We have the pleasure to introduce “Going Viral”, a dedicated team of university students specializing in advertising. The advertising agency is part of the Ad and Pr lab of Panteion University. Our team consists of five talented and motivated women, Myrto Gorou, Stela Kampadaki, Myrto Korizi, Charitini Koutsogianni, and Katerina Sapouna, who bring a wealth of dedication and energy to their work. “Going Viral” is committed to creating innovative and impactful advertising strategies that will take your project to new heights. With the motto “Going viral, going rolling,” our team strives to create advertising that is both viral and evergreen, with a lasting impact.
This past semester we had the chance to attend two labs that focused on different aspects of marketing. The first was the “Applied Marketing-Digital/Mobile Marketing Lab,” which delved into the world of applied and digital marketing. This lab explored various topics such as social media marketing techniques, the basic theory of market research, and tips about the creative process of conducting a marketing campaign, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the latest marketing practices.
The second lab was the “Market Research & Digital Means and Applications: Web, UX, Apps, Mobile, Video, Podcasting Lab,” which focused on market research and digital media. In this lab, we learned about various research methods, including qualitative and quantitative research, and how to analyze and interpret data to make informed marketing decisions. Additionally, we explored the principles of web design, user experience, and app development, as well as the role of podcasting in marketing.
Attending both labs provided us with a broad and thorough understanding of the various aspects of marketing, and equipped us with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop effective marketing strategies for different types of projects.
As for the second project of our “market research & digital means and applications: Web, UX, Apps, Mobile, Video, Podcasting” lab, we were assigned a project focused on UX heuristics. User experience (UX) design is the practice of creating products and services that are intuitive, easy to use, and enjoyable for the user. It encompasses numerous aspects of design such as interaction design, information architecture, and visual design. UX designers aim to optimize the user’s experience by considering the user’s needs, wants, and limitations. To help achieve this goal, UX designers rely on a set of heuristics, a set of general principles or rules, to guide their design decisions. These heuristics are based on research and can help designers identify common usability problems in order to improve the overall user experience. So, UX design and its heuristics are essential for creating effective, efficient and compensatory products and services.
The purpose of the project was to evaluate a digital product or service using established heuristics, such as visibility of system status, user control and freedom, and consistency and standards. By applying these heuristics, we were able to identify potential areas for improvement in the user experience of the product. This project highlighted the importance of UX design and the role that heuristics play in creating successful digital products. It also emphasized the need for user-centered design and the importance of considering the needs, preferences, and limitations of users in the design process. Through this project, we gained a deeper understanding of the principles and best practices of UX design and the role that heuristics play in creating effective user experiences.
Our team chose Amazon.com as the subject of this project for several reasons. First, Amazon is one of the most successful and widely used e-commerce platforms in the world, making it an ideal candidate for analysis. Secondly, Amazon has a complex user interface, with several features and functions that can be evaluated using heuristic principles. Thirdly, as users of Amazon, we were familiar with the platform and could provide insight into problems users experience. Lastly, by evaluating Amazon’s user interface through the lens of UX heuristics, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of what makes a user-friendly e-commerce platform, which will be valuable knowledge for future work in the field.
In order to conduct the heuristic evaluation we needed to create a proto persona. As our persona, we created a middle-aged mother, named Dionysia, who belongs to the middle class, works a day job and also runs her own small candle shop business. She acquires basic technology knowledge and uses the internet daily. Also, she wants to be independent and able to provide for her children, so she needs to buy candle containers from Amazon to support her small business and keep her space organized and neat. As she is a busy woman, fast-paced processes certainly assist her in her everyday life.
Consecutively, we assigned three tasks to our persona· to become a member, to search for the product to browse for options and to add the product to her cart. As a team, we then proceeded to complete these tasks and note problems we encountered and/or effectively designed aspects of the Amazon.com platform.
Our findings were interesting as we evaluated each task using the ten heuristics for User Interface. Regarding the registration task, the first heuristic which is the visibility and system status seemed to be working fine whereas the second one called match between the system and the real world didn’t possess the greek language for users. Other heuristics did not present further problems. The site had an aesthetic and minimalist design with a simple interface appealing to the user. What seemed to be malfunctioning was the error and prevention heuristic as it had no indications for the format of the email but only for the password. We also discovered that inexperienced users may come across trouble while entering their email and while entering their phone numbers while the system couldn’t provide clear and concise error messages that suggest a solution to the problem. Last but not least our team successfully identified that in the help center, there is no column about the registration process and so it does not provide easy-to-find documentation and help features that are easily accessible when needed.
