“Find MeTime”

Star Wiley
Nov 1 · 4 min read

Google’s New Blindspot Sensor

Ever gaze at your calendar searching for opportunities to fit in a few more things? What if you had a second pair of eyes, that could maximize every second of the day? Schedule a much needed15 minute snack break in between that group meeting and next study hour. Move up studio sessions to catch the early train home. Exhausted? See your next power nap scheduled. Sounds lovely, no? “Find MeTime” was something I conjured when tasked with creating a new feature for a time management application for students at General Assembly. Here’s how I did it.


How are you with time management?

User Interviews were involved to say the least. My first project, attempting to enhance a users ability to time manage within productivity applications inspired me to dig deep, as I myself could use the assistance.

I desperately wanted to remove as much of my own biases on how students managed their time. I created a list of assumptions, exploring my thoughts on the user base, tools they used, and how one measured successful time management. This was detrimental to creating an effective User Interview Script that gave me reference to what question to ask the users.

Compiling the plethora of information I received in 8 interviews I was able to get to the best part of UX. Affinity Mapping. Affinity mapping is an amazing process where the designer uses prioritized information from the interviews, colored post it notes, a sharpie, and wall to begin to give form to the user and their behaviors, pain points, and their goals.


Take a look at the wondrous process that is Affinity Mapping below.

Too clean.
Now we’re cooking.
Don’t stop now!

One doesn’t want to ever want to stop but once “I” statements or statements that speak to the themes and patterns that begin to emerge as you group thoughts, ideas and actions together, one must move on. Move on to what exactly well through this process we figuratively flesh out insights into our User Persona. Once we know who we’re designing for we are able to figure out what we are designing.


Ideation was taxing I knew from all my insights that I would be designing a feature to enhance Google Calendar. I began sketching Low-Fi Wireframes until I couldn’t anymore. I picked one of my designs I was satisfied with and began to iterate on the concept. See the final iteration of my Low-Fi Wireframes.

Entry Points
Schedule a nap!

Next Steps were to create a Paper Prototype. Yet another enjoyable part of the Grand User Experience (UX) experience.

Cool!
Let “Find MeTime” take a look at that for you

After 3 rounds of user testing and loads more iteration, I decided to move forth with the Mid-Fi Wireframes and Prototype. Take a look below!

Entry Points
“Find MeTime schedule a power nap at once!”


Iterate. Iterate. Iterate.

I learned so much through out this process but two things stood out in bold letter to me. First is to ‘Trust the process’. No one step is less important than the other. Second is this is what I want to do. Some say you have to be made for the work you decide to do. Well I’m not so sure I came prepackaged and made to be a UX Designer. There are tasks and techniques that made me more uncomfortable than I’ve ever been in my life. Although if I’ve learned anything from my time so far at GA is that there are steps, research done, there is time taken to foster thoughtfulness before we can make anything at all. Even when I feel I have made it, I will wash, rinse and iterate.