After exploring 3 different design directions this week I was able to determine which direction was the strongest. Through my design process I realized that each comp had a solid direction so I was able to pull the best from each. This was helpful because after designing I realized there was a nice flow of information and design from each direction. After deciding on which screens had the strongest design I was able to finish designing the entire mobile app with a total of 34 screens to give an overall look and feel of what the app is about. The feedback I had received from last week was about my choice of color. Although a nice overall color palette the tone was very dark which I was able to fix in my final design. Instead of working with the off white background throughout the app I used strictly white which gave it a brighter more inviting feeling. As for the other design elements I toned back the burgundy color giving it a softer feeling as well. With the critique from last week I was able to work with the feedback to enhance the overall design.
When users download an app, they don’t just want the mobile version of the website. They want a unique experience that justifies the time they spent downloading the app
Cameron Chapman, Mobile UX design principles and best practices
During the design process I had to take into account best practices within UX design. An article from Medium gave a great overall explanation of what to look for when designing for mobile. The main suggestions they offered were putting the user first, make navigation intuitive, create a seamless experience across devices, and focus on user goals. Out of all these expectational suggestions, putting the user first was the one that resonated with me the most because from the start of this project I was always set out to think about the user. Not to say this is easy but it does make it easier when the app redesign is of interest to me. Since Poshmark is most likely an app I would use to buy and sell my clothing I had to consider not only what I would want out of the app but what would users my age think would be beneficial. At the app’s current state I know I wouldn’t use it because of all the suggestions this article mentions, Poshmark is not adhering to any of them.
Throughout my app redesign process I found myself mostly sticking to my wireframe design but having to adjust from time to time. I also needed to add more screens has I continued designing because I would get to a point where I needed to further explain to the user how they would get from point A to point B. I had to be mindful of user flow and avoiding chunking, often referred to as information overload. An article from Studio has prime examples of areas where this can be avoided. In a situation where there is a lot of information required from the user it is better to divide the tasks into a variety of subtasks. E-commerce apps are great examples of where this scenario would occur. There can be separation in the number of steps that a user is required to take action on.
By limiting the number of actions required from the user’s side you’ll improve comprehension.
Nick Babich, The Guide to Mobile App Design: Best Practices for 2018 and Beyond
I had to consider this when redesigning my app especially for the checkout screen I created. Although I didn’t have a lot of information on that screen is was broken down into 2 separate screens, one for the cart and the other for the payment information. I found it much easier to give some space for the user to take a break rather than a lot of information thrown to them at once. Overall I think my app redesign provides the user with the ability to navigate the app without the frustration they may have experienced with the app in its current state. My colors have been toned down and the overall look and feel have been significantly improved to avoid any usability flaws. There are a lot of added features to give the app a warm and inviting feeling. To look at the full mobile app redesign further click here.
Mikayla Lovering 