Incubating Environments That Facilitate User Choice - Flash Mobile App

OVERVIEW:

Flash is a language learning application that takes input from users and creates tailored content and resources.

The first opportunity to collect user input occurs at the onboarding screens The first screen asks users to choose their language of study. The list is ordered and the items are known to the user making search highly efficient.

Text on the list is paired with minimalist iconography adding to the degradation of reaction time.

The next screen presents a list in a modern format of a sliding scale with three options, 

Within familiarity or mastery in language there is much arbitration. 

We relieve the cognitive overhead of the having to ascertain precisely where they fall in this arbitration by offering three options while having the interface capability of the users input falling in between. 

This means there are five options total but the user is explicitly presented with three. In case the user runs through the list and still determines their level is not represented they have two more options. 

The next list presented is broken up to force the user to think about their decision as this is the core interface for collecting information for creating the custom lesson. 

The circles expand once tapped to visually represent users interest level in each category.

Once onboarding is complete we are taken to the homepage which vertically displays a list organized by resources. 

The environment of choice presented in each of the resources is then restricted to encourage completion of task. 

For hierarchy, the skip button is placed underneath the action direction because we want the user to continue in the current flow before considering exiting if they find the immediate task too difficult to complete. 

The exit button is placed in the upper left hand corner per design axiom however, it sits parallel to the users position in task completion encouraging users to stay the course.

When exit is clicked, a pop-up appears on screen that does not block the on screen task allowing users to consider returning. In addition, "no" is displayed to the left in green and "yes" in red to the right to further inspire users to complete the task. 

PROCESS:

My Role:

This was a personal project for me to practice the application of Hick's Law and consider user choice and how design can influence interactions with applications in ways that accomplish their goals in a quick and efficient manner.

Goal:

The goal of Flash is to have users take control of their experiences by offering them more choices in the construction of curriculum than other language apps. It is built for attaining language over a short and fast period of time for specific situations.

Challenges:

Human migration and inter-connectivity through technology has allowed us to interact with many different cultures. One of the driving aspects of culture is language and one of the driving factors of interaction is comprehension and two-way communication. 

There is much information we can learn about the world, others, and even ourselves if we were to tear down communication barriers. By tearing down barriers we open our minds to new information and new solutions. In an increasingly interconnected world it is imperative that we explore new options to sustain our planet.

Many of the language apps concentrate on horizontal integration of knowledge though such may limit immediate application of knowledge. Flash promotes vertical knowledge that allows users to "dive in" attaining proficiency in a concentrated area of communication. 

Problem Discovery

Considering the economy of attention and the amount of information with which we are presented everyday, this leads to a division of our time and an increase for the need to spend our time in an efficient manner to accomplish scalable micro-tasks to stay on top of current trends and knowledge. 

Whether it is cramming for a test, making a new neighbor feel more comfortable or brushing up on some impressive phrases for meeting with extended family there are many scenarios where we need quick lessons in language. 

Regarding the different scenarios that would require a user to quickly study a language for a specific situation, 

Meet Valerie, Sam, and Lisa.

Personas:

Initial Sketches:

After reviewing the personas and the goal of the Flash, I started doing some rough sketches and wire frames of the application. I started to think about which choices should be presented at which stages in the user journey. Lists were determined be optimal, then how those lists would be presented.

Userflows:

I set out to build a mobile application, mobile is the perfect conductor of choice promotion with little effort on the users end because of the small screen size.

Below are the userflows of our personas.

VALERIE

SAM

LISA

  

Wireframes:

The most important interface and flow of Flash is the calibration after language selection.
It is here the app takes its form and recommends curriculum.

We take a risk by deconstructing and breaking aesthetic consistency with the list in order to gather  specific information to craft unique experiences.

Conclusion:

By completing this project I have a more fundamental understanding of user choice, the application of Hick's law and how to present lists.

Using Product design, User Experience Design, and User Interface Design, we have determined how the choices users make not only before they use the app, but further, how they interface during onoarding, can and will affect how users perceive and accomplish goals on the app in the future. 

Thank you for learning about Flash!