TMC – UNIT 13
The Brief
I’ve gathered 3 briefs and need to analyse each one, selecting the one that I will be working on for my Final Major Project here at TMC.
Option 1
OVERVIEW
The purpose of this project is to make Spotify a more social platform, creating a sense of community and connecting people through music.
Reasons to not choose this project: The project is solely in creating a social environment within the existing app meaning that redesigns to the original app might have to be done, along with the project also being quite vague in what to do mainly explaining the final goal.
Option 2
OVERVIEW
I will need to create a digital product to entice the younger generation to read The Telegraph and get their news from there, targeting their platform to the younger generation.
I would personally decide to create an app as nearly all people have a phone with the younger generation having a lot of experience with social media often choosing to get their news from platforms such as TikTok in the form of shortform videos, by creating an app, I feel like I’d be able to achieve their goals.
Reasons for not choosing the project: The brief is very vague which may result in not the best final product or areas that might have been missed out.
Option 3 (chosen)
OVERVIEW
I will need to create an app with a minimum of 4 pages that provides pet enthusiasts with information and locations that might help them with pets, providing free for all features along with paywalled features requiring a subscription to be purchased to access the rest of the features.
UAL: brief overview
Who is the audience?
Pet owners looking to better understand their furry friends and expand their knowledge or get easy access to essentials they might need.
What are the reasons NOT to do the project?
- The brief highlights the creation of a poster showcasing the app though my expertise are within app creation, not poster creation but I am still putting 90% of my focus onto the app including user journeys, personas etc, with the poster being the last step showcasing the app in a desirable image making viewers want to download the app and try it out.
What is the main challenge?
- To create a 4 page app education people passionate about pets or pet owners on pet store, vet locations, along with providing an easily accessible information centre where users can learn more about their pets all whilst monetising via a subscription model but also providing free for all features within the app.
Skills needed for this project
- Good time management, Experience in User Experience Design and User Interface Design, Ability to create accessible digital experiences, Ability to use prototype software (in my case Figma).
Summary of project
- I will need to create an app with a minimum of 4 pages that provides pet enthusiasts with information and locations that might help them with pets, providing free for all features along with paywalled features requiring a subscription to be purchased to access the rest of the features.
Links to future career
- I chose this brief because I want to work in as a UX/UI designer specialising in apps and websites so picking this project I thought was the best decision.
Sources of secondary information
- Using online sources of already researched information such as statistics, questionnaires, news reports and more.
Sources of primary information
- Self research such as going into pet stores, vet clinics or questionnaires.
EVALUATION
For this task, I had to go through a brief bank and pick out a brief that I thought would be best suited to me and allow me to showcase my skills, so in this case, I chose to plan & deeesign an app dedicated to informing users on pet info tailored to their pets, I also chose this app as being a dog & cat owner myslef, I already have first hand experience with the wants and needs of a pet owner and what I’d like in my life to help my everyday tasks such as managing their documents, appointments, medication, dietery needs, walking / exercising and more.
Project Proposal
RESEARCH
BRAND INVENTORY
WHO?
Passionate about pets, aiming to create a comprehensive educational and entertaining platform for pet owners.
WHAT?
A mobile app divided into four sections:
Discover: Recommended pet-related content.
Maps: Locations of pet shops, veterinary clinics, etc.
Learn: Educational tracks and quizzes about pets.
Profile: User’s content history, favorites, and achievements.
WHY?
To bridge the gap in accessible pet care education and offer an engaging, user-friendly platform for both new and experienced pet owners.
HOW?
Through a visually appealing app with a seamless UI, clear navigation, and an option for premium subscriptions to unlock exclusive content.
TONE
Friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive — ensuring users feel encouraged and confident about pet care.
Research Type Breakdown
TYPES OF RESEARCH
- Primary Research, this is carried out by you actively finding out information yourself in the forms of surveys and autobiographies, the downsides are that it would take quite some time and could be costly to get accurate results, the upsides being its tailored to your needs.
