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One of the most complicated problems deaf and non verbal people face is communicating with others without disabilities. There is a huge communication barrier.
This was one of the problem statements provided by Chethan KVS. Check it out here
Research, information architecture, wireframing, UI design, prototyping.
5 weeks - oct' 2022- nov' 2022
I used secondary research based on blogs and articles. I further went through comments on a few apps that serve the same purpose, noticing what people are frustrated with, what doesn't work for them, and what works for them.
To build a successful app, I had to look into what other applications were offering and what areas they were missing. To do this, I did a competitive analysis to map out what essential features and then identified which of these features Bridge could use to give it an edge over competitors.
The app requires the user to create a profile, as certain features of the app require storing information specific to the user for their customization, which the user may not be able to do without having an account.
The app also requires access to features like a microphone, location, contacts, and calls for the app to function appropriately. However, access to the gallery is not as necessary and is left for the user to choose.
Let's consider an example to better understand the problem and how this app could help.
Say a deaf and mute person needs to speak to someone in public. How would they communicate when the other person doesn't understand sign language? these are their possible options but not a good solution:
· They can use any messaging app but they're talking to a stranger and wouldn't have any information about the other person.
· They could write text on the notes app and show it to the other person, but then the other person would have to take their phone in hand and type back the response. So, this is not an effective method.
Here's my take on this problem:
How the speak interface works with text and speech
Enlarging message font size and clearing convo
Message read out-loud
location and smart AI suggestions
From my research, I found that the solution is using RTT (Real Time Texting), which is being used in the United States but not available in India, which is my target demographic.
So let me first walk you through how RTT works on mobile devices in the US.
When you call someone, it shows you the RTT button along with the speaker, mute, hold, etc. When you click on RTT, it opens up a message-like interface, and you can text here.
The nifty part here is that with RTT, there is no need to press a "send" key as there generally is for SMS, chat, or other types of texting. A recipient can read a message while the sender types it. However, the flaw here is that the other person must also be texting back. The other person would only receive a text response, not a voice response, so it's still not ideal, and it's also not available in India.
How did I decide to solve it? While my initial idea was to include a similar text feature to respond, it still wouldn't provide a quick response. Having real-time texting without the send button would be better, like in RTT. So I implemented the best of both worlds, and here's how phone calls would work on this app:
How the app can to used to communicate over phone call
Although there is an option for text-to-speech, the problem remains that there would be a delay in communicating since it takes some time to write down the message first.
So I created some quick sentences based on different categories.
Using quick sentences to enable faster communication
Creating custom sentences that user frequently uses
OR
How might we design a web-based chess coaching platform that is intuitive, engaging, and provides a seamless user experience for users of all ages.
Chessify club is an online platform that teaches chess to students from all around the world. Founded by Ritu Toshniwal, the platform has been growing rapidly and is in need of automation to keep up with the demand.
The current website only provides information and accepts registrations, but the plan is to transform it into a web app that streamlines and automates various processes.
As the designer on this project, my goal is to create a user-friendly and efficient web app that helps Chessify club manage its growing student base and ensure a smooth learning experience for all.
As part of my UX case study, I conducted research and generated ideas to inform the creation of an information architecture. My goal was to design a clear and efficient navigation structure that would allow users to easily find and access the information they need, while also considering the overall aesthetics and branding of the product. Through this process, I created a seamless and enjoyable user experience that would encourage user engagement and loyalty.
Information architecture, wireframing, UI design, prototyping.
6 weeks - Jul 2022 - Aug 2022
Based on my interview with Ritu, where we discussed their current work processes and flow, I have compiled the following insights into their working and friction points.
To address the points of friction and improve the overall user experience, I have created new user flows for each of my target audiences by combining their previous flow with additional actions. These new user flows aim to streamline the process and eliminate any friction points.
I created an information architecture that provided a comprehensive overview of the UX case study. This involved organizing and structuring the content and functionality of the product to service logically and intuitively, considering the needs and goals of the target users.
Below are the images describing the app's structure for students, Trainers, and the admin, respectively.
After careful planning and refining the design through multiple drafts, I have arrived at the final version of the web app design. While keeping the structure and organization of the content similar, each persona will have a different flow and UI with information relevant to their specific needs.
Let's walk through the flow for each persona, starting with the design for students' login, followed by UI for admin and then trainers.
The web app provides a streamlined interface for students to access all necessary resources. It features six primary tabs: Home Screen, Dashboard, My Schedule, Study Materials, Library, and Payments.
