Overview
Social media apps have been proven to have negative impacts for users: addictive, harmful to mental health, false sense of self-worth, etc.). I wanted to design an app that does the opposite.
Quota is a minimal functioning app that has a core purpose of sharing inspiring, artistic photos while limiting user time spent on the app, without any of the potentially harmful features that social media apps tend to thrive on.
Why Quota?
User Control
User controls what content is shown on feed by choosing content they are interested in via categories (Design, Art, Nature, etc.).
Allows user to engage with content on their own terms, rather than having an array of random content on their feed that user may not take interest in.
Daily Quota + Mindfulness
User chooses how long they will be on app per day (upon onboarding).
Once time is up, user is notified and is prompted to take a moment of mindfulness/a few breathes before exiting app.
Rewards System
The the daily quota, the more points rewarded.
Once user acquires enough points, they are able to spend them on doing a small humanitarian act (plant a tree; eyewear donation; clean water) via a number of reputable organizations partnered with app: (https://onetreeplanted.org/; https://www.clearly.ca/eyewear/our-mission, https://water.org/about-us/.
Sketches
Lo-Fi Wireframes
Onboarding
Main Feed (Initial Concept)
User Research > Personas
Research
Three users were interviewed ranging from age 25 – 34, with respective occupations in IT, Bio Chemistry, and Neuroscience.
Each user varied in regard to how often they watched the news or used news apps (rarely, often, and daily).
User Insights
Users want more control over what they see on feeds and when they are notified.
There is not enough news variety.
Users associated news with negative imagery and colours.
Users had an easier time recalling recent negative news stories; harder time recalling positive news.
All users felt that news has negative impact on their mental health, admitted to being better off without it.
Persona 1
Persona 2
Ideation > Prototype
The initial idea was that the user would have their chosen content topics on the main feed (at the top of screen) and then customize notifications from the menu.
The main focus was to give users control over content on the main feed and the notifications they receive from the app. This focal point continued to develop all the more throughout the rest of the design process.
Information Architecture
User Flow
Lo-Fi Wireframes
Main Feed + Manage Notifications Flow
The most significant screen in this user flow was "Schedule Notifications" because I needed to ensure that the user would have more options to control their notifications rather than just turning notifications on/off on app.
I borrowed the idea from Samsung Galaxy's "Do Not Disturb" mode. Once I had the design stable for this screen, I was able to focus on other elements of the app that would create a tailored experience for the user, such as the main feed design.
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Main Feed + Menu + Manage Notifications Flow
Curating Main Feed Flow
Content Voting on Main Feed + Content Options (hover)
Usability Testing
Five users tested prototype; they had to navigate from the main feed screen to find notification settings and schedule notifications.
User Feedback
Tap and hold function to schedule time of day on the Schedule Notification screen needed feedback to show that the function was completed.
Content and buttons on Notifications screens were not big enough; some users had a hard time tapping and reading them.
Challenges & Obstacles
Prioritizing Designs
The most challenging part of the design process was prioritizing the menu and notification controls and deciding on a simple but effective layout. Bypassing the main feed screen design at first helped me to hone in on user insights and needs.
Main Feed Curation > Design
Another major challenge was deciding how the user could curate their main feed right after onboarding. I wanted this option for the user to be immediate so they can jump right into their feed without having to customize after. The user should have a strong sense of control from the start.
Deciding on the design and functionality of the main feed and was also challenging. Minimizing screen content on the main feed was key for a cleaner design while decreasing visible actions for users. I garnered inspiration from Pinterest: the user can hover over an image and actions pop up for the user to choose from (i.e. Share, Favourite, Like).
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
While the the focus was creating user control and a tailored experience on the app, I need to dive deeper into what that means for a variety of users, in which case I will continue working on the app in its entirety, and conduct more user research, user testing, and receive more feedback. This will allow me to add significant features that will benefit users without complicating the app, while maintaining the goal of creating a unique and tailored experience.
I will continue honing my UX/UI design skills and developing designs that enhance the user experience.