Everyday we come across problems that we use technology to over come, I have identified some problems that I struggle with on a day to day basis that could be solved using some sort of user interface design.
Daily problems -
- Budgeting / online banking
- What to eat for dinner
- Where are my keys
- What should I wear
- Waking up
Bad/difficult to use user interface -
- Self checkout
- Trains ticket machines
- Cash machine
- Windows operating systems (post XP)
- Apple watch
- Busy websites - Amazon, eBay, Behance
These are all areas that I could think of that could do with improvement to make the user experience much more interesting and useable. My next stage following this is to look broadly into user interface and user experience as I need to get a better understanding of this before I start to pick out what might be the best area to look at for this brief.
The Problem -
The temptation to spend money and not save will always there and it becomes more difficult as you progress through life, but this is because young adults aren't being shown how to save and how to budget properly. Where can young adults go for help and get a quick response without having to sieve through webpage after webpage.
Solution 1 -
An app that will connect to your online banking. This will be able to keep up to date with your day/week/month spendings. From this the app can work out a budget for you without having to figure it out, it won't stop you from spending the money you have in your account but it will advice you not to. End of each week you will be altered on how much you have saved or or spent (and what on) this will then adjust the budget for the next week, it will give you options to put saved money away into a savings account or into the following weeks budget.
Features of the app -
Solution 2 -
The temptation to spend money and not save will always there and it becomes more difficult as you progress through life, but this is because young adults aren't being shown how to save and how to budget properly. Where can young adults go for help and get a quick response without having to sieve through webpage after webpage.
Solution 1 -
An app that will connect to your online banking. This will be able to keep up to date with your day/week/month spendings. From this the app can work out a budget for you without having to figure it out, it won't stop you from spending the money you have in your account but it will advice you not to. End of each week you will be altered on how much you have saved or or spent (and what on) this will then adjust the budget for the next week, it will give you options to put saved money away into a savings account or into the following weeks budget.
Features of the app -
- Tracks spending
- Spending is categorised, to help you see where they money is spent
- Direct debits are taken care of so you don't have t factor that into the budget
- Alerts on all sorts of deals once the app learns about your spending habits
- Reminds you about certain payments coming in and out of the bank
- Its also very safe as it is linked to "BANK" so you don't need to worry about third parties taking control of your money
Strengths -
Ready to use and no hassle app that wont put people off, as if it was overly confusing and didn't help you the life span of the app would be very short.
Unlike other apps of this genre it enables you to link with your bank accounts which creates a easier to use system that will make the app more enjoyable. Most apps that are of this kind relay on the user input but this app keeps you up to date.
Security with sensitive information, allows the user to make sure that all important information is full encrypted so that nobody can access the it from anywhere. This would be hosted by PayPal.
Weakness -
If there is a lot going on in the app people may find it difficult to utilise the best parts of the app and therefore they would not get the full potential from the app.
Users may find that the app isn't very positive and isn't encouraging them to save it is just annoying them when it gives alerts etc...this may stop them from using it.
Ready to use and no hassle app that wont put people off, as if it was overly confusing and didn't help you the life span of the app would be very short.
Unlike other apps of this genre it enables you to link with your bank accounts which creates a easier to use system that will make the app more enjoyable. Most apps that are of this kind relay on the user input but this app keeps you up to date.
Security with sensitive information, allows the user to make sure that all important information is full encrypted so that nobody can access the it from anywhere. This would be hosted by PayPal.
Weakness -
If there is a lot going on in the app people may find it difficult to utilise the best parts of the app and therefore they would not get the full potential from the app.
Users may find that the app isn't very positive and isn't encouraging them to save it is just annoying them when it gives alerts etc...this may stop them from using it.
Solution 2 -
An app/website that gives you every alternative option to help you save money.
Nobody really wants to by different products to what they already buy if they're happy with it, they would just rather someone show them a place that can help them get it for cheaper in the future. This service suggests places that you can find your favourite products for the cheapest price, whether that is online or in-store. It covers everything, food, clothes, essentials, bills (home, phone, internet). Its like a comparison website but it does all the hard work for you all you have to do is search for what you're looking for and it finds the best price. The service will also tell you how much you have saved since using the app, every time you buy using the app or input what you have bought.
Strengths -
The site would be popular as people are always trying to find deals specially students, so it would mean that it could also become part of a network where if people see deals on in different places they can update certain deals etc, this would create a small online community for people to discuss prices and products.
Weakness -
Its not encouraging people to save but it is trying to make them budget. But not everything that people would want would be on there to start with, it would have to wait for crowd scoured information.
Strengths -
The site would be popular as people are always trying to find deals specially students, so it would mean that it could also become part of a network where if people see deals on in different places they can update certain deals etc, this would create a small online community for people to discuss prices and products.
Weakness -
Its not encouraging people to save but it is trying to make them budget. But not everything that people would want would be on there to start with, it would have to wait for crowd scoured information.
Solution 3 -
A service in the form of a website/app for students, graduates and people living on their own for the first time. The service gives the users tips on saving, deals, comparisons and a sign in budgeting system linked to a bank.