The Home page will serve as the students' main entry point. It will provide important information and updates, such as announcements from trainers or admins, as well as the results of weekly tournaments.
This screen will also include information about the student's primary trainer, as well as information about other trainers who may fill in as substitutes if the primary trainer is unavailable. This will help students become familiar with all the trainers and feel more comfortable if their regular trainer is unavailable.
Overall, the Home Screen will provide students with a central location to access important information and stay up-to-date with happenings within the app.
The dashboard is a personalized page that displays relevant information for the student, such as their current curriculum, test scores, upcoming assignments or exams, access to their certificate, and the classes they have completed so far.
It also features badges that can be awarded to students when they master a new tactic or skill, which can serve as a source of validation and accomplishment for the student.
The My Schedule tab will provide students with a clear and organized view of their class schedule.
It will include information about the topics they will be learning in each class, as well as the instructor/trainer assigned to lead the class.
If a substitute instructor is assigned, this will be highlighted in the schedule.
The tab will also display any assignments given by the instructor and provide reminders about upcoming tests.
In addition, students can view a record of past classes and tests they have taken. This tab will give students a structured and organized approach to their sessions, rather than relying on last-minute updates in a WhatsApp group.
The Study Materials tab will offer students access to various valuable resources for their coursework, including notes and other materials specific to their coaching level.
These notes will be available in both a read-only and editable PDF format, allowing students to review the information or take their own notes digitally.
This feature promotes sustainability by reducing the use and waste of paper, enabling students to practice and make notes online.
This will not only help avoid mix-ups of study materials with students but will also help them keep their materials organized.
The Library tab will give students access to a collection of recommended open-source books they can choose to read at their own discretion.
The admin will upload the books which will be available for students to access and read online or download.
This tab is a convenient resource for students to use during their training and can help broaden their knowledge.
The Payments tab will provide students with a convenient way to view and manage their payments and fees.
It will display a breakdown of their payments based on the type and number of classes they have attended and their coaching level.
Furthermore, the currency and amount of the fees will be automatically adjusted based on the country selected by the user. In addition, this tab will offer a payment history feature, allowing students to review past payments made in previous months and stay organized.
This eliminates the admin having to manually remind the students to pay their fees.
The home page for the admin persona of the web app includes the following functionality:
Overall, the structure of the web app remains the same for all personas, with the additional features described above being specific to the admin.
The dashboard for the admin of a coaching platform includes the following information:
1. Graph of total revenue
2. The age group of students
3. Information about students from different countries
4. Class insights, including coaching level, trainer, and number of classes completed for each batch or personal class
5. Percentage of new student sign-ups and student retention to the next level
6. The total number of students, trainers, batches, and personal classes.
This information is designed to provide the admin with a comprehensive overview of the performance and operations of the coaching platform, including financial data, student demographics, and class details.
The database tab allows the admin to view and manage the records of all students and trainers on the app.
The database is organized by batch and includes an option to search for any specific name.
The tab also displays a summary of students who have signed up for specific batch timings during registration and allows the admin to easily assign a trainer to the batch.
This functionality streamlines the process of creating and managing batches, eliminating the need for the admin to perform extra steps.
The study materials section on the admin allows the admin to upload resources such as PDFs or other materials to the app, which are then accessible to students and trainers.
The materials are organized according to coaching level so that students only see the resources relevant to their current level of coaching.
The admin can specify which resources are available to students and which are known to trainers when uploading the materials.
This feature streamlines the process of distributing resources to students and trainers, eliminating the need to send materials individually or risk confusion with mixed-up resources.
The payment section for the admin includes two main sections:
1. Payments received from students.
2. Salary payments to trainers.
The student payment section includes the list of students, organized by their level of coaching, with the total fees they must pay at the end of the month and their current payment status.
There is also a feature that allows the admin to send email reminders to students who still need to pay with a single click.
This saves time and effort in keeping track of individual payment status and sending individual reminders.
The trainer payment section summarizes the salary that must be paid to each trainer at the end of the month.
The admin can also view a breakdown of each trainer's salary, including details on their classes and other factors considered in salary calculation.
This saves admin an incredible amount of time now that they don't have to calculate the salary for each trainer individually at the end of each month.
The home page for trainers is similar to that of the admin but with a few key differences.
While the admin can access demo request information, the trainer's home page displays information about their own profile and the classes they are teaching.
