Project 1 / Mobile Application Proposal

Shim Yi Xun || 0363292

Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
  Application Design DST 60504  

Application Design I - Project 1

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  Overview  

> Instructions

• Project 1 Instruction
• Preliminary Proposal
• Process of Final Proposal
• Final Proposal Submission

> Feedback

> Reflection

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  Instructions  

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  Project 1 Instruction  

Students are required to redesign an existing app that needs improvement in terms of the user experience or interface design and its subject. Students need to create and prepare proposal documentation for this mobile application project for preliminary approval.

Requirement for the proposal:

1. Introduction
- Introduce the purpose of the proposal

- Explain the importance of mobile application design and how it impacts user experience.

2. Background and Context
- Describe the existing mobile application and its current design.
- Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the current design.
- Explain the user demographics and user needs of the application.

3. Goals and Objectives
- Define the objectives of the redesign.
- Identify the primary and secondary goals for the new design.
- Explain how the new design will address user needs and improve user experience.

4. User Research
- Describe the user research methods you will use.
- Explain how you will gather user feedback and insights.
- Provide a plan for user testing and validation.

5. References
- Include any references used for research and inspiration, such as articles, books, or design examples.

  Preliminary Proposal  

During the first week, Mr Zeon asked us to find three apps that we intend to redesign and after researching, we have to create a draft proposal, which is also the preliminary proposal, to show to him in Week 2. 

After searching around the apps I usually use, I've selected three of them, as follows:
1. Kummute
2. Amazon
3. Domino's

View for PDF:

Fig 2.1 Preliminary Proposal (latest version)

Of these three apps, Kummute is the most familiar to me and I have had lots of bad experiences using this app as I've been using it for about a year. So after discussing with Mr Zeon, he also approved and allowed me to proceed with the final proposal using Kummute. However, sir said that I need to improve my draft proposal to make it more complete, such as adding the current design of those apps and also the weaknesses of user experience.

  Process of Final Proposal  

The final application choice for my project is Kummute.

When I was researching the user demographics information of this app, I struggled because Kummute did not meet the user data requirement in SimilarWeb, a website for us to get the application data analysis which was suggested by Mr Zeon. Hence, I tried to get some user information from Kummute's official website and analysed its target audience as well as the purpose for developing the app. And finally, I sent the first version of my final proposal to sir for checking and also to get some feedback on which part needs some improvement.

After getting feedback, there are some parts that need to be modified:
1. For the current design part, need to add some brief descriptions for each page.

Fig 3.1 Current Design page

2. Should add more different perspectives of issues regarding the critical reviews. Ensuring that all the reviews of the app have been examined thoroughly and additional issues are highlighted comprehensively.

Fig 3.2 Critical Reviews page

3. Regarding the UI functionality which is listed as a part of strengths, this should be re-evaluated as there are some users complaining about the app UI issues in critical reviews. Therefore, this should not be recognized as a strength.

Fig 3.3 Weaknesses pages

4. Only two slides on weaknesses are not enough, have to add more additional slides on it.

Fig 3.4 Strengths & Weaknesses page

  Final Proposal Submission  

Application name: Kummute

Category: Travel app

Kummute is a ride-sharing app that aims to meet the growing demand for efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions in urban areas. As cities face growing challenges such as traffic congestion, high transportation costs and environmental issues, Kummute offers a sustainable alternative by promoting ride-sharing. The app connects passengers with drivers travelling in the same direction, allowing them to share a ride and split the cost, making it easier for people to reduce their carbon footprint while saving money on transportation.

View for PDF:

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  Feedback  

Week 1

  General  

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  Specific  
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Week 2

  General  

Make sure to highlight all critical points of the screen-grab reviews, so it would be easier to read them.

  Specific  
- Need to add the current app design for each selected app in the draft proposal, should have at least four of them. 
- Find more user experience weaknesses for the Amazon and Domino's apps. 

-  Add a summary conclusion for each app.

Week 3
  General  
You are required to use SimilarWeb to screen-grab the user demographics to get actual data for your selected app. If not, try to find the data from somewhere else as possible as well.

  Specific  

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  Reflection  

Reflecting on the mobile app proposal project, I found it to be a valuable learning experience in user-centred design. Redesigning the Kummute app required in-depth user research and iterative feedback integration. One of the challenges is striking a balance between improving the user interface and responding to different user needs, such as enhancing communication between passengers and drivers. This project highlights the importance of prioritizing accessibility and functionality. The skills I developed will impact my future design projects, especially in creating solutions that effectively address real user pain points.