This journey in my User Experience course has been an eye-opener. I dove in thinking app development was all about sleek interfaces and clever features. And while that’s part of it, prototyping the Time Management App, has shown me that the real magic happens when you’re designing for someone else. My initial vision was a minimalist tool to cut through the daily fog. But translating that vision to meet actual user needs? That’s where the incredible learning (and a few surprises!) began.
The biggest shocking moment for me has been the huge power of direct customer feedback. You can map out what you think will be the perfect user experience, but then your customer offers a perspective that you didn’t even see. For the Time Management App I started with a specific aesthetic - neutrals, and pinks – which what my customer shared and liked. However, their request for customizable themes, or even just the ability to choose more colors and tweak design patterns, was a game-changer. It wasn’t just a desire for different colors; it was a need for the app to feel truly theirs, customizable and to “change things up.” Similarly, their suggestion for a persistent calendar button in the footer and a consistently placed settings icon highlighted the importance of seamless navigation in their daily workflow. It missed me why I didn’t make the settings icon consistent in the first place, “haha!” It’s a bit like planning a surprise party based on what you’d like, in contrast to asking the guest of honor what would make their day very special. The latter obviously wins.
Here is the new prototype for Landing Page:
This iterative process of design, feedback, redesign – is teaching me that true user-centered design isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a conversation. Each piece of feedback isn’t a critique of your idea, but an invitation to collaborate and build something even better. It’s moving the Time Management App from being just my design to being a tool genuinely tailored to help its user reduce stress and manage their time effectively.
I’m really excited by how this time management app is taking shape through this conversation. The aim for a simple, motivating app feels more achievable than ever because it’s being built with a real voice behind it.