This allows trainers to easily access and manage their own data and schedules while still having access to other features and resources available on the home page.
The trainer dashboard provides a range of information and resources to help trainers manage their work and support their students.
This includes salary insights, which can vary from month to month, as well as information about the age group of their students, which can help trainers tailor their teaching to the needs and abilities of their students.
The dashboard also displays details about classes assigned to them and any classes they rescheduled or substituted in the past.
Additionally, the trainer dashboard includes reminders about the trainer's upcoming classes and test results for their students, allowing trainers to stay up-to-date on their students' progress and achievements.
The schedule screen for trainers is similar to that of students but with a few additional features and options.
Trainers can view their schedule for each batch or personal class they are assigned and can add or edit the topic for each class.
This allows trainers to communicate the focus and content of their classes to their students and helps students understand what they will be learning in any given class.
Trainers also have the option to reschedule or request a substitution for classes in the event that they are unable to teach, and students will be notified accordingly. This helps ensure that students can access consistent, high-quality instruction, even if their regular trainer is unavailable.
Trainers also have the option to reschedule or request a substitution for classes in the event that they are unable to teach, and students will be notified accordingly.
The batches section for trainers is similar to the database section for admin but with a few key differences.
While the admin has access to information about all students and trainers, the trainer's database page is specifically designed to provide them with relevant information about the students they teach.
This allows trainers to easily access and review information about their own students while still being able to access other features and resources available on the database page.
This helps trainers stay organized and informed about their students.
The study materials and resources section for trainers provides access to a wide range of resources to help trainers teach effectively and stay organized.
This includes materials and resources across all levels and any additional resources uploaded by the admin.
This allows trainers to access various resources to support their teaching, including lesson plans, teaching aids, and other materials to help them deliver engaging and effective instruction.
The salary section for trainers provides detailed information about how their salary is calculated based on various factors, as shown below.
This information is automatically generated based on data stored in the system, eliminating the need for trainers to manually update classes they teach in a separate tool like a Google Sheet.
The salary breakdown helps trainers better understand how their salary is calculated and provides transparency about their earnings while also helping the admin stay informed about trainer salaries.
This can help foster trust and cooperation between trainers and the admin, making it easier for both parties to manage salary information without additional effort.
OR
Improving the user experience of Netflix mobile app.
This is my first case study where my main goal was to learn the UX methodologies and practices to design a product. This case study is not exhaustive since I do not have complete access to all the user data that affected their present design. In order to improve my educational experience and push myself to reinvent it, I performed this case study.
With the pandemic struck and everyone was forced to be at home, people started learning new skills, and I started exploring UI/UX design.
I would also spend a lot of my time watching something on OTT platforms, as did others. Netflix is my preferred choice of platform for watching a show. When I was wondering about an idea for my case study, I decided to redesign Netflix and t look at it through the lens of a UX designer and make the user experience even better as I believed it could have more/better features.
Research, information architecture, wireframing, UI design, prototyping.
4 weeks - july 2020
I followed the design thinking methodology, and to give an overview of this project, here's the outline of the process I followed.
I initially conducted a survey of about 9 people for my user research. I also did a competitive analysis with other OTT apps. Based on the information I gathered, I created user personas and derived the problem statements and patterns. Then, I proceeded to make information architecture, leading to better structure and organization of the information. After this, I worked on the wireframes and visual design, which went through some iterations and finally prototyping.
My research started with me exploring other streaming apps to understand how they've used and implemented certain features.
Next, I did the same with Netflix, thinking of what else I could do to make it seamless. Understanding an app's flow is necessary before redesigning it. At this point, I had a vague idea about stuff I wanted to incorporate, but first and most importantly, I needed to understand how the users felt about it. So I conducted a user survey with a series of questions to note things they don't like and see if my ideas would land. Here are the pain points and user behavior I noted:
I proceeded to map information architecture based on my insights to redesign the app. In the subcategories, texts written in red are the places where I made changes.
This is the part where I made wireframes. Now that I knew what to include in what frame, I just had to implement my ideas on the existing app design. So I made initial rough wireframes before getting into the software.
This is based on Hick's law which says that "the more choices you present your users with, the longer it will take them to reach a decision."
So I decided to come up with a new feature to solve this problem. So let me give you an example first, if your friend suggests you a tv show/movie, you're more likely to watch it because your friend knows your preferences and thinks you might like it, and it's usually just a single show that they recommend so you're not confused about it either. So let's bring the same concept to the app.
