PROJECT VISION
SD Photography is a local photography studio in the San Diego metropolitan area that focuses on unique pieces at reasonable prices. There motto is that “all people should have access to high quality artwork.” For this project, I decided to use a goal-directed design method which involved the use of persona creation and goals. To showcase my mobile design skillset, I created this application to be fully mobile-based.
THE PROBLEM
Busy individuals who want the ability to order products through a mobile app, in this case photography.
THE GOAL
Design an app for SD Photography that allows users to seamlessly order unique, local photography.
RESEARCH
I began conducting research via the use of in-person user interviews to help identify the specific needs and user groups I wanted to focus on in this project. I discovered a primary user group of busy, working professionals that want the ease of ordering photography through a mobile app. The identification of this primary user group confirmed my assumption that potential users of this app would be busy individuals who wanted the ability to order products through a mobile app, in this case photography. Other problems documented included: accessibility (visual impairments), complicated product filtering functionality on similar apps, and payment security concerns.
USER PAIN POINTS
(1) Time
Busy, working professionals have little time outside of work obligations. This makes mobile app ordering essential to their daily lives.
(2) Accessibility
Similar photography ordering apps are rarely equipped with assistive technologies.
(3) UI
Filtering functionality of similar photo apps are difficult to use and don’t allow the user to narrow down searches to the degree they need.
(4) Security
Newly created/relatively unknown photography apps pose a concern to individuals that worry about payment security and their personal information.
KEY QUESTIONS
MEET THE USERS
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
I looked at several potential competing companies to better understand the market and how our product compares to those that have been established for quite some time. Although many of these companies aren't in direct competition with our application, they still do pose a threat to our business popularity and revenue as a whole. Through this research I determined some gaps in the market that we hope to address in our own application. Some opportunities we identified to better position our application include:
- Integrate free shipping into our business model
- Integrate our app with voice assistive technology, screen readers, and multiple language options
- Create image upload functionality for those who wish to have their own work printed
- Create a straightforward process for ordering and tracking
PREPARING THE JOURNEY
Creating multiple versions of the home screen ensured that the final product would incorporate the best elements and placement. This ensures the best user experience while also taking into account user pain points. Stars were used to highlight elements I wanted to use in the digital wireframe process.
LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
The user flow demonstrates the steps one takes to select images and the subsequent process of successfully ordering them for delivery. In addition, user flows for various links nested in the sidebar are shown as well.
View the SD Photography low-fidelity prototype
USABILITY STUDY: FINDINGS
I conducted two rounds of usability studies for this app design. These studies helped me determine pain point for users while completing tasks in our mobile app. The first round helped to refine wireframes and initial mockups while the second round gave me insights on further improvements that were needed in the high-fidelity prototype.
STYLE GUIDE
KEY MOCKUPS
HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
The final high-fidelity prototype produced a cleaner design and better user flow overall. It met the users’ needs by allowing for profile creation and saved payment information.
View the SD Photography high-fidelity prototype
TAKEAWAYS
While creating this app, I learned a great deal about the process of iterating on designs and the design process as a whole. Through user research and studies I realized the steps necessary to take an app to a level that puts the user front and center. I also came to find out just how many design iterations an app must go through before it is considered user ready.
IMPACT
This app allows users to buy and enjoy unique photography in their homes, offices, and as gifts to others. It takes into account the needs of the users and ensures they have a good experience using the app.
One quote from peer feedback:
“This app is extremely easy to navigate without a lot of fuss and distractions. I love the simplicity.”
