Design Daily — A Word of the Day App
Introduction
Design Daily is a word of the day app targeted towards people in the tech industry. There are so many roles that play a part in a company or in a product that you may not be familiar with. This app is designed to help people in the field learn about related fields to them. They will receive a new word at random that relates to one of the three categories they chose in the onboarding process. They are provided with the word, definition, example, and a quote.
The purpose for this app was simple, I wanted to help those in the tech field stay up-to-date with certain methods and terms, but at the same time spark inspiration. In my research I looked into many different word of the day apps, but also apps that taught you, such as Quizlet and Duolingo. I didn’t want this app to give you just any term, I wanted it to customized to the user so that it encourages them to use it often.
The problem I noticed was that most of the word of the day apps provided everyone using it with the same term, putting aside their needed intelligence level and their personal preferences. If there was a way to create an app similar but with a niche, I thought it would help solve this for not just the tech industry but any other topic that would like to create something similar.
Phase 1: Research
App Audit & Heuristic Review
To start off my research I downloaded 8 apps to audit that were similar to the app I wanted to create. Upon browsing word of the day apps, I noticed that there were similar ones but weren’t limited to just words. I looked into apps that had information given on the home screen with limited navigation. Apps like this were ones such as a fact a day, a joke a day, etc.
While conducting the full audit, I created a list of things to check, this included the features, functions, likes from reviews, and dislikes. From these audits I tracked the possible features that I could include in my app.
There were two features I thought to include from this audit that I believed would set my app apart from most, as well as create a better experience for the user. These features were, an onboarding experience to personalize the app, and a way to practice the terms provided after the fact.
After the audit, I conducted a heuristic review on the same apps. This was to focus more on the navigation and compare it against usability principles. Since most of these apps were minimal they were straight forward, however some of them were too minimal and hard to navigate. I wanted to find an equal balance between having a simple app be efficient, but also have more substance.
Phase 2: Structure & Navigation
Sketch & Wireframe
Once my research was completed, I moved onto the structre of my app. I sketched out what my onboarding process would look like as well as the word of the day page. Things after that came smoothly and I was able to wireframe my app.
Phase 3: Design & Document
Style Guide
While designing my app I created an inspiration board on Pinterest to get an idea of the style I’d like to implement. I decided to go with a vibrant color scheme because I believed it would help encourage learning rather than make it a routine for someone who could eventually get bored of the app.
From that I created the rest of what it would look like, icons, font, and then finally a logo. The name of my app is still a work in progress, but the idea is something I’d like to stick with when I change the name.
Prototype
Once the design was implemented into my wireframes I started prototyping it in Figma. I decided to use Figma due to its easy functions as well as it’s flexibility.
Features and functions I wanted to show in my prototype:
- Onboarding process
- Customizing your views
- Seeing a description of the field selecting
- Filtering the categories in both Favorite and Dictionary pages
- Showing the potential of a learn mode
Testing — Feedback
I conducted 4 tests going through the exact same objectives. Each objective was timed and their clicks were counted, and the participant was asked to vocalize each step they took and the thoughts they had. After they finished the objective, I asked for further feedback. At the end of the test, I asked each participant to browse the entire app without any restrictions and asked them to provide overall feedback. Below are the tests summarized.
Conclusion
I approached this project differently than I have in past projects. What I liked most about my approach was my audit of similar apps. This process helped me get an idea of what was already out there and see what could be improved. An approach like this is great for any product that has direct competitors.
Something I would change if I could do it over again, is to focus on sketches. I did sketch out my main screens, but when it came to wireframing, I realized I got stuck on smaller details. This is a simple thing that most people think of, but I did rush through it, which caused this delay in my wireframing process. This really taught me that the smallest details count and will help keep you on track.
All-in-all, I’m very happy with how my app turned out. I would like to keep iterating on my design to improve it and eventually develop the app.
