23/4/2024 - 28/5/2023
Leong Jiahui / 0353469
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
GCD62104 / DESIGN EXPLORATION
Instructions
Exercise 1: Introduction to UX Design
Exercise 1 Instructions
WEEK 1
While recalling and analysing the pros and cons of using the app, I also made comparisons with Tokyo DisneyWorld's app, which in my opinion did many of the things the USJ app did bad, a lot better. This exercise was a fun one as I got to revisit and reminisce about my Japan trip while being productive. I miss Japan a lot.
This week, we were briefed about the overall module. Nobody in our class is from a UI/UX background, so our lecturer took some time to introduce the module and its expectations. It was a fun time getting to know the origins and rules of designing a friendly UI to provide the best user experience.
A short and fun activity about app design as also carried out in groups where we had to come up with an app that has not existed yet (technically it was impossible, that was the whole point, but it was still fun to throw out ideas anyway). Groups were formed early for Final Task, as the progression will begin very early on in the semester. We were instructed to sign up for a Figma account in preparation for the upcoming weeks.
We were briefed about our final project for the module, which is a group project to design a personal helper app. We are then tasked to choose a personal helper app to analyze. The app chosen must be different for everyone, and preferably a less established and polished app so we can have more content to critique and learn from. We are to analyse the app's UI in terms of affordances, signifiers and mapping, how they implement certain features and how it could be improved, especially in terms of user experience.
Week 1 lecture slides:
With that in mind, the app that I selected for is Recommend.my. It is an app for homeowners to hire contractors directly through its platform. It is an app I have gotten to know from another module we had, that was focused on apps like these. Recommend.my is quite complicated in nature, with a number of features to look into.
While analysing the app, I took time to understand the background of the app and what are its main objectives. The, I looked into every feature of the app and its layouts, taking screenshots and videos to be directed for the exercise. I was pretty confused by the definitions of signifiers, affordances and mapping while working on the analysis and ended up missing certain points entirely
WEEK 2
This week, we presented our findings with the class. Apparently, all of us got the feedback part of the exercise wrong as we misunderstood the meaning of the term. We assumed 'feedback' to be our feedback towards the app's design and suggestions for its improvements, however, it turned out that 'feedback' in UIUX actually refers to the responses or reactions provided by the system to the user's actions. Feedback is crucial because it helps users understand the outcome of their actions, whether successful or not, and guides them on what to do next.
With the newfound understanding, I re-did the part and also added a bit more to the other parts of the analysis, according to the lecturer's feedback during presentation. In week 2, we also learned more about the good and bad in UX design, common UIUX design practices and how we can adapt them into our upcoming group project to design an app.
Week 2 lecture slides:
Exercise 2: Design audit
WEEK 3
Moving onto the next exercise, we were introduced to the skills of empathizing with users to produce a well rounded user interface for the best user experience. We revisited the user personas, empathy maps, and did group activities to strengthen our understanding on the topic.
Week 3 lecture slides:
Next, we were briefed on Exercise 2. We were required to visit a physical establishment that uses an app (or any form of digital platform) to access its service. My initial train of thought went to the cinema, but after learning that we were required to have the full user experience by purchasing at the establishment, and there was no good movie I wanted to watch that is screening right now, I was determined to not spend a single dime on this exercise. As we were not allowed to repeat topics in terms of fields, I wasn't able to choose any of the fnb stores because many peers were already doing it. Hence, I dug up my past experience and decided to do an analysis on the Universal Studios Japan app. I recently visited the park in march and still had the materials to perform the analysis, so why not? I also made sure to double-check with the lecturer that it was not a must for the establishment to be local.
While carrying out my analysis, I tried my best to recall my feelings and experiences while using the app. I categorized each section of my case study based on the app's functions, explaining how each function works and whether the UIUX was pleasant to the user. I also made some comparisons of the app with the Tokyo Disney Resorts app, that I find had an overall better UX compared to USJ that I could use as an example in my study. We are required to present this in class next week.
Exercise 2 instructions:
WEEK 4
This week, we presented our findings in class. It was interesting to see all the different apps everyone has chosen, and learn from them.
Week 4 lecture slides:
Exercise 2 Final Outcome
UX Exercise 2 by Jiahui Leong
Reflection
Experience
Throughout the first 4 weeks of the module, we were introduced to the UI/UX module, with our lecturer explaining its origins and design principles, which was enjoyable for everyone since none of us have a UI/UX background. The analysis exercises were very helpful in gearing us up for our final group project, where we will need to design a personal helper app.
Observation
These exercises have trained my observation skills in analysing and identifying the good and the bad in UX design. All the observation exercises proved helpful in designing our upcoming personal helper app. Initially, I struggled with understanding the definitions of signifiers, affordances, and mapping, which led to some missed points. During our class presentations, I realized we misunderstood 'feedback' in UI/UX, thinking it meant our suggestions for improvement rather than the system's responses to user actions.
Findings
I found analyzing the Universal Studios Japan app in exercise 2 very productive and enjoyable, allowing me to reminisce about my Japan trip while highlighting key differences between it and the Tokyo DisneyWorld app. Presenting our findings in class showcased the diversity of apps chosen and offered valuable insights from each other's analyses.
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