Category: Year 1

Paper prototypes

However, after doing further research and producing unsuccessful paper prototyping, a better paper prototype was produced to allow a realistic experience and accurate user testing. To produce this prototype, I have cut out a smartphone and tablet from cardboard.

Creative Life’s Website

At the top of the website, each stakeholder is separated with the divider used to specify the stakeholder’s purposes for entering the website. The Header also has menu buttons with quick access to the important sections of the website and additional information about the festival. As the user scrolls down, the search bar of this website will transform into a help point and live message, so users can efficiently get help and engage in conversations if wanted. Under stakeholder dividers, the website will also have a menu and a call-to-action video introducing Creative Life and an opportunity to download a companion app by clicking a white button. Engaging video will be embedded link from YouTube which follows Laws of UX with a small description. Under the small description, the user will find an embedded Google Maps which was created with all events and small information about the participants.

Creative Life’s App

As the app will be downloaded, the “Welcome” screen will appear and the user will choose between attendees, volunteers, and employees because the interface will be slightly different depending on the stakeholder. The user will see a home with five relevant buttons and six menu sections. This app will not only allow map embedded maps but also will be able to purchase a ticket depending on the attendee and book a hotel, so attendees from far away will not have difficulties going to the festival.

Some elements of this wireframe of the Creative Life website was rejected because the elements didn’t allow efficiency and structure

At the Header, the dividers don’t look like the original or even look more like buttons, which will confuse users because of visual representation.

Creative Life’s website will have a call to action which should stand out, the layout can be more simplified and have a more a card fold layout look. The box layout for the key information will replace to a card layout in order to allow efficient and effective in order to have a visual memory, as card format is commonly used in order websites. The link to the companion app will be added as another form of call to action by encouraging people to get app and how vitally important it is during the festival.

However, the features such as Video and Map will be enlarged and displayed at the top as they are very important in order to understand the purpose of the festival.

Summary

This was a rough website which required an in depth research by some features and elements not accurately meeting usability goals. After research and development, the elements and features will be improve and made even more efficient and effective for users. A new useful features will be added to make users experience straightforward and enjoyable.

Creative Life’s website

Each action of my design will have a short movement action and output feedback if the action was successful with a short positive message.

At the top of the website, each stakeholder will be separated with the divider used to specify the stakeholder’s purposes for entering the website. Suppliers will have a website section with food and drink requirements, as well as a diagram to show if the requirements were met with feedback. Volunteers and Sponsors will use their section to find out how they will be able to help Creative Life and in what way the festival helps stakeholders. This links with Hicks Law, in terms of following design patterns and using successful features which work across all users. (Law of UX, n.d.)

Under stakeholder dividers, the website will also have a menu and a call-to-action video introducing Creative Life. Engaging video will have an embedded link from YouTube which follows Hicks and Fitts Law. A small description will a schedule and an opportunity to purchase the tickets options depending on preferences if they want to. This links with Miller’s law in terms of giving minimising choices, so users don’t have a cognitive load from overthinking. (Law of UX, n.d.)

Creative Life’s app

A Companion app will have similar features and structure to show consistency and allow seamless access when using this app on a phone or in some cases a tablet. However, the menu will be a burger menu and will allow notifications as feedback and reminders in omnichannels such as smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, and desktops. Like the website, the Creative Life app will have Google Maps to allow a quick and efficient finding of the desired event with how long does it left to the destination. The time to go to destination links with Goal-gradient effect, so closer users are to a goal, the faster they are going to work to complete it. (Law of UX, n.d.)

Summary

Following Laws of UX will help Creative Life website and companion app to meet all users requirements and allow best possible experiance with minimal or none amount of difficulties.

References

Law of UX, n.d. Jacob’s Law, [Online] (n.d.) Available at: https://lawsofux.com/jakobs-law/ [Accessed on 3 March 2022]

Law of UX, n.d. Hick’s Law, [Online] (n.d.) Available at: https://lawsofux.com/hicks-law/ [Accessed on 3 March 2022]

Law of UX, n.d. Miller’s Law, [Online] (n.d.) Available at: https://lawsofux.com/millers-law/ [Accessed on 3 March 2022]

Law of UX, n.d. Fitt’s Law, [Online] (n.d.) Available at: https://lawsofux.com/fittss-law/ [Accessed on 3 March 2022]

Stakeholders

Product Requirements

The website and app of a local festival “Creative Life” will promote the important aspects of the festival such as date, time, and potential locations, as well as the awareness of accessibility during the festival and various features on the website and app themselves.

