Overview
It is inevitable to avoid danger when it arises in your area. More than ever, sometimes it is too late for people to realize there is an imminent threat close to them. This company aims to alert users about the threat around their area by providing real time camera feed, alerts, and a routing system where users are directed to the safest route available for them to leave the area safely.
I was assigned to work for a company and help them create their UI for an application. I was given the necessary information and research that was previously done and use this to create wireframes that is suitable to the company
My approach was to create the user interface while keeping the flow simple and intuitive. I created wireframes that can show the product fulfilling its needs with simplicity and clarity. My role was to be the UX researcher, Information Architect, Product Designer, and Visual Designer.
Problem
How might we provide safety to our users and give them the peace of mind they deserve during an imminent threat?
Solution
The solution was to create a user friendly application that can alert users appropriately when an event is around them. In addition, the app should be simple and effective where only relevant and important events are brought to the user’s attention. We do not want to flood the user with unnecessary alerts that could lead to them uninstalling or abandoning the app altogether.
The app should also prioritize getting users to safety when they are in the middle of an event. This is a beneficial feature since alerting them of a threat without a way for them to get to safety or escape the event is non-beneficial to many users.
The app should also prioritize getting users to safety when they are in the middle of an event. This is a beneficial feature since alerting them of a threat without a way for them to get to safety or escape the event is non-beneficial to many users.
Process
To create the wireframes, I consulted with the company about the scope of work and goals for me as a consultant. I analyzed and reviewed the previous wireframes and work that was done for the company. There were three deliverables that the company requested being a heuristic analysis of competitors, user wireframes, and flows of the whole journey.
Research
I started by doing a heuristic analysis of the competitors for the company. The companies were Ring, and the Nest application which are both security applications that are directed toward consumers.
1. Visibility of the system status
Let the user know what’s going on.
Let the user know what’s going on.
RING: DEVICE STATUS AND PREVIEWS
The interface allows the user to know the status of their devices and previews of what it sees. It also appropriately alerts users of unusual movements captured by the camera and prompts them to look at it.
NEST: ACTIVITY ZONES AND COLOR-CODED ALERTS
Nest offers innovative features such as activity zones where activity would be detected more than the other areas which is useful for accuracy of reports and alerts. Another feature is the color-coded alerts that pop up when certain things are detected by the software.
2. Math between the system and the real world
Design systems based on familiar ideas and concepts
LANGUAGE
The terms used in both Nest and Ring are both consumer friendly where it is simple and used universally even in the real world. This allows users to know the concept without any other references besides its usage in the real world.
NEST: VIDEO EDITING UI
Nest uses a video preview UI similar to many video editing software making it easier for consumers to actually use the feature.
3. User control and freedom
Put the user in charge and give them the ability to do things freely.
Put the user in charge and give them the ability to do things freely.
RING: NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
The UI for neighborhood watch is unique where users can click various categories and they are able to see what they wish to follow if an intruder is spotted in the neighborhood.
The UI for neighborhood watch is unique where users can click various categories and they are able to see what they wish to follow if an intruder is spotted in the neighborhood.
NEST:
Nest allows users to customize the home page with what they need. It also gives the user choices such as answering doorbells or registering a person as someone they know.
4. Recognition rather than recall
recognize something when you see it
ICONS AND ALERTS
The icons and alerts used in both Nest and Ring are easy to recognize since it is highly used in many applications. Having these in the apps makes it easier for the user to figure out functions based on icons alone. The alerts are also recognizable based on the type of alert there is.
5. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Minimalist design is about making sure that everything presented to the user is necessary and useful.
The interface for both Nest and Ring are clean enough where navigation is easy since clutter is nonexistent. In addition, the interface values the functionality over form where the UI is designed to make the user features the most important part of the application.
Design
Wireframes were created based on the previous ones created by the company and the appropriate research I conducted from the competitors.
Afterwards, wireframes were created to better understand the routes that the users have to take in order to reach user goals and needs.
Conclusion
The process gave me a great deal of experience when working with an actual company. The communication and deliverables involved were beneficial for me to use in the future since I can apply them to how I approach problems and how I should communicate with my superiors.
I could have improved on how I approached the problem while working on a time constraint. Since the Industry Design Project was only 4 weeks long, Utilizing this time to create the necessary deliverables with quality products is necessary to advance in this career.