- Secondary Research, this is the complete opposite of primary as your taking already available information from things such as online surveys and statistics, the downsides to this is the information may be unreliable, outdated and might not exactly fit your needs, the upsides being its cheaper and quite quick.
PSYCHOGRAPHICS
- (Four Cs) – Psychographics is another way of market segmentation which involves looking at the user’s characteristics, attitudes, values, interests and lifestyles; Psychographics is important as it gives information on why people behave the way they do and what motivates their decisions, this type of segmentation helps businesses and marketers to create a more personalised experience to their target audience to for example target someone better on their specific beliefs and preferences, this overall allows businesses to build stronger brand loyalty and connect with their audience on a more personal level.
ACORN
- The ACORN (A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods) model is used to segment different neighbourhoods based on factors like socioeconomic status, housing, demographics and lifestyle. This model helps business and policymakers to tailer strategies and services to specific target audiences allowing them to effectively use resources on certain areas.
PERSONAS
- Personas are a fictional representation of an idea user, these help to get an idea on what a user may need, want and struggle with and overall helps me to build an inclusive experience catering for a wide user base.
AUDIENCE PROFILE
Demographics
- Age: 18–60
- Gender: All genders
- Ethnicity: Diverse, inclusive of all backgrounds
- Income: Mid to upper-income brackets (to align with subscription model)
Socio-Economic Status
- ACORN Type: Urban Prosperity and Comfortable Communities
- Education: High school diploma to higher education
- Employment: Working professionals, students, and freelancers
- Occupation: Pet owners, animal enthusiasts, vets, pet shop workers, and educators
Psychographics
- Values: Passion for animals, education, and community
- Attitudes: Proactive about pet care, eager to learn, and tech-savvy
- Lifestyle: Busy but willing to dedicate time to pet care and learning
- Interests: Pets, animal welfare, tech apps, and self-improvement
- 4C’s (Consumer Characteristics): Aspirer, Explorer, and Reformer
Geo-demographics
Focus on urban and suburban areas where pet care services are accessible
User Personas
Sarah Tealeaf
- Age: 21
- Occupation: Marketing Coordinator
- Location: Urban area
- Bio: Sarah recently adopted her first cat, Luna. She’s eager to learn how to care for her new pet and is looking for reliable resources. She enjoys using mobile apps for learning and wants an easy way to find local pet services and track her cat’s health.
- Goals: Learn about pet care, find local vets and pet shops, and track Luna’s health.
- Pain Points: Overwhelmed by conflicting online advice and lacks a simple way to organize pet-related information.
- Tech Comfort: High – Regularly uses apps for work and personal life.
James Badu
- Age: 41
- Occupation: Veterinarian
- Location: Suburban area
- Bio: James has owned dogs for over a decade and works as a vet. He uses pet apps to stay updated on the latest care practices and enjoys connecting with other pet owners. He values apps that offer in-depth educational content and reward user engagement.
- Goals: Stay informed about pet care trends, connect with the pet owner community, and use advanced app features for his pets’ profiles.
- Pain Points: Finds many apps too basic or lacking expert-level content.
- Tech Comfort: Very high – uses specialized apps and software in his daily work.
EVALUATION
The initial research stage I focused on the user and how the brand/app will be presented and it’s aims and goals; this will allow me to gain a better understanding of the wants and needs of the user from many different demographics creating an inclusive experience that targets as many aspects as possible that someone could want from a pet information app. I also decided to extend my brief at this stage to not only provide information such as tips to the user, but also offer a platform to manage all documents, reminders, dietery requirements and more, creating an overall very useful app to have making it even more desireable to possible new users.
Primary Research
Methods used
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
- By looking into the competitors this app may have, I will be able to gain an understanding on current pain points for users, features in common, and overall check for any gaps that I might be able to fill with this app.
QUESTIONNAIRES
- By carrying out a questionnaire, I will be able to gain a perspective from the user’s point of view on what they generally have issues with, features they’d like to see and more, overall helping me to achieve a good end goal in creating an app that serves its purpose and more, giving users more reasons to return and integrate the app into their everyday life.