Concerning the product search in the visibility heuristic the products out of stock, at first sight,do not have a price which is important for users to be informed when they show interest in something. Too much information is revealed below the products confusing the user and products that do not relate to the search are displayed among related ones.
Completing our work with the third and final task, the ‘add to cart and checkout’, our team came across inconsistency from one software system to another meaning that in the iOS system when you add to cart you can not return to the home page to continue your purchases, but in windows system, you can. We also found a lack of bottom buttons to return you to the homepage which led us to search the user control and freedom further discovering that when the customer checkouts, they do not have the option of pay on delivery and the payment data is stored whether they continue with the purchase or not.
We then proceeded to the recommendations for Amazon in order to make the user interface more effective. Adding other foreign languages for consumers that don’t speak English will make navigation easier. Another solution related to the email issue would be clear indications about the email format when someone creates an account and finally put a registration column in the help center of the site. About the product search and the checkout section, we recommended products should be displayed along with important information such as price and availability and they should also be related to search keys the user has put into the search bar. In the checkout section, it would be best for the system in the iOS software to match the windows version in order for the user to continue their purchases and provide buttons to return to the homepage. Our ultimate solution was to give the option for payment on delivery to the user to handle and the option to decide whether they want to save their payment info.
We arrive at the conclusion that user experience involves understanding user needs and behavior, designing interfaces and interactions that are intuitive and easy to use, and continuously testing and improving the design based on feedback. A well-designed UX can help to increase user satisfaction, reduce errors and frustrations, and ultimately improve business outcomes such as conversion rates, customer loyalty, and brand reputation. In today’s digital age, where user expectations are high and competition is fierce, investing in UX design is more important than ever.
The last project that was assigned to us regarded the UI design field. User interface (UI) design is the process of designing the interface through which users interact with digital products, such as websites, mobile applications, and software. The primary goal of UI design is to create interfaces that are easy to use, intuitive, and visually appealing. UI designers work to ensure that a user’s experience is enjoyable and seamless, by designing interfaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and efficient. Good UI design considers the user’s needs and preferences, as well as the context in which the product will be used. By focusing on the user experience, UI design plays a crucial role in the success of digital products in today’s increasingly competitive digital landscape.
In Particular, we were asked to individually design an application, specifically a quiz game, by using a web-based prototyping tool that allows users to create interactive mockups of mobile and web applications without the need for coding skills, Proto.io. The instructor for this project, Maggy Kontou, mentioned she needed 3 questions minimum and further effort would be appreciated. Our five members took up the task and designed their apps.
Firstly, our member Stela, who is interested in the UX/UI design field, decided to perceive this project as a challenge to test her gained skills so far. As a theme for her quiz game, one of her favorite anime series was her choice· “Attack on Titan”, which is a popular anime series that takes place in a world where humanity lives in fear of giant humanoid creatures called Titans. These Titans are relentless in their attacks, and the only way to stop them is to pierce their one weak spot, the back of their necks. The story follows the protagonist, Eren Yeager, and his friends as they join the military in hopes of protecting their city and uncovering the mysteries behind the Titans. Her quiz game had a sleek and minimalistic aesthetic that incorporated pictures of the beloved(or not beloved) characters from the anime. The app had interactive buttons that made it easy and enjoyable to use, while the background music added an extra layer of immersion to the experience. One of the unique features of the app was the option to turn the background music on or off and adjust the volume, allowing users to tailor their experience to their preferences. This app provided a fun and engaging way for fans of the anime to test their knowledge.
Our member Charitini designed a History Quiz with two categories: the English Monarchs and Ancient Greece which was under construction. Using the right colors and visuals she managed to create a beautiful and appealing user interface which was easy to use including the right buttons , menus, icons, text fields and more. The app worked in a smooth way without problems and taking into consideration the short amount of time it took to complete should be an admirable achievement.
