newweivecreation

DADIDO

Side project | 4 weeks

Mission:
Create a task management app which helps people organize their ideal lifestyles.

My role:
As the team leader of this project, I collaborated with two researchers and two designers. My role involved not only ensuring the project's progress and fostering a cohesive team dynamic but also serving as the lead designer for this product.

Product quick look

Project background

Creating a productivity tool from 0 to 1.

This case study began with our self-initiated project within a side project group. We were given a special goal: to create a productivity tool from scratch in just four weeks.

We were fortunate to have several experienced designers volunteer to review our work and share feedback during a dedicated design review session. Despite our team being spread across different cities and countries, we collaborated effectively online.

Brainstorming

We started the research with our own experiences.

To set our course, we initiated the process by sharing our personal experiences and the challenges we faced when using productivity tools during our initial brainstorming session.

"Wait a second, what exactly is a productivity tool?"

Not a smooth voyage, our first challenge

Clarify our goal.

In the project's early stages, aligning our team's perspectives posed a significant challenge. To tackle this issue, I arranged one-on-one meetings with each team member.

During these discussions, it became evident that our difficulties arose from varying interpretations of what a productivity tool should imply. As a result, we took measures to establish a clear and shared definition.

"Productivity tools are softwares or methods that help people manage tasks, achieve goals, and work more efficiently."

Understand our users

We conducted an online survey to gain a clearer understanding of our potential target users.

After establishing a clear direction, we proceeded to conduct user research to dig deeper into user behavior. To obtain more in-depth insights, we designed an online survey to identify potential interview candidates.

In just three days, we collected 32 responses, obtaining information about their age, occupation, reasons for using productivity tools, and their experiences with such tools.

Target users

Young adults in their 20s and 30s strive to shape their ideal lifestyles.

Upon analyzing the collected data, we distilled our findings into the following insights:

The highest demand for productivity tools comes from young adults in the 20-40 age range.
Productivity tools are sought after not only for work but also for personal life.
Commonly mentioned demands revolved around task organization, information sorting, and collaborative capabilities.
Users often struggle with the learning curve associated with productivity tools.

With these insights in hand, we proceeded to refine our understanding of our target users

Graduated student

"As a recent graduate, I need a tool to help me prioritize my life goals, so that I can stay on track in a rapidly changing lifestyle."

Office worker

"As an office worker, I require the capability to organize my personal life on my phone, ensuring I can make the most of my commute time."

Freelancer

"As a freelancer, I need to be able to categorize my tasks by different cases, so that I can effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously without overlooking any critical details."

Users' needs

Emotion level, experience level, and function level needs.

We selected 5 participants of the online survey who we believed to be our target users to conduct further interviews. The results showed that the need of productivity tools can be broken down to three levels.

Emotion Level

Young adults rely on tools to organzie clear guidance for their tasks, ensuring a sense of control.

Experience Level

When tool complexity is too high, the tool becomes a burden.

Function Level

Our users deserve an intuitive task management tool with prioritization, categorization, and collaboration features.

We organized over 100 data points from 5 interviewees with an affinity diagram and used grounded theory to help us picture the major insights.

Main features

A task management tool is our solution.

After sorting the information we gathered from user studies, we realized that there were some features that we need to deliver:

Task prioritization
Enabling user to categorize tasks into different subjects
Breaking down the tasks
Sharable task lists

Competitor analysis

An opportunity point amongst our competitions with a combination of intuitive, colorful, and collaborative design.

We analyzed the potential competitors which were mentioned during the interviews, and here is what we found:

● Visually pleasant UI and interaction design increases the motivation of users to use the tool in the beginning.

● Collaboration feature is the key factor that keeps the users from dropping the product.

Direct competitor

Reminder

Todoist

Actions

Indirect competitor

Notion

Google calendar

Home page

The home page displays a list of tasks in the order of their creation time with s set of sorting and filtering method. Users have the option to complete or delete tasks by swiping them right or left on the list without the need to open them individually.

During the competitive analysis, we discovered a risk of accidental task completion when using a "complete" button on the task page due to the confusion between "completing the task" and "completing editing the task".

To address this concern, we opted to implement a slide bar, providing a more secure and user-friendly interaction that prevents inadvertent actions.

Calendar view

In the calendar view, users can visualize their upcoming tasks in a timeline.

Users have the flexibility to switch between weekly or monthly scales, and the task card layout is optimized for the respective view, ensuring the information is presented effectively.

Why subject, not group?

