user profile

Who are we designing for?

Name: Alex
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Occupation: Tech Industry Designer
Income: $60,000 per year

Background:
Alex is a dedicated professional who spends most of his time creating content for games and software. Despite his clear goals and organizational skills, he struggles with project organization, often resulting in a maze of folders and disjointed notes. This challenge arises from the creative nature of his work, where many notes require specific contexts to make sense.

Technological Proficiency:
Alex is tech-savvy and proficient with smartphones. He prefers streamlined and user-friendly apps that save him time, valuing efficiency and seamless experiences.

Goals and Motivations:
Alex's main goal is to efficiently manage his projects and improve his organizational system to increase productivity and reduce stress.

Pain Points:
Organization is a significant pain point for Alex. He seeks solutions that simplify the organization of his projects and notes, making it easier to find and manage information.

Expectations:
Alex expects tools and software to have user-friendly interfaces that guide him effortlessly through the organization process. He values simplicity, clarity, and efficiency in the tools he uses.

the human factor

Considerations for a more equitable design

Humans tend to have an easier time with spatial organization because it aligns with our natural way of organizing physical objects in the world. Spatial organization allows us to visually see and arrange items based on their relationships to each other, which can make it easier to remember where things are located. On the other hand, digital folders and data structures require us to categorize and label items based on more abstract concepts, which can be less intuitive for some people. However, digital organization offers advantages such as the ability to quickly search for and access information, as well as the ability to easily share and collaborate on data. Understanding these cognitive differences is crucial when designing project management and content organizational tools. By aligning with users' natural organizational tendencies, such tools can enhance user experience and productivity, ultimately creating a more intuitive and efficient workspace.

Design process

the product life cycle

The product life cycle is a process with many moving parts that can extend well beyond the product launch. The visual design process typically follows these steps: feature ideation, user flows, sketches, wireframes, redline specs, prototype, initial user tests, revisions, high-fidelity prototype, user tests, final aesthetic, continued data collection, and revisions.

the design

Why it looks the way it does.

My design is focused on browsing, labeling and placing large amounts of content, so I created an infinite space that the user can pan and zoom within. I used a skeuomorphic design for the header to make a clear distinction between the content in the viewport and the main app controls.

Much like the Axosoft design, this app uses the concept of scrum. However, the UI has been simplified by replacing words with recognizable icons, removing the need to clutter the screen with verbal menus. I included a legend for the icons that can be accessed via the question mark located on the bottom left of the viewport.

I took a cue from the Clear app and used Apple products as a reference, as their aesthetics are among the most popular in the tech world. My final design is reminiscent of iTunes: familiar and polished.

As a main interface color, I chose purple to evoke creativity, as this app is geared toward the production artists of the industry.

user flow

Creating a container and importing content...

navigation demo

Using imported content and headers to navigate...