Creating Connections between Generations |
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What's a UI Collection?
I started this project with a very open-ended deliverable—I didn't want to jump to a solution too soon before going through the research process. With so many different ideas developing from all of my research, I decided to create a collection of different interface snippets. Think of it like a library of all different solutions. These snippets are designed to be flexible. One snippet could be applied to an existing application, or perhaps all these snippets could combine into their own standalone application. |
Research
Competitor Research & Analysis
I looked at some of the most popular social networking apps including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Slack to get a feel for common patterns and flows within each app. Then, I identified some personal pain and pleasure points, and some feedback I received from user testing with my Grandma. Remote User Testing
After exploring a number of different social media applications, I had a few hypotheses for how my Grandma might interact with these platforms. I decided to put these to the test by remote user testing on her smartphone.
Online Survey
In March 2020, my research process suddenly moved to remote work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that I had gathered sufficient research from people in the Silent Generation, I wanted to see how the whole family was feeling, from parents to young cousins.
Survey Analysis & Synthesis Process using Dovetail
I read through every participants responses, and highlighted the pain and pleasure points they experienced while using different communication methods (like telephone, email, texting, etc). Then, these pain and pleasure points were analyzed to create tangible conclusions. Finally, these conclusions became the backbone of my UI. video: an animated walkthrough of my research analysis
psss...the kind folks at Dovetail let me use their software for a whole month for free! I can't speak highly enough of this fantastic tool :^)! Process SketchesPutting It All Together—On Paper First
Through my entire research process, I took to my sketchbook to brainstorm and record potential UI collection snippets. Sketching on paper allowed me to experiment with different ideas without getting lost in the high-fidelity visuals too soon in the process. |
overview of my sketchbook
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UI Collection
Wireframe UI Component Credits to Material Design 2 UI Kit by Marcel Mölter and Android UI Kit by Figma