A subject serves as a space for users to categorize and, if desired, share their tasks with others. We provided 5 kinds of colors in 5 tones for users to label their subjects.

The choice to use "subject" instead of "group" was intentional, while "group" was primarily designed for collaborative tasks, "subject" is a flexible feature for organizing tasks, whether privately or collaboratively.

We believe that this shift in perspective offers our users a broader range of possibilities.

Design review session

Challenges emerged after the design review.

Our design was reviewed by 5 experienced designers during the design review session. Following the review, we realized that certain design aspects were not practical for users.

In response, we conducted focused usability tests on these specific details and identified four major improvements to address these issues.

Adjustment #1

The connection between size change and task priority was not intuitive.

In the initial design, I suggested enlarging task cards to emphasize their importance, with the aim of improving engagement and clarity. However, this approach received feedback that it caused confusion, the usability tests also showed us the same result. Consequently, we explored multiple design iterations.

Eventually, based on the insights gathered from the usability tests, we adopted a simpler solution. This involved adding a star icon next to task names, which emerged as the most user-friendly option.

Before

After

Adjustment #2

The remaining task information tag caused confusion.

We also received feedback about the style of the remaining task number tag. Users found it unclear that the number represented the count of unfinished tasks when displayed on a circular background. To address this, we made the number larger and added the text 'unfinished' below it.

Before

After

Adjustment #3

The background color of the task page negatively impacted readability.

At first, we matched the background color of task cards with their assigned subjects. However, due to the variety of color options we provided, it became clear that this approach could impact the readability of information on the task cards.

As a result, we chose to represent the subject by using a colorful tag beneath the task title.

Before

After

Adjustment #4

The schedule view calendar consumed too much screen space.

Initially, we provided two separate calendar views: weekly and monthly. However, the monthly calendar consumed a significant amount of space, leaving minimal room for the task list.

During the usability test, most of our users found it more comfortable with the interactive format. By default, the calendar displays in a monthly view, but when users scroll down the task list, it collapses to maximize available space.

Before

After

Product prototypes

Create, breakdown,
categorize your tasks.

Sorting and filtering.

Find your task accordingly.

Sorting and filtering.

Find your task accordingly.

Make it your personal secretary.

Very busy?
Add multiple tasks easily.

Future update directions

Widgets

The original concept behind developing a mobile app was to create a tool that could be used in various situations, like checking a shopping list at the supermarket or organizing tasks during a commute.

We believe that adding a widget feature in future updates would enhance accessibility and make task management easier in various daily life scenarios, benefitting our target users.

Key takeaways

Fail early, learn fast

During this project, our team initially skipped early usability testing due to tight deadlines. However, in the design review session, we uncovered critical flaws that made us realize the importance of understanding user perspectives from the start.

To quickly rectify these issues, we conducted targeted user tests on specific features, enabling us to make swift adjustments. This experience underscored the value of early-stage usability testing as a worthwhile investment to validate our ideas and prevent excessive time investment in high-fidelity designs.

Creativity vs. Users' actual need

At first in the design process, I aimed for more unconventional and out-of-the-box designs for the project. However, during user testing, the impractical aspects of these creative pursuits became apparent.

This experience made me realize that while creativity is essential in product design, it should be grounded in a thorough understanding of our target users' needs and behavioral patterns. If a design relies too heavily on imagination or the designer's narrative, it can lead to confusion and usability issues.

Understanding teammates before users

The early project challenges highlighted the importance of understanding my team members. Through one-on-one meetings, I discovered key actions that could enhance team chemistry:

Be specific
I discovered that varying levels of familiarity with the research process led to our initial difficulties. The solution was clear that we needed to interpret the rationale and expected outcomes of our ideas and decisions during discussions.

Be open and mindful
Understanding my teammates' personalities prompted the realization that creating an environment where everyone felt comfortable expressing ideas and asking questions was crucial.

Offer solutions deliberately
With a team member in Europe, time zone differences posed an initial challenge. However, we transformed this disadvantage into a strength. Instead of waiting for answers, I encouraged team members to propose solutions proactively when new design questions arose, ensuring a near-continuous workflow spanning different time zones.

These revelations emphasize the importance of understanding and working effectively with team dynamics, laying a solid foundation for successful user-centered design.

Last but not least

A glimpse of the style guideline.

We dedicated significant effort to develop a comprehensive design system for this project, ensuring UI design consistency. Despite the challenges, the investment of time was well worth it.

I'd like to express my gratitude for taking the time to read my work. If you have any questions or would like to explore more design details, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always up for a chat.

Cheers!