Application Design 1 - Project 1 : Mobile Application Proposal
23/9/2024 - 14/10/2024 ( Week 1 - Week 4 )
Ho Winnie / 0364866
Application Design 1 / Bachelor's of Design Honors In Creative Media
Project 1 : Mobile Application Proposal
1. Lectures
Week 1 :
This week, as it is our first week of semester 3 , Mr Zeon gave us a module briefing and went through the different tasks in this module and kickstart the first lecture with " Introduction to Application Design" .
Week 2 :
This week, Mr Zeon went through the principles of user centered design and taught us the difference between " User Experience (UX) " and " User Interface (UI) " . UX encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its products and services while UI focuses more on the visual elements of the software. We showed Mr Zeon our first draft of proposal on application design and received some feedbacks as well.
Week 3 :
This week, Mr Zeon went through usability heuristics for user interface design. It covers visibility of system status , match between system and the real world , user control and freedom, consistency and standards, error prevention , recognition rather than recall and flexibility and efficiency use.
Week 4 :
In presentation week, we proposed our ideas to Mr Zeon and learnt from other classmates as well.
Project 1 - Mobile Application Design Proposal
Requirements :
Students are required to create a proposal documentation for their mobile application project. You are required to redesign an existing app that you find unsatisfactory in terms of the user experience or interface design and its subject to preliminary approval by the module coordinator. Students need to 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. This task is an iterative process whereby during the assignment period, students are free to get feedback from their peers and module coordinator to further refine their idea.
Work Process :
For our first proposal draft, we were tasked to select 3 apps to analyze and point out the weaknesses we noticed. I brainstormed for very long which apps should I worked on and being a frequent app user myself, I selected Linkedin , Starbucks and TBS as the 3 main apps because I used them for some time and already identified out some pain points I faced as an end user.
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| Fig 1.1 Existing apps in my phone that I chose |
Next, I went to the app store and google play store to read the reviews on these apps to check if other end users faced the same issues as me and without a doubt, there were indeed many comments regarding the user interface and user experience of these apps. Below is my progress proposal slides I shown Mr Zeon in week 2 and he approved of all 3 apps but asked me to pick the most significant one to me.
Final Proposed Idea
For my final proposal, I decided to choose TBS because me and my family are frequent travelers and I've personally faced many issues with this app before that I chose to abandon using this app and used alternatives, hence there are many improvements that can be done to the TBS app.
The TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) mobile app is a platform designed to assist commuter traveling through Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, one of Malaysia's major bus terminals. The app offers basic functionalities such as booking bus tickets, checking schedules, and accessing route information, aiming to make travel arrangements more manageable. Users can browse available routes, compare ticket prices, and book their seats directly through the app.
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| Fig 1.2 TBS app on App store |
I conducted an in-depth study in my final proposal which includes detailed analysis such as competitive analysis, user demographics , primary and secondary goals and action plans to redesigning the TBS app. I scrolled through the review ratings on App store and TBS only obtained 1.7 stars which is very low, most comments pointed out that the user interface looks very outdated and the ease of navigating around the app to purchase the bus ticket is very low. I compiled all these comments , coupled up with pain points faced by my own family members who uses this app and gained a better user understanding behind the low rating.
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| Fig 1.3 Low rating of TBS app |
Furthermore, in order to conduct effective competitive analysis, I downloaded apps like easybook, redbus and busonline which provides similar services to TBS but all of them gained a higher rating in app store. This can aid me in identifying areas in which TBS can improve on compared to it's competitors.
Fig 1.4 Competitive Analysis
Click here to view the slides in Google Slides
3. Feedback
Week 2 :
Highlight the main point in the user review when you are screenshot while scrolling app store so it is easier to read what is the issue faced. Any of the 3 apps are okay to select as final proposal idea but choose the one most relevant to you.
Week 3 :
Final proposal slides looks good but try to find newer ratings on app store if possible as some is from 5 years ago. Try looking into other websites to find out user demographics other than similarweb to check if you can get more information.
4. Reflection
4. Reflection
Experience :
During the development of Project 1: Mobile Application Design, I embarked on a comprehensive journey that significantly deepened my understanding of UI/UX principles. From the outset, I focused on user-centered design, aiming to create an application that met the needs of the intended users while also being aesthetically appealing and functional. In the early stages, I dedicated a substantial amount of time to brainstorming ideas and conducting extensive research on current mobile app trends. This not only helped me define the concept of the app but also enabled me to ensure that it aligned with contemporary design standards. Despite the clarity in concept, the process presented its own set of challenges, particularly in balancing creative ideas with practical user needs.
Findings :
One of the key insights I gained from this project was the importance of thoroughly defining the target audience and identifying their core needs. Additionally, studying various mobile applications and dissecting their design choices proved both engaging and educational. I learned that small design details, such as button placement, color schemes, and navigation flows, could significantly influence the overall user experience.
Observations :
Throughout the project, I observed the immense value of collaboration in the design process. Working alongside my peers, sharing ideas, and discussing the applications we chose to redesign was an enriching experience. This collaborative approach introduced me to alternative ways of solving design challenges, particularly when it came to improving usability and aesthetics. It expanded my perspective on creative problem-solving and encouraged me to think outside the box. Moreover, I noticed that many successful app designs placed a strong emphasis on user feedback, which reinforced the idea that iterative design, based on continuous testing and refinement, is crucial for creating an intuitive and effective user experience.
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