PROJECT
Product Design –
Capstone
ROLE
Sole UX/UI Designer
PROGRAM
Web Design &
Interactive Media –
Humber College
Watermelon connects students to the groups they care about at college. It's a students directory of the people, places, and communities they want to be a part of. It is a way for students to connect, network, and make lasting long-term connections for their futures.
The app was created as my capstone project in my final year. It was an app I intended to launch at Humber College after having been a finalist in Humber Colleges 2018 Launch Me Pitch Competition.
Product definition
One day strolling through Humber, the idea suddenly dawned on me. How can we connect all these students to one another using technology?
I began to brainstorm concepts around the product at the highest level, getting ideas and thoughts down on paper. I thought about the key aspects and value propositions of the product, what it was exactly, who will use it and why, and what the product will be.
I started concept sketching the idea and notes into possible solutions that would allow students to connect with others outside of their own programs. I created a high-level outline of the apps purpose and how I was going to execute the idea.
Product research
and analysis
Once I had my idea defined, I moved to the research phase which included both user research and market research to inform the design.
A great product experience begins with a good understanding of its users. I began with in-depth interviews of random students around campus that offered up their free time. The qualitative data collected during 30 interviews provided information about who they were, their needs, pain-points, wants, behaviours, and if the app would be something they would use and benefit from.
The insights gained helped me to prioritize ideas and features and informed decisions on how the product will work and look.
Persona
User interviews
Early sketches
MVP and features
Design
With users wants, needs and expectations of the product were clear, I moved to the design phase.
I started with creating the information architecture and user flows. Sketching was the easiest and fastest way to get ideas down and to visualize a broad range of design solutions before deciding which to test.
Mid-fi wireframes were created to help visualize the basic structure of screens, including hierarchy and elements and how they would work together. They were also used as foundations for future mockups and prototypes.
Prototypes were created early and tested to simulate the interactions and experience of the product.
Validation (Testing)
This was an essential step in the design process as it helped me understand whether the design worked for users.
I moved onto high-fi designs since testing with high-fi designs provides more valuable feedback from end-users. I iterated the product to the point where it was usable, and tested participants using a moderated method in the schools usability lab to uncover any usability flaws using InVision software.
Surveys were then completed after testing to capture information from the users. Open-ended questions like "What part of the product did you dislike?" was asked to get user opinions on specific features and the overall aesthetic and UX of the product.
Reflection and
shoutouts
The goal of my capstone was to put all I had learnt user research, wire-framing, prototyping, UI and interaction design, and usability testing into one major final project to gain experience in product thinking and grow in becoming a product designer.
According to feedback during testing, the app connected students really well and brought them value. If I had more time I would have done further iterations based on continued testing to fine tune the app into a developed MVP.
A shoutout to my professors who encouraged I develop the idea as my capstone and participate in Humber’s Launch Me Pitch competition after I had created a concept video of the product for a class during my second year. Having never designed a product before, the guidance of professors and mentors helped flesh out the idea with a focused plan and continuous feedback.
Lastly, a special shoutout to Humber’s Applied Research department for doing all they could to make the app a reality as an industry project involving outside members, however, funding could not be secured.