User Experience Research, Design & Analysis
Happy Housemates
Interaction Design | Happy Housemates
Role: Researcher & Designer
Team: Self
Project: For SI 582: Interaction Design, we were asked to consider a community, research that community and competitor products, and come up with an interactive solution. The community I chose was unrelated adult housemates. I created the prototype to meet two needs of this group:
-
Encourage individuals to understand their own preferences and how their preferences differ from others in the household
-
Help housemates become aware of and address differences before they come an issue
One | Investigation & Research
During the first half of the semester, we focused on investigating user needs with a variety of activities, including:
-
Comparative Analysis
-
Story Map
-
Personas & Scenarios
-
Synthesis & Defense with Question, Option & Criteria exercise
Two | Paper Prototype
After investigation of the user need and competing products in the marketplace, it was time to design! I created my prototype on 8.5" by 11" paper, and used transparencies and sticky notes to mock up the interactions on each screen. Watch the video to the left to see the design.
Three | Low Fidelity Prototype
After completing user testing with some of my classmates, all of whom had roommates, I received valuable feedback. I was told that many people wished such an app actually existed, and also given feedback about some parts of the design that were confusing. Using Invision, I crafted my low fidelity prototype.
Four | Final Prototype, Mid Fidelity
Finally, to make my mid fidelity prototype, I switched tools to Adobe XD. I had been exploring tools and found that the way XD lets you connect paths between screens and animations more intuitive than using Invision. I added color and more detail to my prototype, as well as made adjustments based upon additional user testing.