In addition, the website and app should be able to sell tickets to the events and with all privacy protection requirements. Both website and especially the app will have Google Maps with a description of each event.

User Requirements

The main users of the festival would be attendees, participants, and journalists because these users need to be able to easily access the ticket buying section, so they can attend to events without any difficulties. In addition, use the website and app to collect key information (dates, schedule and etc…) in order to promote the festival, and with a help of a companion app, navigate the required information without any difficulties.

Business Requirements

The branding qualities the festival would attract the attendees by festival celebrations promote communal unity and gathering of family members and friends. These same values should be compatible with an excellent user experience which allows the website and app to be interactive, informative, and efficient in use. Potential competitors would be local summer festivals in the city of Hull and with some of the European local festivals.

Personas

Summary

The website and app of a local festival “Creative Life” will promote the important aspects of the festival such as date, time, and potential locations, as well as the awareness of accessibility during the festival and various features on the website and app themselves. So different users attending the festival would be fully informed and can enjoy the festival without any difficulties. Personal and Scenarios will allow an accurate jugment of users needs through users themselves.

References

Klaipedos Celebrations, n.d. Klaipedos Light Festival. February 24-26 [Online] (n.d.) Availiable at: https://klaipedossventes.lt/klaipedos-sviesu-festivalis/ [Accessed on 20 February 2022]

Klaipedos Celebrations, n.d. 2022 y. Sea Festival will happen on 29-31 of July [Online] (n.d.) Availiable at: https://klaipedossventes.lt/juros-svente/ [Accessed on 20 February 2022]

About Creative Life

Creative Life is a local festival where people can learn new skills and spend time with their family while interacting in the events. Attendees will have a free entrance and a wide range of events to choose from. People who can’t come for whatever personal reason can engage with the events with the use of virtual reality.

Identifing Problems and Festival Case Study – York Ice Trail

In order to attend York Ice Trail, I went to their website to find dates and times of the event with additional information. The aim of the festival is to attract attendees with unique ice sculptures and the determination to find as many sculptures as possible. During the festival, I used a neighbouring website’s Google Map (Rachel Rogers, 2022) with descriptions of the sculptures throughout York which allowed me to find 25/43 sculptures compare to 9/40 in 2020. This shows websites inefficiency and my spend time to find the website with Google Maps as without it me or other attendess wouldn’t be able to find sculptures or even getting lost in the alleyway.

Solving Solutions

The Creative Life website will help the user to collect important information about the festival and find the desired events using Google Maps. The website interface will be fair and clear, linking to the Jacob’s Law. Interface will also be consistent and easy to use in its visual characteristics across different browsers and omnichannels. The content found on the website is organized and filtered in the search bar. The menu is organized into categories to help users find what they need quickly and efficiently.

Summary

Users face various difficulties when trying to find directions or event basic information during the local festivals which make people want to leave. During my travel to York Ice Trail, I was using the neighbouring website which shows the York Ice Trail website’s inefficiency by not allowing users to perform tasks during the festival with a map tool required to find the sculptures and users staying longer in the competitor’s website than theirs. So, when I will be protopyping Creative Life, the Google Maps with Usability goals will be interpreted and used to meet the users needs.

References

Nielsen, J., Nielsen Norman Group 2012. Usability 101: Introduction to Usability. [Online] (n.d.) Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-introduction-to-usability/ [Accessed on 20 February 2022]

Rachel Rogers, York Mix 2022. York Ice Trail 2022 guide: Interactive map, must-see sculptures and win £1,000. [Online] (Updated in 1 March 2022) Available at: https://yorkmix.com/york-ice-trail-2022-guide-interactive-map-must-see-sculptures-and-win-1000/ [Accessed on 3 March 2022]

Visit York, 2022. York Ice Trail 2022. [Online] (n.d.) Available at: https://www.visityork.org/york-ice-trail [Accessed on 3 March 2022]