So much before saying “I Do”!
A two-minute read case study demonstrating not just my content design, user experience and interaction design expertise but also my role as a mentor in guiding a non-design background student in the user experience design process of a mobile app that makes online wedding arrangements easy, credible and memorable.
Role:
Mentorship
UX, User Research
Visual Design
Interaction Design
Team:
Sandeep S
Farzana Shahjahan
Tools:
Adobe Creative Suite
MS Office
Say Hi to Sandeep!
Sandeep is a mechanical engineering graduate with a couple of years of work experience when he approached me for design mentorship.
The first phase of this mentorship was purely graphic design, and the key focus was on building an in-depth foundation on design fundamentals and creating portfolio projects, equipping him to start a design career. We achieved this goal with loads of hands-on exercises and rigorous practice on design elements.
I helped Sandeep translate his ideas into tangible design artworks for portfolio projects on various disciplines in design like branding, packaging, publishing and more.
In the next phase, we explored options to add an interaction design project to his portfolio – thus, Knote – a mobile app that helps connect vendors and wedding parties to make wedding arrangements easy and memorable – was conceptualised.
Mentorship Approach
1. Imbibing the importance of the User Experience Design Process
2. Embracing the iterative nature of Design thinking
3. Enabling independent design decisions to learn from the mistakes.
1
Imbibing the importance of the UX Design Process
Underlying deep understanding of the UX design process is a non-negotiable aspect of creating a product or platform that resonates with its users. Conscious decisions to avoid the risk of being accustomed to the case studies with fake personas had to be emphasised to achieve impact in the project as well as for personal transformation.
My role includes,
Collaborating for user research sessions like surveys and interviews to facilitate direct exposure to user pain points.
Providing guidance on creating fictional yet realistic User Personas and developing Information Architecture
Developing Journey Mapping to visualise user interactions, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for delight.
Major challenges in app:
Changing norms and trends:
Using an app for wedding arrangements still seemed a distant concept to many. Addressing any skepticism or resistance towards online vendors for weddings required intuitive solutions.
Building trust and credibility:
Establishing trust among clients and vendors involved transformative features and functionalities to be included in the app.
Tracking services:
Losing track of the processes involved in the services seems to be a critical concern for the vendors and clients.
Categorised list of vendors and services that cater to diverse needs to highlight the benefit of using online platforms for wedding arrangements.
2
Embracing the iterative nature of Design thinking
Helping Sandeep understand and embrace the iterative improvements rather than focusing on achieving perfection on the first attempt was challenging.
Initial frustrations due to constant repetitions were addressed with timely feedback sessions, quick low-fidelity prototypes, mock tests at various stages, and by aligning his perspective towards viewing how iterations brought the design closer to user needs.
Intuitive user interface that allows users to navigate easily through the features to enhance the overall wedding arrangements experience.
3
Enabling independent design decisions to learn from the mistakes.
Balancing between providing guidance and allowing Sandeep the freedom to take and learn from his design decisions – increased his willingness to take risks and innovate, and helped him be more creative and less fearful about making mistakes and negative consequences.
Framing mistakes as part of the learning process that nurtures creativity and gets one closer to the design truth helped Sandeep become more confident in his decision-making skills, as his reflective approach towards his day-to-day design practice helped him grow as a designer.
A feature to invite members to participate in wedding arrangements to enhance user experience and make the entire process filled with anticipation about the special day.
A comprehensive interface for features like notifications, reminders, and regular updates has been given importance in the app.
Features such as feedback, reviews and ratings, recommendations, and verified vendors list have been added to the app to increase the credibility of the vendors to the clients.
Transforming a Mechanical Engineer into a Design Professional!
The mentorship journey with Sandeep, from an engineering graduate to a design professional, has been a transformative experience, both for him as a design aspirant and for me as a mentor.
Sandeep’s journey from engineering to design is a powerful example of how mentorship can catalyse career transformation.
One of the most significant aspects of this mentorship was the level of confidence that Sandeep gained in portraying himself as a design professional. It’s a delight to witness, as Sandeep steps into his new career with his robust portfolio and new confidence.
Hey,
Thanks for stopping by!
Connect with me.
and.farzana@gmail.com
It’s a beautiful day.
The sun is shining.
I feel good.
- A British Songwriter