Decoding the User Interface:
Lets examine various parts of final UI screen which I have built to incorporate our new feature:
Link to Final Prototype:
- The first critical decision I made was to place the Recommendation feature as a story tab. For this I decided to revamp the existing story feature into a format that closely resembles the popular and widely adopted Instagram stories.
- Since Instagram stories have immense popularity and familiarity among users, I made a decision to incorporate the influencer recommendation feature in the story tab. Users will have a seamless and recognizable experience giving a sense of familiarity.
- For this I decided to convert the existing story feature into one which is similar to Instagram’s story feature. Since Instagram is already popular for stories & influencers.
- Second critical decision I took was to place Influencer’s photo with their followers number and name as cover of the Carousel:
How Using a Influencer’s Details can be beneficial?
- Third critical decision which I took was to place the same feature twice on the splash screen of the app:
Since the feature is new placing it twice can draw users’ attention to its value.
Also, Seeing the feature twice can also enhance users’ understanding of its functionality and benefits, making it more likely that they will engage with it.
Now I will walk you through my research process and the steps I undertook to arrive at the solution:
Understanding Problem Statement:
- Lack of Personalization: Currently, the Tata App lacks personalized recommendations for users, leading to a generic browsing experience.
- Improved Discoverability: With a vast catalog of offerings, users often struggle to find relevant products amidst the abundance of options. Users often struggle to discover relevant products and services based on their preferences and interests.
- User Engagement and Retention: Due to lack of compelling content or features, limited personalization options, insufficient social interaction features and infrequent updates the user engagement is low.
To provide a clearer understanding, I used ChatGPT to present a user flow for the given feature:
Here is the workflow suggested by ChatGPT:
Here is an outline of the key components included in the feature:
Competitive Analysis:
I started doing some competitive analysis who already have this feature inbuilt.
I chose Myntra & Amazon for my competituve analysis study.
After conducting thorough research and analysis, I have crafted an information flow that outlines how data and interactions will progress within the app:
Wireframing:
Wireframing is important allowed me for early visualization and layout planning of user interfaces and identifying design flaws.
Then, I started making a library of all the UI components & design requirements for the feature:
Decalring Text styles and Color styles
Text Styles: Typography plays a pivotal role in design by establishing hierarchy and consistent visual appeal for the design.
Color styles: Deciding color styles is crucial in app design as it allows for consistent and intentional use of colors, creating a visually harmonious experience and reinforcing brand identity.
Lets Start The User Testing:
I think this is the most important step as it provides valuable insights into how real users interact with a design, uncovering usability issues and identifying areas for improvement.
I conducted user testing by interviewing two participants:
Based on the User Testing I reanalyzed the UI and depending on that made some significant changes.
To ensure familiarity and recognition, I named the feature with a similar name.
To avoid confusion and maintain consistency, the same influencer’s information is displayed on both the Home screen and the subsequent page, ensuring that users are not misled or presented with conflicting details.
Future Scope:
- Enhanced user engagement and retention as users discover new influencers and content relevant to their interests.
- Increased user-generated content as users are inspired by recommended influencers to create their own content.
- Valuable data insights on user preferences and trends in influencer content consumption.
- Potential for social sharing and viral growth as users share recommended influencers with their network.
Key Learnings:
We had a deadline of 48hours to design the feature. Undoubtedly it proved to be an invaluable learning experience. The time constraint pushed me to evolve my approach and find innovative ways to execute familiar tactics efficiently, allowing me to allocate saved time towards other essential tasks.
- I learnt that Good planning is a powerful tool that allows for clear direction, efficient resource allocation, and effective time management.
- The time crunch demanded my unwavering focus on the task at hand, as there was no guarantee of another opportunity to revisit or refine the specific work later on.
- During the project, I discovered the importance of balancing simplicity and engagement in the user experience.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my mentor Anudeep Ayyagari for this opportunity and invaluable guidance and support throughout this project. His expertise and mentorship have been instrumental and I am truly grateful for his dedication and wisdom.
Your feedback will be highly appreciated, and I am grateful for the time you took out to read this. To connect kindly reach out on LinkedIn.
#studentforlife
Email: anujalatpate15@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuja-latpate-29a0a4192