There’s an app for that!
due January 16, 2020
Design a single-function “utility” app based on open-ended generative research.
Setup
- Teams of 2–3
- 2 days
Materials
- Index cards
- Pens
- Google Slides
Deliverables
- Digital paper prototype
- Slide deck
- Presentation
The Brief
Your team will be designing a single-function “utility” app. Choose from one of the examples below of pick your own!
- Weather
- Currency converter
- Reminders
- Activity tracker
Suggestions
- Don’t jump straight to a solution! Explore the problem space in a few user interviews first, paying special attention to contexts of use.
- Don’t be afraid to go where your research leads you. You might be surprised!
- Keep your design ruthlessly focused on a single basic piece of functionality.
Presentation (8 minutes)
Your presentation should answer the following questions:
- What did your research show you?
- What variations on your design did you explore?
- How were your design decisions connected to your research findings?
- How would a user operate your final design?
- What would you do differently next time?
Make sure to share the presentation equally amongst your teammates! (And watch out for smooth handoffs between speakers.)
Prototype
For this prototype, you’ll stick to sketches on paper, but also take photos of your sketches to create a digital prototype using your choice of Invision or Marvel.
Note: We’ll mostly be using the prototyping tools of Sketch in this class, so this might be a good opportunity to try out Marvel or InVision. Whatever you decide, make sure to talk it over as a team.