UX Research

I worked with a design mentor to create this app as part of a user experience course with Bloc.

We met weekly to discuss my progress and solve any issues.
My main goal was to understand the user experience to apply it to our digital world.  
The creation was meant for educational purposes and not for an end product.

Course tasks included:
• UX Research – determining needs for the app; building personas
• Branding – tone of voice; style guides
• Learning basic HTML & GitHub
• Making wireframes in Balsamiq, Sketch, Illustrator, & Photoshop
• User testing – getting feedback from users about impressions and the app’s message

questions & answers

PROBLEM: Create an organizational app for women ages 30-60 that caters to their likes and fits their lifestyles.

QUESTIONS:
What does the target audience want included?
How would they like it displayed?
What tone of voice do they prefer?
What will be unique about this product?

PROCESS: I worked with a mentor to inform my copy, branding, and design process.
I created the app, but I collaborated with my mentor and relied on feedback from her.
Tasks included in the process:
Persona research through interviews. User testing of prototype in basic (lo-fi) wireframe form and in hi-fi form.

SOLUTION: TakeNote organizes notes, photos, and links. It’s simply designed with a clear layout.
The tone of voice reflects the target audience’s intelligence and need for precise organization.

persona research

I questioned several people about their organizational habits to understand the needs of my target audience.

Some sample survey questions:
“Do you save online content? If so, what do you save?”
“Do you write and save notes to remember things later?”
“What bugs you about organizing your notes?”
“How would you describe yourself in 3 adjectives?”

The needs of my audience included organization for notes and a place to store recipes. I used this research to inform my brand. I decided to include notes, photos, and website links.

The personality traits of my audience included appreciation for intelligence, being detail-oriented, and entertainment-centered.

I used this research to inform my copywriting decisions.
TakeNote’s tone of voice is professional, trustworthy and slightly playful. I focused on communicating the features clearly and emphasizing the organizational aspects.  

Copywriting

 I wrote these “reviews” based on information about my target audience. This part of the homepage explains what “collaborators” means (something that confused users in testing – see below). By gaining valuable information in user testing, I was able to more clearly articulate the product’s features. 

Click on the image to view a larger version.

user testing 

“… in usability tests, you watch people actually use things, instead of just listening to them talk about them.” – Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited

Testing is SO important for copywriting. The way you phrase something or what you leave out can sway the user’s impression.

it’s ideal to test early and often, so we can iterate and improve the experience before launching a finished product.

(When testing isn’t possible, feedback from a mentor or colleague is also helpful.)

I created lo-fidelity wireframes and created prototypes using InVision. I received feedback from users through usertestresults.com. ​

Feedback included user data like, “I’m not sure what this means” or “I’m not sure where to go here.”

I used this feedback to further revise the copywriting & user experience.

click to view user test #1.
click to view user test #2.

final takenote app

By building this prototype app, ​I learned how copywriting and design can influence user flow.
I learned about the processes that go into branding and how that relates to the tone of voice.

I encountered issues of clarity in communication. What seemed obvious to me, may not have been to the user (in testing). It was helpful to gain a new perspective on my work during the process. 

TakeNote speaks to intelligent women, ages 30-60, who want to organize their lives.

Click on the image to view carousel.