Now that the final design was chosen and I made some minor edits to the fully enhance the overall look and feel of the app I went into prototyping the entire app. This part in the process is extremely important because it provides the user with an idea of how the app would operate if it went to market. Throughout the prototyping process I learned a lot which included how to prototype I the first place because it has been a while since I have visited prototyping. Not only refreshing myself on the process but it required me to talk out the web of connections. For example, I had to tell myself “button A when taped takes you to xyz screen”. As silly as it may sound it helped to talk about which buttons connect to which screens because it kept me focused and not losing track of the endless of web of the prototyping. The biggest challenge was being diligent in where each part of the app connected to the next. Over time the connections became bigger and that lent itself to more errors along the way. Toward the end it became overwhelming to see the amount of paths I have created but as I talked myself through the various connections I could follow where each path went.
In the process of creating the prototypes I had to take into account some best practices within prototyping. Interaction Design Foundation suggests considering four key components of prototyping which are people – including those whom you are testing and the observer, objects – static and interactive, including the prototype and other objects the people and/or prototype interact/s with, location – places and environments, and interactions – digital or physical, between people, objects and the location. Medium has a great article about creating high-fidelity user interface and interactive prototypes in which the author suggests making a big idea and turning it into a high-fidelity user interface with beautiful visual quality and then proceed with making interactive prototypes with interactions similar to the actual application.
“The difference between low-fidelity and high-fidelity is the insight that we can get. By using high-fidelity prototypes, the insights we get will be more optimal.”
Rizki Mardita, Creating a High-Fidelity User Interface & Interactive Prototype in an hour
The advice from the article states that when we provide a more interactive and realistic approach to the prototyping process, the more realistic the user will interact with the prototype so the user will provide optimal insight as when they interact with the actual app. Throughout my experience with the prototyping process for this mobile app redesign of Poshmark I have considered this suggestion from the article. I have worked at making my app redesign as realistic as possible so that any user could get an overall feel of how the app would operate if it was brought to market. Looking at all sides of the prototyping best practices I have looked into the ideas provided in the article from Inside Design by InVision. in which it suggests good design is a gradual process of subtraction.
“Great, minimalistic design is a process of subtraction to a product’s essential core.”
Ricky Lyman, How one designer prototyped prototyping
Reading through these articles I have taken the suggestions into consideration with my own prototyping journey. I have created a system of organization and minimalistic style throughout my app to maintain a level of consistency for my potential users. I kept the possibilities for where the user can tap to a minimum so there is little to no confusion about how to run the app. I think as an overall evaluation from start to end Poshmark’s mobile app redesign as changed for the better in the interest of its users. To see the prototyped app in action click here.
Mikayla Lovering 