adjusted my approach by searching the App Store by
category, specifically looking for apps with low ratings. I ultimately
selected three apps: Temu, Steam, and Carousell. However, I now understand
the importance of carefully selecting these apps prior to finalizing the
proposal, as unexpected issues can arise—such as Temu experiencing
technical outages shortly after I began my research, rendering parts of
the app unusable. Fortunately, I had two backup apps to continue my study.
Currently, my focus is on the Temu app, which has several user experience
and technical issues. Despite this, the company appears receptive to
feedback and is committed to making improvements.
Findings
I’ve gained a new appreciation for the critical role of excellent UI/UX in
applications. Before engaging in this research, I didn’t fully recognize
its importance in daily use. However, I can now easily differentiate
between well-designed and poorly-designed applications. Many companies
excel in areas like websites but overlook app design, which can result in
lower conversion rates and a loss of users due to confusion and
inconvenience. I've also learned the process of redesigning or enhancing
an existing design, which involves identifying pain points, understanding
user needs, defining primary goals, and analyzing user demographics. This
insight is invaluable, helping us develop the right mindset and approach
to design for our final project.
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