Application Design 1- Project 1

23/09/2024 - 20/10/2024 (Week1 - Week 4)
Teu Yu Tian / 0371923
Application Design 1 | Bachelors of Design (Honour) in Creative Media | Taylor's University
Project 1 - Mobile Application Proposal

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1. INSTRUCTIONS:

Requirement:

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

Background and Context

• Evaluate current app's design and functionalities. 
• Identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Competitive analysis. 
• Gain insights into user demographics and requirements. 

Goals and 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

• User Research
• Detail methodologies for conducting user research. 
• Describe the methods you will utilize to collect user feedback and gain insights. 
• Devise a robust plan for user testing and validation.  

References

• Curate pertinent articles, books, and design samples for inspiration.

Progression

Week 1:

Lecturer give briefing for project. Frist task is assigned which we have to purpose 3 existing app that is valuable to redesign, and compile simple description, target audience, function of the app, and analysis of the strength and weakness into a deck. Lecturer suggested us not to choose common app or the app that senior did before. 

In this week, I started to explore some existing app in my mobile phone as I am more familiar with those app. My initial idea are some app such as parking app, government app, and cinema app. My final targeted app are Loud Speaker, ParkEasy and Gigi Coffee. I use Loud Speaker and ParkEasy app rarely, as I remember some bad experience when using those app, but I might need it sometimes, that is why it is still keep inside my phone.

Week 2:

Some of the Google Play review I selected are from few years ago, lecturer suggested not to put review over 2 years time.

Then, I modified based on the comments.

Updated First Proposal:

Project 1 - Application Design 1

I started to modify and deep down into idea 2, ParkEasy app. It is a parking reservation app where people can book the parking 1 hour before arriving. I go through the app and analyse the strength and weakness about the app. 

Week 3:

I faced the problem of getting user demographic data on Similarweb. Solution suggested by Mr. Zeon are look for the similar website like Similarweb, and search for the data, or search for third party research such as online thesis that analyse this app to find the demographic information. I registered the Semrush subscription plan for it and collect the demographic data.

Competitor analysis and goal are done in this week. It is also challenging to find the competitor. Many of the app focus on EV charging such as Plugshare, and Chargemap, another similar category is parking payment app such as Smart Selangor, and Flexi Parking. The core function of this app is parking reservation app but these two category of app are missing it. I decided to look for oversea app which have the same core function. Parkopedia and Justpark can be access in Malaysia  whereas Parkster only focus in Nordic country, mainly Sweden but able to download and explore the functions. 

Week 4:

Presentation

Copy of Project 1 - Application Design 1

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2. Feedback:

Week 1:

• No feedback

Week 2:

• The user review are outdated. It's not advisable to use comments older than 2 years unless the issues mentioned are still relevant. 
• The final proposal can choose from first or second option where the second option has more potential.

Week 3:

• The first draft proposal also need to modify based on the comments.
• If there is no data in similar web, try other website, or find relevant thesis or research writing online. 
• Make sure the weakness are based on the app review.

Week 4:

• Presentation.

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3. Reflection: 

Experience

When selecting the app to redesign, I chose one that I personally use, since designing with the user in mind is easier when I am familiar with it. The analysis process took time, as I went through the app page by page to identify areas for improvement. Initially, I focused solely on user experience rather than the user interface. However, after attending lectures and reviewing my peers' work, I realized that the user interface is equally important. A good app design must balance both elements to enhance usability.

Observation

After testing many different apps, I noticed that a good user experience doesn’t just come from how pretty or feature-heavy an app is. The good apps have key features that meet user needs, provide clear instructions, and making every single details perfect. Many apps had issues like no feedback, inconsistent spacing, or confusing navigation, which some might be seen as small issue, but it does affect the overall user experience. What makes an app feel seamless isn’t just powerful functions, but the attention to small details.

Findings

I’ve learned that user-centered design is really important for making a good app. Reading user reviews and designing based on what they need is key to improving the user experience. I realize I need to work on my analysis skills and pay more attention when using apps in daily life. By doing this, I’ll have better ideas for improving app design in the future.