Ava So | UX & Game Design Portfolio

Ava So

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When Memory Connects

TBD

Effortless Connections

Project Type

Course Project for a Master’s level Fundamentals of UX course

Duration

8 Weeks

Role

Team Lead

UX Researcher

UX Designer

Tools

Figma

Figjam

Google

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Digital Engagement for Everyone

The demand of digital communication continuously grows, requiring constant engagement and thoughtful responses. This creates a particular challenge in maintaining meaningful connections, especially for busy individuals and those who find digital expression challenging.

Final Presentation

Research plan

Defining & prioritizing users
User interviews
Secondary research
Research analysis

Problem Refinement

Business goals
Identifying constraints

Week 1

Week 2-4

Week 5

Week 6-7

Week 8

Ideating

User flows
UI sketches
Low fidelity wireframes
Usability testing

Define

Project & user goals
Journey mapping

Design

High fidelity prototype
Visual design
Storyboard

Process Overview

PROJECT STAGES

Problem Refinement

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Help busy people and introverted person who struggle with digital expression stay meaningfully connected through natural and low-pressure interactions.

Problem Space

Synthesized Findings Into A Focused Problem Statement

Support individuals who struggle to connect in traditional ways by offering digital engagement options that allow them to interact with loved ones casually and without pressure, fostering connection without feeling overwhelmed.

Information overload

Time constraints

Pressure to engage

Quality vs quantity

PROJECT STAGES

Research Plan

Research goals

Uncover user behaviours, motivations, and frustrations
Understand how people manage digital communications
How people manage their feelings of stress or overwhelm in social settings
Identify what design approaches can enable these individuals to connect without feeling pressured

Participants

12 individuals

22-29 age range

Types of occupation:

Students
Engineers
Real estate agents
Day-traders

12 individuals

22-29 age range

Types of occupation:

Students
Engineers
Real estate agents
Day-traders

Tools

Google Sheets,

Figjam

Google Sheets,

Figjam

Method

Background/ Secondary research and User interviews

Timeline

2 weeks

Solo secondary research

To better understand the general public, scoured news articles, academic sources, reviews, and competitor analysis to better inform user research.

66%

Feel overwhelmed by digital expression

75%

Experience mental pressure from social expectations

58%

Actively seek ways to reduce interaction pressure

User interview

Participants were asked a list of preliminary questions regarding their experiences with digital communication, including what specifically inflicts feelings of overwhelm and how they manage interactions when they are busy.

Key Research Findings

RESEARCH GOAL 1 - Behaviour, Motivations, Frustrations

Preference for Asynchronous, Low-Pressure Communication

Asynchronous tools as a way to help mitigate anxiety and smoothen emotional flows.

Solutions incorporating low-pressure modes of interaction such as auto/delayed replies and scheduling message can be a way to improve the comfort level of anxious or introverted users.

RESEARCH GOAL 2 - Management

Solutions and Strategies for Reducing Anxiety

A sense of obligation to maintain contact with family and friends, which often left them feeling drained.

Features like “take a break,” “snooze,” or “set limits” can encourage healthy digital habits, helping users maintain relationships without harming their mental health.

RESEARCH GOAL 3 - Design Approach

Potential Methods or Tools

Emoji reactions, quick replies, and auto-snooze tools help manage digital interactions efficiently without the pressure of lengthy responses.

Design decisions related to managing social expectations in digital platforms, focusing on tools that help users set boundaries, prioritize communication, and reduce stress without impacting the connection.

Other sentiments observered were...

Participants frequently reported feeling overwhelmed by engaging in constant communication, particularly through multiple digital platforms
Users experience anxiety over delayed responses and are concerned with being misinterpreted

Participants frequently reported feeling overwhelmed by engaging in constant communication, particularly through multiple digital platforms
Users experience anxiety over delayed responses and are concerned with being misinterpreted

PROJECT STAGES

Define

USER NEED STATEMENT

A way to effortlessly share and respond to meaningful memories with friends because they want to stay emotionally connected without feeling overwhelmed or pressured in their digital interactions.

Defining key project goals and actionable insights

Synthesized Research Insights

Synthesized Research Insights

Personas and Empathy Maps

Personas and Empathy Maps

Personas and Empathy Maps

AS-IS USER JOURNEY MAP

Defined Core Design Goals

Defined Core Design Goals

To solidify our direction, our core design goals:

Simplicity
Fostering emotional connection
Reducing digital Fatigue

To solidify our direction, our core design goals:

Simplicity
Fostering emotional connection
Reducing digital Fatigue

PROJECT STAGES

Ideating

To Achieve

Purpose

Create stress-free user experiences
Reduce anxiety for users

VISION FOR A SOLUTION

What if we could create meaningful connections in a world of digital overwhelm,

By transforming shared memories into gentle touches,

So that expressing “I’m thinking of you” becomes pure and effortless again?

What if we could create meaningful connections in a world of digital overwhelm,

By transforming shared memories into gentle touches,

So that expressing “I’m thinking of you” becomes pure and effortless again?

CHOSEN PROTOTYPE

To validate our idea, we conducted usability testing as well as presented to an expert and acquired feedback.

Greeting Icon Interactions
to create light and personal interaction rather than time-consuming conversations

One to One Memory Sharing

to share natural emotional moments rather than fulfilling social tasks

PRIORITIZATION GRID

MY CRAZY 8s (only 6)

PROJECT STAGES

Design

What We Did

Our team transitioned from low-fidelity concepts to high-fidelity prototypes, creating a polished design that reflected user needs and our design goals. This stage focused on developing the visual design, interactive elements, and detailed workflows. Through moodboards, style tiles, and mockups, we had a solution that reflects both user needs and project goals.

It features:

Primary Colours: Muted shades such as soft browns, creams, deep greens, and navy blues. These tones are non-intrusive, promoting relaxation and focus.
Gradient Swatches: Complementary gradients that align with the natural and grounded aesthetic, offering smooth transitions between colours for a cohesive look.

Inspiration Images: Vintage-style posters and illustrations emphasizing tranquility and nostalgia, with harmonious colours that feel familiar and comforting.

STYLE TILE

MOODBOARD

PROJECT STAGES

Final Presentation

Presenting Our Work

After several iterations, design critiques, playback sessions, and team meetings, we have finalized the design!

Challenges We Overcame

Pivoting Ideas:

One of the major challenges that we overcame as a team was pivoting from our original idea based on our background research, refining it into a more focused memory sharing app while still retaining valuable elements.

Pivoting Ideas:

One of the major challenges that we overcame as a team was pivoting from our original idea based on our background research, refining it into a more focused memory sharing app while still retaining valuable elements.

Synthesizing feedback:

Incorporating insights from both usability testing and team discussions required careful prioritization and compromise. On top of which, we had to manage tight timelines while incorporating user feedback into iterations.

Synthesizing feedback:

Incorporating insights from both usability testing and team discussions required careful prioritization and compromise. On top of which, we had to manage tight timelines while incorporating user feedback into iterations.

Communicating Complex Processes:

Translating our abstract ideas into actionable design elements during ideation and simplifying our design journey into an engaging presentation while maintaining depth and context was initially challenging but it improved through practice and collaboration.

Communicating Complex Processes:

Translating our abstract ideas into actionable design elements during ideation and simplifying our design journey into an engaging presentation while maintaining depth and context was initially challenging but it improved through practice and collaboration.

Let’s Connect!