- Easy to use website that mainly students and graduates can sign up for in partnership with a bank to help them get used to living away from home for the first time.
(like a finical advisor)
- The service would feature, budget week by week, tips on where/how to save money, comparing products/services, forum, deals (get discounts on items and places), savings - putting money aside to a reach a goal.
Strengths -
It will caters for the whole target audience, its not just aimed to students or graduates it covers the full spectrum of the target audience and if not even more.
Being in partnership with online banking/PayPal will encourage people to use the app, as this means that people who already use PayPal would be encouraged to use the service and already trust the way that PayPal works.
Create a link between the costumer and the bank
More personal because they are giving you "one on one" feeling like a financial advisor
Being a website rather than an app would encourage people get stuck into the site and use it properly rather than just scrolling around using it on your phone.
Weakness -
Users may find it difficult to navigate with the amount of information being offered to them, the information needs to be clearly categorised this will help the site to be less crowed and easier to use for first time users.
Getting the critical mass of information to get people to be interested in the site, to help this would be crowd source information to make people engage with the system. Everyone that can contribute (like waze).
Feedback -
After a session at the start of the week where I sat down with a group alongside a a tutor and discussed our problems I was able to come up with the three solutions that are shown above, these solutions are three ideas that I have tired to make as different as possible even though the answer to the problem did limit this, during the crit it was suggested that I try and make my outcomes as different as possible.
Now at the end of the week I have managed to get some further feedback on my solutions I wanted to see what people thought was the most appropriate response after receiving the feedback that I got from my original problem at the start of the week.
Each ideas was taken on board well but the one idea that was most spoken about was solution three, first of all this idea has the most potential in the real world as it solves problems that the other two ideas did not cater to for example it wasn't making it saving a positive thing for people if it was just a budging app, they were getting little reward this service offers many ways to make the consumer feel positive about the service. When speaking in the crit the feedback was good and the idea was well received, rather than changing anything it was suggested that rather than using a bank to link to the sight I should use PayPal to partnership with it as these are the leading online payment site, it wold make the site more approachable for people who are put off my saving money.
I also spoke to a tutor after having the crit to get a second opinion on the idea as I had not spoken to them about the new idea. Again the feedback was very positive adding on to that now that I have found my solution the next stage is to pick apart the solution to figure out what would stop people using the site and what would make bad user experience. To do this I will be looking into similar websites/apps, mind mapping potential problems and over aching research into what making good user UI and UX.
A service in the form of a website/app for students, graduates and people living on their own for the first time. The service gives the users tips on saving, deals, comparisons and a sign in budgeting system linked to a bank.
- Easy to use website that mainly students and graduates can sign up for in partnership with a bank to help them get used to living away from home for the first time.
(like a finical advisor)
- The service would feature, budget week by week, tips on where/how to save money, comparing products/services, forum, deals (get discounts on items and places), savings - putting money aside to a reach a goal.
Strengths -
It will caters for the whole target audience, its not just aimed to students or graduates it covers the full spectrum of the target audience and if not even more.
Being in partnership with online banking/PayPal will encourage people to use the app, as this means that people who already use PayPal would be encouraged to use the service and already trust the way that PayPal works.
Create a link between the costumer and the bank
More personal because they are giving you "one on one" feeling like a financial advisor
Being a website rather than an app would encourage people get stuck into the site and use it properly rather than just scrolling around using it on your phone.
Weakness -
Users may find it difficult to navigate with the amount of information being offered to them, the information needs to be clearly categorised this will help the site to be less crowed and easier to use for first time users.
Getting the critical mass of information to get people to be interested in the site, to help this would be crowd source information to make people engage with the system. Everyone that can contribute (like waze).
Feedback -
After a session at the start of the week where I sat down with a group alongside a a tutor and discussed our problems I was able to come up with the three solutions that are shown above, these solutions are three ideas that I have tired to make as different as possible even though the answer to the problem did limit this, during the crit it was suggested that I try and make my outcomes as different as possible.
Now at the end of the week I have managed to get some further feedback on my solutions I wanted to see what people thought was the most appropriate response after receiving the feedback that I got from my original problem at the start of the week.
Each ideas was taken on board well but the one idea that was most spoken about was solution three, first of all this idea has the most potential in the real world as it solves problems that the other two ideas did not cater to for example it wasn't making it saving a positive thing for people if it was just a budging app, they were getting little reward this service offers many ways to make the consumer feel positive about the service. When speaking in the crit the feedback was good and the idea was well received, rather than changing anything it was suggested that rather than using a bank to link to the sight I should use PayPal to partnership with it as these are the leading online payment site, it wold make the site more approachable for people who are put off my saving money.
I also spoke to a tutor after having the crit to get a second opinion on the idea as I had not spoken to them about the new idea. Again the feedback was very positive adding on to that now that I have found my solution the next stage is to pick apart the solution to figure out what would stop people using the site and what would make bad user experience. To do this I will be looking into similar websites/apps, mind mapping potential problems and over aching research into what making good user UI and UX.
No comments:
Post a Comment