Case studies
Steam Application Redesign
A deep-dive into UI/UX design and improving the mobile format to increase usability.
Project Goal: PC gaming continues to grow as a market as the developments in consoles starts to dwindle. Due to this rise, Steam continues to host more and more users and have expanded their application as such with streaming, better access to games, and a reworked social aspect; however, their application continues to struggle in mobile forms due to a lack of reformatting or forethought on how their site would age with time. This research is to find better ways to include all the information the app provides, while maintaining the look and feel of the original application. For a site/app that gets so much traffic, provides a lot of aspects such as shopping and upcoming events, the information should be much easy to view, navigate and access for all users.
Project Experience: Due to the age of the app, there is a lack of easy access whenmaking purchases, accessing social aspects of the app, and other difficulties caused bythe neglect of the mobile application. The app is a near one to one of the desktop, whichmeans there are frequent pop-ups and screens that aren’t formatted for view, whichmakes the experience of browsing the app lack luster and challenging.
Project Outcome: I went through an entire research process of mind maps and user experience testing. Doing this helped me to see where the original app failed to achieve certain goals, and allowed me to better format my redesign for better usability. I kept to Steam’s original branding in terms of elements, logo and colour palette as I wanted this process to be focused on fixing existing issues rather than creating something from scratch. Being able to test and experience reworking an application with better usability and being able to easily compare it to the original product is a great way for me to observe the importance of UI/UX and it’s impact on design.
Samuel Adams Annual Report
An introduction in large file projects and using different text formating techniques.
Project Goal: Part of the typography industry is being able to format parent text and utilize images for brands. Using a given, finished text document, I was tasked with laying out an annual report for the Samuel Adam’s company. I had to utilize company colours and images to better the branding, all while using InDesign for such a large project for the first time.
Project Experience: Since the document we were working with was very long, I had to focus on formatting each page so that information fit in the most efficient way. We also had a myriad of tables and data, so learning how to use tabs and table formatting was essential to certain pages of text. We were given free reign to rearrange certain pages of text depending on what we thought was best, so it was interesting to see the differences i how each student chose to format their book. It showed how every designer has different ideas, and in a way, shows the importance of having design plans and layouts.
User Friendly App Design
A breakdown on how to create user friendly design within UI/UX.
Project Goal: This assignment is to develop an input control user interface design for “Smart Home App.” Smart home devices such as smart plugs, lights, sensors, cameras, and alarms have different input control systems. A “Smart Home App” has introduced various user interface designs with digital graphic icons or symbols and texts. Thus, your challenge is to develop a new design concept and idea for the input control system.
Project Experience: This assignment is to develop an input control user interface design for “Smart Home App.” Smart home devices such as smart plugs, lights, sensors, cameras, and alarms have different input control systems. A “Smart Home App” has introduced various user interface designs with digital graphic icons or symbols and texts. Thus, your challenge is to develop a new design concept and idea for the input control system.
Project Outcome: During my three versions of the assignment, my biggest updates were centered around typography. My initial designs had a bold bubbly text, that despite being large, was still very hard to read. Once I changed the text to something better for mobile apps, I was able to focus on design elements like formatting and colour. I would still like to update the app deign as there are things that I am still not happy with due to my growing knowledge, but at base, this final design is loads better than my first iteration.