The Amateur for UX
Beginnings
This is how I started… Trying to figure out what UX really means!
Day 01
I was lost after reading a lot of user research because I don’t know many users and even the few how can I meet them in person? Panicking time! But yeah I found in a blog about some suggestions on surveys and questionnaires. So the late night I made a small quiz with 10 questions that came to mind and with some insight from my father! So I chose some users not randomly but based on the criteria or let's say ‘focus groups’ and sent the questionnaire.
I used Survey Monkey to make my survey
Day 02
Woke up with a feedback! Motivating morning luckily! My intention of making an online questionnaire was not to get quantitative data like to do analytics data mining stuff but to open a discussion with them, very few users I expect to use them.
To be really honest it worked! Some of them opened up and even suggested further ideas. They did not just add features but also commented on how to improve on making the questionnaire highlighting points that I missed.
Then the Persona time! First I drafted them based on the survey details and extra details gathered. Then spoke to a few of them and made some edits. To use them later it needs to look nice right? I mean the content is what matters but I need it to look catchy so I can look at them all day along!
Persona Template I used from based on (not exactly with some changes)
A guide to personas by Ben Ralph
I googled and tried around 3 persona sites and finally felt good with Xtensio.
PS- It only gives 8 downloads free per month. Sad indeed.
Day 03
“Every great product begins with a great story”, Sarah Doody (UX Designer)’ words reminded me how foolish I was. Not that I did not carve the problem statement but although it was in my head all the time I did not take time to state it well. That made me realized how much details that I would have lost the opportunity of asking in the survey and discussions.
So yeah now this day I am first gonna do that!
I followed the article of Identifying Your Product Story: Try This MadLibs Style Activity
LetMadSay is developing a mobile application on supermarket offers for busy or employed people who want to buy at cheaper rates where at one platform they can view altogether and compare.
Day 04
Time for designing the flow!
This article suggested to me that even before drawing flows I may do some storyboarding. To understand the context and situations at which user really uses this. Luckily and intentionally father is a user so each step made a little easier with him besides to get some viewpoints and feedback!
Not a good artist but free hand is something nothing can much trust me. So I sketched 3 stories on rough paper.
Things need to look clear and yeah need to show off so as usual, I googled and surprisingly nothing was cool enough. Had articulate software on my machine so redrew the storyboards using them!
Day 05 and Day 06
Really gonna do the flow diagrams! Real business time!
NOOB! Oh crap and yeah got stuck again!
So now I am installing all the suggested and kinda best/most reviewed mobile applications to see how they have approached the same goal.
Guess this is where professionals say to do that competitor analysis. Should have done earlier but better late than never So here I go!
How I conducted the competitor analysis