In the search option, I have given a button that says, "let us choose a perfect show for you." This feature is going to pick a random movie/show based on your preferences (an AI recommendation system that knows the kind of things you'd like to watch based on your watch history, likes, and dislikes) and display it along with the show's info, so the user doesn't feel confused seeing a lot of options.
Instead of choosing from thousands of shows, it will present just a single show based on the category you choose: movies, TV shows, documentaries, etc. It will also tell you why you might like to watch it. However, if you don't like it, you can click "suggest something else" to check out another show.
The search screen is organized into different categories, genres, etc., so the user can filter out and pick a show.
*edit - Netflix also now has a feature called "surprise me," which functions the same way! Feels good to know I also had a similar approach much before it was released :D
How often has it happened to you that you're watching a new show, and you had a crush on the actor and ended up googling about them and stalking them on Instagram?
To take advantage of this user behavior, I have added a new section called "cast." Here the images of the cast members along with their names are provided instead of just mentioning their names since a user might not really know the actor's real name, so it's not really helpful.
When a user clicks on any of the cast members, it can provide lists of more shows where the same actor has played some role. Chances are users will also want to watch them because they liked the actor.
Here’s the thing, Netflix does provide you with the option to change your video quality ( as shown in the screenshot below). Still, no user from my survey was even aware of this because it is nested within settings separately.
Users like to have the freedom to choose their video quality simultaneously as they’re watching without going through all the extra steps.
Hence, It was a no-brainer to add the option of choosing video quality while watching something on the screen, as it is more convenient than going through all those extra hoops.
It is also a common mental model of video streaming in general, so there's no learning curve needed for this action since it's a familiar action.
This is from a marketing strategy. Customers are attracted to offers. So this provides a perfect opportunity to use it. Netflix urges users to recommend their app to others; it also says in the terms and conditions that they would earn credits for doing so, but no one bothers to read the terms and conditions, and they don’t refer people if they don’t see how it benefits them.
Netflix could achieve successful referrals if they clearly highlight that users could get incentives every time they refer rather than having it mentioned in terms and conditions instead. So I have changed the content accordingly to draw users' attention, making them more likely to recommend it.
Here instead of dedicating a page (icon) completely for download, it is now accessed by secondary navigation. The main icon being, “saved,” will consist of two tabs. One for the watchlist and the other for download. The shows in the watchlist will also be sorted into categories for quicker scanning.
OR
designing web applications and kiosk interfaces for Adani's internal supply chain management of weaponry.
Adani is a leading conglomerate in India focusing on sectors such as energy, logistics, and defense. Within the defense and aerospace sector, Adani aims to play a key role in helping transform India into a hub for world-class high-tech defense manufacturing, aligned with the government's Make in India initiative.
As a client of our company, Adani has engaged us to develop software solutions for their internal supply chain management. Specifically, we are tasked with designing web applications and kiosk interfaces that will help Adani streamline and optimize their processes for creating and tracking of weaponry within the organization.
User interview, information architecture, wireframing.
July 2022 - sept' 2022 (phase 1)
Due to confidentiality agreements with my client, I cannot disclose specific details about the project. However, I can provide a general overview of my role and tasks within the project.
This was my first project as a new full-time employee at Thoughtclan. I started with understanding the various aspects of Adani's supply chain and the roles and responsibilities of each persona involved from the data we received. Then, as someone with little prior knowledge of supply chain management, I had to work closely with business analysts to better grasp the project's objectives and content.
One of the highlights of this project was the opportunity to visit Adani's facility in Gwalior, where we were given a tour of the weapons manufacturing process. This firsthand experience gave me a deeper understanding of the flow of the supply chain and the interactions between different personas.
While in Gwalior, we also conducted user interviews to gain further insights into the tasks and responsibilities of the different personas. We then held meetings with stakeholders to get their feedback on our progress and ensure our work aligned with their expectations.
Upon returning to Bangalore, I worked on empathy mapping and information architecture based on our collected data. This helped to refine our thinking and assumptions about the project. I then moved on to the ideation and wireframing phase, creating designs for kiosk screens for the production team and a web app for the production head, Toolcrib manager, quality team, PPC team, and scanning devices.
This project was particularly complex, requiring numerous iterations to meet the stakeholders' expectations. As a result, the project's first phase, including the personas mentioned above, is currently developing.
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