Index
Project Overview
Problem to Solution
- Strategy
- Designs
- Testing Feedback
My Prototypes
Conslusion
Project Brief
In the spirit of design, I tackled a responsive design project for my Interactive Media II class, where I was required to create a digital product that creates a solution for a design problem in the world. To provide multiple touchpoints, this project focused on formulating a cohesive design strategy to launch this product for mobile, desktop, and wearable screens. By focusing on responsive design, the complexity lies in creating a product for varying screen sizes and an optimal viewing experience. This project was formatted to meet biweekly deadlines over 16 weeks to prioritize initial concept development and the journey to a final product.
FollowIt
Whether you are traveling for business, leisure, or running away from your problems, the most important step is to prevent, prepare, and stay proactive for your journey ahead. With over 1.4 billion international tourists recorded around the world in 2024(UN Tourism, 2024), there are millions of people having to navigate a foreign airport experience every day.
The minute you step into a new country, a rush of excitement overwhelms you, and the goal is to keep that excitement consistent for your entire trip. If you are looking to minimize airport friction, get journey support for any destination, and maximize your energy in a new city/country, all you have to do is FollowIt.
With in-depth, user-friendly instructions on how to efficiently navigate your destination, FollowIt goes above and beyond in supporting travelers around the world. Travelers worldwide want the fastest way to navigate their journey, and by using FollowIt, you can...
- Understand your ~Journey Ahead~ before you depart for your trip.
- Follow the easy instructional navigation during your journey.
- Receive personalized updates (safety/informative).
- View suggested journey highlights.
Every step of your travel journey will be simply be handed to you after providing flight info to get you from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. To start your trip, FollowIt will support airport traffic, ensure safety in ground transportation, and digitize the airport's expected flow for you.
My Impact
When creating FollowIt, I wanted to create a unique approach to design for anyone who might approach my product. The oppertunity to connect with my target audience was by understanding the environment and situations in which my product will be best implemented. By using an empathetic approach, I began to understand the complexity of this issue as well as the opportunity behind a navigation-based app. With this motive, I began to iron out the project concept by brainstorming solutions in my design strategy.
The initial concept development consisted of putting my ideas on paper by formatting my thoughts to pitch this app to my peers. In this first phase, I took time identifying the problem, target audience, features, and each touchpoint I would be working with. This two-week brainstorming period gave me the chance to set the foundation for my project. By pitching this strategy to my peers, I received feedback, which initiated my flowchart after collaborating on my research.
In the next phase, I started to prototype my mobile screens to visualize FollowIt on the industry standard tool, Figma! By using Figma, I ensured my screen met all accessability standards, and I drove this experience for my entire product. Creating my mobile screens took me three weeks as I integrated feedback to change elements of my design along the way.
Ironing out my mobile screen led to the development of a desktop experience. This phase was unique as I had to carefully create a cohesive experience while still providing value to all users on a desktop view. I chose to implement a web-style approach to educate users on the opportunities to engage and used Figma to add a prototype preview as seen below. The desktop experience was created in a two-week sprint, and having this solidified helped me create the final touchpoint (wearable) very efficiently.
Creating a prototype for a wearable was a sensitive process as this screen size and usability were completely different from what I've had practice with. Transforming my desktop/mobile screens into a wearable experience required me to understand how users navigate, engage, and see value in using apps on a wearable. By leveraging my design strategy document, I was able to use specific features that provide value to the users. I finished these screens in two weeks and used Figma to create and prototype a final solution.
In bringing FollowIt to life across mobile, desktop, and wearable platforms, I aimed to create a cohesive and user-centric navigation experience that adapts to the diverse contexts in which users interact with technology. Each touchpoint was thoughtfully designed to meet users where they are: the mobile app offers intuitive, on-the-go navigation; the desktop interface provides a comprehensive overview for planning and exploration; and the wearable prototype delivers quick, glanceable information for seamless, hands-free use. This multi-platform approach not only enhances accessibility but also ensures a consistent and engaging user experience across devices. Through this project, I demonstrated the importance of empathetic design and adaptability, resulting in a product that resonates with users' needs and behaviors in various environments.
