Industrial Design Project Case Study
Project Background
Our client “Tangible AI” builds intelligent solutions for a more just, equitable and sustainable world. They create prosocial AI and chatbot-based applications to serve underprivileged populations globally.
Syndee is an AI-based chatbot helping users to overcome impostor syndrome and negative self-talk. After testing Syndee’s web-demo with users, they aim to create a mobile app centered around Syndee that will support users through a several-weeks journey.
Problem
Impostor Syndrome is a psychological pattern in which a person doubts their skills and accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Helping minorities and women understand and control impostor thinking is crucial in increasing diversity in the workforce.
Project Goals
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Design potential user flows and happy paths for using Syndee mobile app.
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Create wireframes for the app based on user research and existing sketches.
UX Design Team:
Nattamon Sitthiphisai
Eliot Ross
Sharon Mak
Nathalie Plaire-Virovac
Client:
Maria Dyshel (Tangible AI)
My Role:
UX Designer, UI Designer,
Client Coordinator
Key Skills:
User Flows, Wireframing,
Prototyping
Tools:
Figma, Miro, Zoom, Doodle,
Markup
Timeline:
4 Weeks
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Create visual language and style guide based on existing palette.
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Create high-fidelity mockups based on the wireframes and the style guide.
UX Process
Our UX team were brought to this project when the research part has already been conducted. Our roles were to leverage this information and develop it into a mobile app.
Discover
Research Highlights
Learning from the existing research from Tangible AI, I was able to understand potential users needs and frustrations when comes to tackle impostor syndrome. Below are some user interviews insights.
Participants wanted Syndee to be an authentic, friendly, and opposite of toxic positivity mobile app.
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Users wanted to be able to feel the authenticity and honesty by relating to others that are experiencing impostor syndrome.
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Users wanted to be able to share their impostor journey with friendly companions rather than a formal conversational chatbot.
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Users wanted to be motivated and inspired to overcome impostor syndrome without the toxic positivity encouragement.
Design
Ideations
Syndee UX research team proposed a few feature ideas based on research synthesis. After discussing with them, we decided to begin ideating with Syndee’s MVPs, which are community, progress tracking, and onboarding.
Our team divided roles and responsibilities by feature and area of focus. I was assigned to a community feature while collaborating along the way with the team to streamline work.
User Flows
Our team started the ideation process by creating the user flows to represent critical red routes for Syndee’s users.
Community Feature User Flow
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Sketches
After receiving some feedback from a client, a few adjustments were needed. Our team started sketching some key screens based on a client’s feedback. We individually sketched solution ideas for our responsible feature and then discussed about them to decide which idea we should pursue for the next step.
My Sketches
Wireframes
After brainstorming our sketch solutions, we iterated and develop from each other’s ideas. Moving forward, we organized our sketches to be cohesive and designed the main navigation to show each flow connection, then turned them into wireframes to help visualize the app’s function.
My Wireframes
The client could now visualize how Syndee becomes users’ companions in fighting impostor syndrome
Style Guide
Our team created color palettes and utilized Syndee’s logo based on an existing style guide. However, we adjusted them to be more vibrant to bring out the positivity to the overall app’s experience, and we also considered the accessibility by checking the foreground and background color contrast using
https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
Existing Color Palette
New Color Palette
Deliver
High Fidelity Mockups
After discussing and reviewing the changes over an existing style guide with a client, we received positive feedback. We also corporated a client’s feedback over wireframes and fixed some issues, then applied the style guide and developed them into high-fidelity mockups.
Final Iterations
Because of the limited time constraint and different UI preferences of team members, I found some room where the final deliverables could be improved. After delivering the hi-fi mockups, I decided to iterate some UI elements to improve Syndee's usabilities based on the feedback I received from my design mentor. I proposed these ideas to a client for the alternative options
Prototype
To present how Syndee’s features function, we created a clickable prototype on Figma. This process helped us explain our work to a client and also for a future usability testing. Try our prototype below or click here
Conclusion and Next Step
Overall, this project met the goal of creating Syndee’s mobile experience and set up the foundation for the next step. Our team ensured to create a consistent style guide throughout the deliverables to make it easier for the development team and other designers to take over.
The client was satisfied with the final deliverables and able to take this project to the next step. Even though in the beginning, it was challenging to communicate and exchange ideas between our team members and the client, we utilized the limited time that we had to create the final deliverables that a client approved.
Recommended next step for Syndee would be:
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Conduct the usability testings for hi-fi designs to discover the usability issues and users’ expectations of the app
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Conduct another round of usability testing to ensure that the issues that occurred during the first round have been solved
Reflection
Working with a real-world business is a crucial experience for a new designer. I also learned to collaborate with other team members which is also a significant skill that help me gain a collaborative and coordination experience.
Fortunately, we also have a great relationship with a client. Maria was corporative and helpful in providing us the critical feedback throughout the process, which led to the successful outcome. I believed that clear communication between team members and a client is the key to a successful project.
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