INDUSTRY FEEDBACK
- By gaining feedback from people working in the industry such as vets and pet store workers, I’ll be able to get a professional view on what type of information that should be provided to pet owners and what they’d like to see in an app.
Competitors
0 Ratings
Pet Guide
This app is designed to provide an easy way to provide the user with tips and guides around pets, the main features are offline browsing of guides and providing a centralised experience for pet knowledge.
1.2K Ratings - 4.8
Puppr
This app is designed to provide users with an intuitive way on how to train their dog at home and provide with weekly info and instruction videos. The main features of this app are to provide the user with videos and guides on how to train their dog and provide a weekly info guide.
1 Rating - 5
Pet Parents
This apps serves the purpose of providing an easy way to manage all paperwork and other essential info of the user’s pet. The main features of the app are to provide an easy way of logging vaccinations, appointments and other things that should be logged.
401.3K Ratings - 4.9
PetDesk
This app provides the user with the ability to keep track of all vet information, earn loyalty points and request appointments. The main features of this app are to provide an easy way of logging all pet appointments, vaccinations and other data, along with providing a way to book appointments.
EVALUATION
After researching a few apps that I thought might be similar interms of their traget audience and use case, I fond that there was a pretty big gap in the market with not alot of users and overall a very underwhelming user base, this leads me to think that either the apps are just too basic, dont solve the user’s problems or are simply not marketed well, despite all being free to use and only 2 having tiered payment systems but still having free for all features.
Questionaire
OVERVIEW
- Highlight key themes or trends that emerged from open-ended questions, such as unique selling points or areas of concern.
- Include relevant quotes or excerpts from respondents’ comments to illustrate these themes.
IMPACT ON APP DECISIONS
- Discuss how the gathered data has influenced your app design and feature prioritization.
- Explain any adjustments made to the app concept based on user feedback.
WHAT I’VE LEARNT
- Reflect on what you’ve learned from conducting this research, such as:
- New insights into pet owners’ needs and preferences.
- Improved skills in data analysis or communication of complex information.
- Enhanced understanding of user-centered design principles.
NEXT STEPS
- Outline planned improvements or additional research based on your findings (e.g., conducting interviews, creating prototypes for user testing).
EVALUATION
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Contextual Research
Research Type Breakdown
SEMIOTICS
- Semiotics, at its core, revolves around symbols and their role in visual communication. It’s a universal language seen everywhere, from road signs guiding our journeys to the vibrant posters on our streets. Whats unique about it is its ability to convey messages easily often overcoming language barriers. Semiotics are something that is used globally and emerged back 1670 through Henry Stubbles who discussed the interpretation of medical signs. However, its true journey into the realms of communication and media theory gained momentum in the vibrant era of the late 1960s
- Semiotics are categorised into three primary groups: icons, indices, and symbols. Icons, are signs that visually resemble what they represent, like road signs for example. On the other hand, indices are signs linked to what they represent, such as smoke indicating the presence of fire. However, symbols operate uniquely; their meaning is derived from societal agreement or convention rather than inherent resemblance or connection. This aspect allows symbols to evolve and adapt in their interpretations over time.
QUESTIONARIES
- Collect quantitative data to understand user demographics, behaviors, and opinions on the app concept, this could be distributed via email or social media. Include multiple-choice questions, rating scales, or open-ended responses.
TYPOGRAPHY
FONT TYPES:
- Serif – Serif fonts have small lines or strokes (known as serifs) at the ends of each character, examples of some fonts under the Serif category are: Times New Roman, Georgia and Garamond; the font is also often used for body text in print as they are easy to read and the letters are easier to differentiate making them a good font to use for accessibility.
- Sans Serif – Sans Serif fonts lack serifs creating a clean and modern look, examples of fonts using the Sans Serif style are Arial, Helvetica and Calibri; they are quite popular in the digital space often being used in websites and apps due to their clean appearance and legibility on screens
- Monospaced – These types of fonts have quite a formal look, with each letter taking up the same amount of horizontal space, this style of font is found in Courier and Consolas; they are a popular font for coding as it ensures easy readability due to its uniform design.