FEATURE THREE / Flowchart
FEATURE FOUR / Flowchart
FEATURE TWO / Flowchart
FEATURE ONE / Flowchart
Individaul Screen Design
The following screens showcase the evolution of FollowIt across mobile, desktop, and wearable platforms. Each design reflects a user-centered approach, emphasizing intuitive navigation, accessibility, and seamless interaction tailored to the specific context of use. From the dynamic, on-the-go functionality of the mobile app to the comprehensive planning capabilities of the desktop interface and the quick, glanceable information provided by the wearable prototype, these designs illustrate a cohesive experience that adapts to users' needs across different devices. The visual consistency and thoughtful layout across platforms demonstrate a commitment to delivering a unified and engaging user experience.
Usability Test / Feedback / Design Updates
My research summary consisted of two main ideas being user areas of engagement and understanding the use of Visual elements. I wanted to figure out how users are navigating the expected flow and what catches their attention the most/least. I found that right off the bat, there was an area of confusion on my home screen where a hover effect was providing conflict with where a user can navigate. In our main feature “NavigateMe,” the button is the only item without a hover effect because it has enough space to write out its words without a hover, but the fact that there was no hover made people think you can not click there. People were more interested in engaging with the other three features instead of NavigateMe due to the visual limitation. When users landed on the home page, it seemed as if our feature “My Trips” was clicked on the first 75% of the time, meaning that it caught users' attention the most on the layout of the screen.
Certain users called out the color and use of symbols for my design, explaining that symbols were helpful and accurate to understand the content, as well as what to expect with a click. Others mentioned that the color scheme was somewhat overpowering when used throughout the application, but they could see why they were implemented. Initially, each feature has a background correlated with a specific color, but I think the color needs to be more subtle and or used differently, as it should not overpower the design elements. In reference to what caught people's eye, I found that when digesting heavy trip information, the additional symbols for takeoff/landing/accommodation were easily digestible, which is a success.
Making sure users can navigate our application easily and efficiently is our number one priority, and implementing the symbols was helpful for this mission, while reducing color in our design could support our design even more. As for areas of engagement, My Trips was most interesting in our test and identified certain areas of high clicks to view trip information to be successful. Overall, testing feedback was helpful, and these new design elements are going to result in a seamless experience.
Quantitative Findings
Qualitative Findings
Feedback Into Design Updates
Figma Prototypes
FollowIt Mobile Prototype
FollowIt : Desktop Prototype
FollowIt : Wearable Prototype
In concluding the FollowIt case study, this project has been a comprehensive journey in user-centered design, emphasizing empathy, adaptability, and consistency across multiple platforms. Through the development of mobile, desktop, and wearable interfaces, I honed my skills in responsive design, accessibility, and cross-platform integration. Each phase, from initial concept development and user research to prototyping and iterative testing, reinforced the importance of aligning design decisions with user needs and behaviors. The successful implementation of FollowIt across these touchpoints not only demonstrates technical proficiency but also a deep understanding of creating cohesive and meaningful user experiences. This project has solidified my ability to approach design challenges holistically, ensuring that solutions are both functional and empathetic to the end-user.
Sources and Citations
https://www.unwto.org/un-tourism-world-tourism-barometer-data
https://travelpro.com/blogs/the-travelpro-blog/how-to-navigate-an-airport#:~:text=Airports%20can%20be%20big%2C%20daunting,the%20place%20like%20a%20pro.
https://medium.com/@AndrewCave/intuitive-airport-navigation-two-insights-about-search-and-familiarity-3d7c04463f5e
https://www.pygmy-elephant.com/blog/7-ways-to-navigate-airports-stress-free
