QLION

This case study is on a hypothetical application to address boredom.

INTRODUCTION

This project was part of my Psychology 244 class, a human factors course I took in my third year of undergrad. For this assignment, we were tasked with imagining that we had been hired to create a prototype for a hypothetical application.

PROJECT SCENARIO

This was the information that was provided to the class to complete this project:

*The goal of the application is to reach out to people who are feeling anxious and provide them with mental health resources and exercises to help. Boredom is part of anxiety, so it also addresses boredom.

*The red route in this app is that people should be able to report their level of anxiety and then get a breathing exercise and then get the phone numbers of mental health professionals.

*Must design for Android phone and have at least one screen for each box in the provided diagram. Each screen must have a “yes” or “no” option.

With these directions, we were set loose with our creativity to create a final product that fits each requirement.

SCREEN CREATION

The foundation of this project was established, allowing screen creation to begin.

I used Adobe XD to design the screens, focusing on simplicity with large buttons and easy-to-read fonts.

A learning moment: As my first project, I misunderstood the process and skipped creating wireframes, jumping straight into high-fidelity screens in Adobe XD. I quickly realized the value of the sketching process. Sketching lowers the stakes, fosters creativity, and allows for more iterative and flexible design exploration. This project taught me the crucial importance of starting with wireframes before moving to digital tools.

INTERFACE DESIGN

I aimed to incorporate a fresh and light visual style for this app, targeting mental health and alleviating boredom. At the time of this project, I was stuck at home in Tennessee, away from my PSU campus in Erie due to the pandemic. This inspired me to use many pictures of the campus throughout the app. Although unofficial, I envisioned a persona similar to myself: someone stuck at home, missing their sense of normalcy, and feeling completely bored.

Adobe XD was used to create these screens.

Final Pages

Please note that the project required YouTube links to be displayed in the wireframes. This is why you see actual links instead of mock videos or placeholders.

CRUCIAL LEARNING MOMENTS ON THIS PROJECT

This was my first UX project, and I learned a great deal from it. When the project was assigned, I had no idea where to start. It became the stepping stone in my self-learning journey, which I continued with my next project, Serene. To get started, I Googled tips and tricks, watched numerous YouTube videos, and learned through trial and error.

What inspired me to pursue UX further was the continuous learning involved and the unique nature of each project based on client needs. I thrive in fast-paced environments and appreciate that software, processes, and techniques are always evolving. This dynamic field keeps my mind active and prevents complacency in my work.