PennyPost
CLIENT: Pennypost
DELIVERABLES: A clickable mobile application prototype through InVision.
MY ROLE: UX Designer, Head Information Architect, and Lead UI Designer.
CHALLENGE: Pennypost currently provides a web based application which allows users to send physical postcards from their social media accounts and personal photos. Our task was to prepare a clickable mobile app prototype in preparation for their mobile app launch.
SOLUTION: A mobile application version of the current Pennypost web application.
WHAT I LEARNED: A great design isn't defined by one slide or clickable screen state. A memorable design comes from where and how it is placed within the flow of the application. Something may look great but still needs to have a consistent and easy to understand flow to make the user experience memorable.
PROCESS
RESEARCH
Before the word design could even enter our minds, we first had to understand exactly what we're up against as well as what we have at our disposal. It was my job to learn everything about Pennypost as an organization and where they stand among other competitors. This meant downloading and understanding the other applications also designed to send custom greeting cards or postcards. I also presented a comparative analysis which was used to outline the key features in each app and how they stand up against each other.
INTERVIEW / TESTING
Our team decided to jump into user testing the current pennypost web application to see where how it can be used and what kind of features need to be added, edited, or removed. We agreed to conduct 3 rounds of user testing. The first would be for those who have never used the current application; the second for those who have used the application but this they would be testing on our created prototype; and the third round is for those who who have never used the application after we iterate on our design.
AFFINITY DIAGRAMING
After the completion of our interviews, the team created an affinity diagram to reflect the thoughts, feelings, quotes, and opinions of everyone interviewed. Memorable portions of each interview were placed on pieces of paper then categorized these statements into larger “I” statements to indicate likes and dislikes.
It was from this diagram that we were able to develop our primary proto persona "Katie". From this point on, our design process would center around making Katie a satisfied user!
PROTO-PERSONA: Katie
Katie is a young professional who loves traveling to new, exiting places. Whenever she gets the chance, she'll take the opportunity to experience a new culture. Everywhere she goes, she insists on documenting her experiences with her smartphone camera.
DESIGN
To begin the design process, our team went through a brain storming activity known as a “Design Studio”. This is a process where everyone gets to draw a sketch of the app, explain his or her design, and receive feedback. Once everyone has gone, we repeat the process 2-3 more times, drawing from each other’s ideas until we have our design.
TEST (again)
After our first three rounds of testing our prototype was nearly completed. We continued to make notes and edits as the tests continued but after our official testing was done, we needed to affirm our designs for Pennypost. To do this, we conducted 4 more guerrilla user tests to see if the design accomplished it's purpose. Armed with these last user tests, we were able to validate our designs for the client.