OVERVIEW
Workshop Wednesday was a mini-series I started on social media at RedMark Group. I was inspired by Don Norman's book The Design of Everyday Things. I asked people to describe a recent negative interaction they had with an interface and then did a redesign to improve the experience.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
1 Week Each
PROBLEM
People often blame themselves when they can't complete a task using an interface when usability is frequently to blame. The following projects were based on real user frustrations from people I interviewed. I had a time constraint since I had to prioritize my client projects, however, I was determined to find time to solve these user pain points.
SOLUTION & IMPACT
I redesigned existing interfaces that addressed user feedback to show that a few design tweaks can make an app or website more intuitive, increase user retention, and contribute to a positive experience.
BLACKBOARD
Website for UIC students to access course materials
Problem
- The sign-in button is difficult to spot
- It's not clear what action the user is supposed to take
- It's not easy for users to quickly identify the site they are on
Solution
- The main focus is the sign-in window
- The extra links are in a collapsible menu to avoid overwhelming users
INFINITY
Website to make car payments
Problem
- The "Make a payment" and "Logout" buttons are difficult to find
- The current layout doesn't provide a helpful flow to guide users through their task
- The typography doesn't have enough contrast
Solution
- The new layout and hierarchy point the user to make a payment first and then see the secondary actions
- The updated typography improves readability
NICOR GAS
Website to manage your natural gas bill
Problem
- The current arrangement of content is overwhelming
- It's not clear if the emergency information is for new users or existing users
Solution
- The revised layout provides a focal point
- The use of proximity helps the user understand similar content
VENMO
App to send or receive money
Problem
- The icons are not familiar to users
- It's not clear what "Stories" is or why someone should click that
Solution
- The icons were updated to be understandable
- Checking "Payments" and/or "Requests" makes more sense for the use case of this app
COVID APPS
Apps that offer health services related to COVID
Problem
- Other apps require too much time and effort from the user
- Other apps have too many features
Solution
- The process to report COVID takes less than 1 minute
- The number of possible actions a user could take is limited to 4
TAKEAWAYS
I'm a natural empathizer and solutionist. I care about what frustrates people and always strive to improve the experience if I can. With more time, I would have performed user testing to truly see if my redesigns provided a better experience.
