Loud and Clear
Project date: November 2022 - December 2022
The Problem
The Goal
Most of our users find it difficult to schedule a private tutor that works on their schedule. In addition to that there are no known one stop shop for resources for public speaking.
Create an app and responsive website that addresses these issues and provide an experience that’s easily accessible to the user no matter what device they’re using.
My Role
Responsibilities
UX designer leading the app and responsive design from conception to delivery
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframes, low and high fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs, determining information architecture, and responsive design.
Understanding The User
I conducted interviews and empathy maps to better understand the user and their pain points. Many of our target users say that there are not many options when it comes to tutoring in public speaking, much less the tutors themselves that will work with their busy schedule. When it came for the user to learn by themselves, many other sources online are unreliable and would require the user to search many websites.
Competitive Audit
An audit of a few competitors products provided direction on gaps and opportunities to address with the Loud and Clear app.
Starting the Design
Ideation
I did a quick ideation exercise to come up with ideas for how to address gaps identified in the competitive audit. My focus was specifically on simple navigation and a place for a one stop shop for tutoring public speaking.
Digital Wireframes
After ideating and drafting some paper wireframes, I created initial designs for the Loud and Clear app. The designs focused on simple navigation while addressing user pain points by having everything in one place.
Low Fidelity Prototype
To prepare for testing, I created a lo-fi prototype that connected the user flow, logging in, selecting an exercise and viewing their progress.
View Lo-Fi Prototype
Usability Study: Parameters
Study type: Unmoderated usability study
Participants: 7 participants
Location: Houston TX, remote
Length: 30-60 minutes
Usability Study: Findings
These were the main findings uncovered by the usability study.
Exercise features
People want real time feedback on their progress.
2. Dashboard Navigation
People generally have no problems with navigation of the main home page.
3. Logging out
Users had issues finding where to log out of the account.
Refining the Design
Mockups
Based on insights from the usability study, I applied design changes like providing a clear indication of logging out the account. Additional design changes is the inclusion of an exercise selection screen. Before the study, this screen was not present.
Additional Mockups
Hi-Fi Prototype
The high fidelity prototype followed the same user flow as the low fidelity prototype, including design changes made after the usability study. View the Hi-Fi prototype here.
Accessibility Considerations
Information not overbearing to the user as it follows a linear user flow
2. Clear labels for interactive elements that can be read by screen readers
Responsive Design
Sitemapping
With the app designs I completed, I started work on designing the responsive website. I used the Loud and Clear sitemap to guide the organizational structure of each screen’s design to ensure a cohesive and consistent experience across all devices.
Responsive Designs
The design for screen size variation included mobile, tablet, and desktop. I optimized the designs to fit specific user needs of each device and screen size.
Going Forward
Impact
Users shared that the app can be a useful tool for learning a new skill since everything is consolidated into one place instead of relying on multiple sources. One quote from peer feedback was that “The Loud and Clear app helps me learn at my own pace without the headache of scheduling a private tutor”
What I Learned
I learned that even though the problem I was trying to solve was a big one, diligently going through each step of the design process and aligning with specific user needs helped me come up wit solutions that were both feasible and useful.