- Script – This font style mimics cursive handwriting creating a decorative look, this style is found in fonts like Brush Script and Lobster and are commonly used for invitations and cards.
- Display – This font type is designed for titles, headings and signage due to their bold eye catching appearance, fonts that use this style are Impact, Bebas Neue and Cooper Black.
- Slab Serif – Similar to Serif, the difference being that slabs are used instead serifs often creating a sturdy and modern look, examples of fonts using this style are Rockwell and Memphis, and are often used on posters due to their bold and impactful appearance.
- Handwriting – This font type mimics handwriting styles creating quite a personal look, fonts using this style are Comic Sans and Bradley Hand, this font type is often used in children’s products, and places where creating a personal touch is needed.
FONTS USED:
- Rozha One is a Serif font mainly used for headings and other elements that need to stand out but dont have too much text as it can become overwhelming if overused.
- Dosis is a Sans Serif font used for all other text and was chosen due to its clean and minimalistic look along with the use of curves creating a visually inviting look.
COLOUR WHEEL
- Colour theory was first developed by Isaac Newton, and gave us understanding on how colours can make us feel, for example, red is a passionate colour, making us feel love, passion, anger and danger, whilst green is used to symbolise health, nature and success, and blue is used to symbolise trust, loyalty, coldness and sadness. The colour wheel is mainly made up of 3 main colour groups, these are primary, secondary and tertiary; along with that, there are seven main colour schemes which range from monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, square, and rectangle; the wheel can be broken down even further to separate warm and cold colours, warm being red, orange and yellow whilst cold colours being blue, green and purple.
Colour Theory
Myrtle Green
#297373
Mood Associated
- tranquility
- growth
- stability
Coral
#FF8552
Mood Associated
- vibrancy
- warmth
- energy
Eminence
#754284
Mood Associated
- wisdom
- royalty
- creativity
Aquamarine
#85FFC7
Mood Associated
- serenity
- clarity
- exploration
Beige
#EBEBD3
Mood Associated
- neutrality
- friendliness
- nostalgia
Fonts
Design inspiration
ABC Learning English App
The reasons by choosing this design as one f my inspirations was the minimal and clean look of the on-screen elements whilst keeping everything vibrant and organised, the use of spacing makes it easy to understand and I like the folder look of each section.
Cosmo Astronomy App
I love the use of contrast and spacing in this app concept as it perfectly frames the planet and adds information about it elegantly at the bottom, making the app not just good looking, but really functional too.
Limerick
For this inspiration, I wanted to focus more on the page elements and the modular design, it looks visually appealing whilst getting straight to the point and allowing for a lot of customisations, each element ties in nicely with each other.
Agriculture App
I picked this as an inspiration point due to its classic app style getting straight to the point and providing a user friendly and familiar interface for showing information, the use of colours throughout the app are also appealing and nicely accent sections.
EVALUATION
Moving on to the contextual research, I started off by showcasing the research type breakdown to show the different aspects I looked at when planning, this also helped me to ensure I covered all contextual research points needed. I then moved onto the colour theory, choosing my desired colours based both off mood associated and aesthetics and ended up with 4 main colours used, these were aslso inspired by my desin inspirations when I looked at 5 different app designs mainly focusing on the layout, colours and display of content, this started to show a pattern common in mobile applications which gave me. agood understanding on common practices in displaying content in a familiar way.
Planning
RESEARCH PLANNING
EVALUATION
Blah blah
Preproduction
Logo
The new logo variations.
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EVALUATION
For this task, I had to go through a brief bank and pick out
Production
Logo
The new logo variations.
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EVALUATION
For this task, I had to go through a brief bank and pick out
EVALUATION
Peer Feedback
Summary
Positive
- –
Negative
- –
Advanced Feedback
“-“
Final valuation
–
Overall learning outcomes – –
Personal Improvements – –
Future Recommendations – –
Conclusion – –
BIBLIOGRAPHY
RESOURCE SITES USED
Info & more
- –
EVALUATION
For this task, I had to go through a brief bank and pick out
