It’s been a bit since I last updated my thesis blog but there are plenty of updates to mention!

During the May hiatus it literally did turn into a concentrated block of time away from my project – much to my chagrin. However, I did make time to go through a 1st wave of user testing regarding the updated design to help break up some of the blockers that I’ve had regarding the “Hero Page”, such as what options to present to the user, and how to elevate the general engagement experience.

This was also around the time I decided to focus on how to move away from the generic tendencies that were coming up in the visual design. Although, some of this is unavoidable given the nature of trying to create an experience that is suitable to a wide range of users. Yet dynamism is another core focus of mine in addition to fostering a general feeling of ease of use.

June has also been proven to be fruitful due in no small part to the large amount of incremental user testing that we are/should be having, and the cyclical nature of the design process. I’ve had more recent issues with the way in which the options were represented for new audio additions in v.3, but I’ve made progress in this area as well. I’ve chosen to move to larger, softer buttons and color formations that are comforting to the user, however, there is also the issue of maintaining readability and usability which is very important to me.

Finally, I’ve had the luxury of user testing with Chelsea & Ellen!!! As is expected, I have the option to proceed or discard any of it, but their comments are helping push this design along in conjunction with the wonderful commentary that was provided in Craig’s Thesis course. It’ll take time to implement it, but I’m excited to be on the road to a more fully realized experience!

[Chelsea’s Comments]

[Ellen’s Comments]