Myrto (Korizi) created a quiz based on the world’s most famous comedy series “Friends”. The inspiration behind her choice was the fact that she loves this series and she has been watching it for many years, so it was a great opportunity for her to share her love for the characters and their crazy stories. Her Proto.io quiz included questions about the characters, photos, icons and of course useful buttons to make user experience easier. Also in the background she used music based on friends theme song “ I’ll be there for you” that really had a fun impact for the user, while he was answering questions. It was a very fun project and she hopes in the near future to design something similar again.
Myrto (Gorou) had an idea on a quiz inspired by science. The fact that the Department is based on Humanities, triggered her interest in whether or not students have general knowledge, something that is also well needed in the marketing field. Her science quiz, made in Proto.io, consisted of a Homepage, three categories ( Maths, Science books and earth atmosphere) that each included a unique question. Below the question there were given three possible answers that each led to a different page depending on the correctness of the answer. In order to make the Quiz more interesting and easier for the user and to make one feel confident in the App, Myrto added interactive buttons, along with a pleasing and calm music to play in the Background and accompany the user through the whole process. The Images and the buttons used were carefully selected to serve the needs of the quiz. All in all, although at the beginning the creation of the quiz seemed quite difficult to Myrto, later she got used to it and managed to help others with the specific project, always with the guidance of what the instructor, Maggy Kontou, had taught us.
Katerina, following her known passion for music and as a dedicated “Eurofan” created a Eurovision Quiz. Divided into two main modes, “General” and “Guess the…”, using the multiple choice method, the player has to answer questions, based on either general knowledge about the ESC or try guessing the winner, the song…etc depending on the question and the hints given. So as to match the whole “Eurovision vibe”, Katerina used one of its original, main and true colors, with the exact hue as the background, placed the 2020 Rotterdam ESC logo on the homepage and on the “question pages” but also formed the results’ presentation by quoting known Eurovision phrases such as “Douze points” — referring to the point system with 12 being the highest score — or “Sorry you’re not the number 1 on this one” — referring to Greece’s 2005 winner song “Number One” performed by Helena Paparizou.
Costa Coffee
One of our biggest projects and challenges so far has been our client ‘Costa Coffee’ which required extended research due to the fact that it is a rather new product in Greece and needs a boost in order to increase its sales and become a very competitive brand. During this process, we used methods such as PEST and SWOT analysis, the 4 Ps and we also focused on the main competitors in Greece. A very important part of our project was the use of qualitative and quantitative research, using the focus group method for the first one, so we could obtain more specific results, and for the second one the method of the questionnaire in order to generally understand the needs and preferences of our target group. Moving on, our team analyzed the creative rationale of the brand which is the main key to our big idea! We could say that it was a very fun and productive process!
The fundamental of our campaign was from the begging based on our motto #chooseyourspirit , that with the help of above-the-line, below-the-line and digital/ social media campaigns, it is expected to gain the needed popularity in a short period of time . Plus, through various posters on Costa Coffee’s platforms inspired by their colors and our motto, our creative department had the brilliant idea, to create ten scenarios, with ten different characters based on different types of everyday people! Students for example. Could be you, could be us, could be both. In that way, our consumers can relate to our scenario protagonists and every time they’ll drink Costa Coffee they’ll feel comfy and relaxed in a familiar spirit. This entire process was long, difficult, and challenging but it taught us that hard work, good communication and collaboration can have a big impact on the final result. Each of us had to face our own obstacles but at the end of the day, teamwork made the dream work and we can say we are proud of the final result. By gaining experience and putting ourselves and the whole team to the test we are now ready for what’s next. This is our spirit. What’s yours?
To follow our progress you can find us on Instagram and TikTok: https://instagram.com/goingviralgreece?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.tiktok.com/@goingviralgreece?_t=8a00TvCOc5N&_r=1 as well as on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087357832144. We also have a website http://goingviragreece.tilda.ws and an Email address goingviralgreece@gmail.com. Below we present our projects along with the links:
UX Canva Link :
Costa Coffee Canva Link:
Apps Link:
Μυρτώ Γκόρου:https://pr.to/FYBKV9/
stela kampadaki: https://pr.to/QRQ3DZ/
Myrtokorizi: https://share.proto.io/H58TGK/
Charitini :https://pr.to/DNI5SD/
Kat Sapouna: https://pr.to/M9ITTA/
Special thanks to Betty Tsakarestou !
