Week 6: Rapid Ideation session 1 (pt 2)

7th July 2021

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Zen Yoga app design images created by Lehang Tieu. 2021.

My chosen artefact for rapid ideation session one is a yoga and wellness app for middle-aged adults (45-60).

Research

According to a study, increasing fitness activity in your 40s and 50s can lower your risk of early death. A questionnaire was carried out in the mid-1990s for people ages 50-71, who were asked if they took part in moderate to vigorous exercise. The results showed that middle-aged adults who did take part in exercise had a lower risk of death.

In the last five years, Google data shows an increase in people searching for yoga during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Yoga is a fitness method that focuses on flexibility and breathing whilst building core strength. I incorporated yoga for mature adults to help them become active again and improve their mental well-being. The goal is to encourage a healthy lifestyle and mind to prevent early death, depression and other chronic diseases when mature adults approach later life.

App features

To use the app, users must sign up to access the services: yoga, meditation, nutrition recipes, sleep and recovery and self-care information. The users can track their progress in their dashboard that will generate metrics according to their completed activities. It helps them to stay motivated and gives a sense of achievement to promote positive mental well-being. The user can also set up a daily routine to keep them disciplined to complete the activities.

Paper prototype

Paper prototypes created by Lehang Tieu. 2021.

I started to sketch my design ideas on paper using mobile templates. When thinking about the design and layout of my app, I wanted to have a minimalistic look and feel to cater for my target audience. Having a wild and busy app with lots of colours and animation will be too confusing and distracting. Keeping it simplified will create an easy user experience. I also thought about designing larger sized buttons and text to accommodate the target audience for better visibility.

I have implemented a simple colour scheme with hues of green and blue. Blue symbolises calm, serenity and trust and, green signifies life, renewal and energy. These colours compliment my app concept well.

Wireframe

I then developed my sketches into wireframes using Figma. During these past two weeks, I have practised tutorials and have learnt how to create components. Components are reusable elements. If you need to change the component style, it will also change the other instances, saving you time and effort. I have created a button component and made instances from this for each of the activities. It keeps the design consistent throughout the project and it was simple to follow and practice.

I also learnt how to apply constraints in my designs. Constraints make your design responsive across all mobile resolutions. Incorporating responsive design makes the app mobile-friendly with a consistent design that appeals to a wider audience. I first struggled to understand how to apply constraints because each element was unique and dependent on the element size and position on the page. I had to practice and apply trial and error to see if I was using the correct constraint options.

Prototype video created by Lehang Tieu. 2021.

I added interactivity by linking pages and components together to get a flow in the app.

When thinking about the design, I wanted to use a range of yoga photographs. Many fitness apps and interfaces have large image buttons linking to the videos, so I have also implemented this in my app design. Although it is not a unique concept, it works for the app’s purpose and goal.

In my paper prototypes, I have initially planned to have a two-column grid system that will present two videos in each row. However, the buttons were not large enough. I had to think about the target audience, so I have tweaked the design to show one button on each row in a one grid system layout. This design appeals to the target audience because they can see the enlarged buttons however, it results in fewer buttons shown above the fold.

If I had more time, I would like to explore new ways to present videos in an app and do some user research on the best design approach.

Summary

Reflecting on my first rapid ideation session, I enjoyed the experience and learning about the process. I liked the flexibility and openness of choosing my concept and directing this module towards my ambition and career goals, by learning how to use Figma and creating prototypes. I think I implemented time management well using the Gantt chart and Trello board. Although, I would like to have more time to research the target user and create a persona to understand them. Due to the time constraint, I didn’t have enough time and knowledge to do this.

Although I haven’t designed an app before, I am proud of what I have created for my first rapid ideation. The design of my app is inspired by competitors and my assumptions of good design such as image buttons, labelled navigation and complementary colour palette. I wanted to choose colours that made the user feel a certain way of zen and tranquillity. However, I haven’t done any testing to know what good and bad design is for my target audience.

When thinking about the design for mature adults, I have designed the text, images and buttons quite large. I have assumed that all mature adults will have poor eyesight as they get older. It may not be the case for some people as they may find the enlarged design overwhelming. Assumptions should not be made when designing for a specific audience and further testing on a wide range of users should be completed first. This is something I have learned when reflecting on my app.

My next step is to incorporate advanced interactivity in my wireframes such as hovering and swiping movements. I also would like to test my prototype on real users and gather feedback to improve my designs.

References

The Guardian. 2019. Getting fit in middle age as beneficial as starting early – study. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/08/getting-fit-in-middle-age-as-beneficial-as-starting-early-study> [Accessed 25 June 2021].

Cadman, J. 2021. Yoga statistics | Finder UK. [online] Finder UK. Available at: <https://www.finder.com/uk/yoga-statistics> [Accessed 25 June 2021].

Meanings, C. 2021. Blue Color Meaning - The Color Blue Symbolizes Trust and Loyalty. [online] Color-Meanings.com. Available at: <https://www.color-meanings.com/blue-color-meaning-the-color-blue/> [Accessed 28 June 2021].

Bourn, J. 2011. Meaning of The Color Green. [online] Bourn Creative. Available at: <https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-green/> [Accessed 5 June 2021].

Business of Apps. 2018. Things To Be Taken Care Of When Designing Apps For The Elderly. [online] Available at: <https://www.businessofapps.com/news/things-to-be-taken-care-of-when-designing-apps-for-the-elderly/> [Accessed 28 June 2021].

Images

Karasiou, M. 2018. Man doing yoga in the mountains. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/mMzVTy2V1Do> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Cala. 2016. Autumn Soup. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/w6ftFbPCs9I> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Ellaby, D. 2017. Feather. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/h43VqtlnV7U> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Garrett, K. 2018. Group of people on the beach doing yoga. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/GaprWyIw66o> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Halama, S. 2019. Man doing yoga at sunset. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/dkg-zps94uw> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Wetton, D. 2019. Woman stretching. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/AkSJQnem75Y> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Taran, O. 2020. A flexible yogini doing a backbend pose in the middle of a white arc passageway. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/xB4ExGcUai0> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Sea, E. 2017. Balance for life. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/coiWR0gT8Cw> [Accessed 2 July 2021].

Olwage, F. 2019. Half Dome vs Handstand. [image] Available at: <https://unsplash.com/photos/qwmYDYRTMEw> [Accessed 2 July 2021].