After I had decided on my brief, I started to brainstorm ideas by creating mindmaps to help me visualise my thought process. I came up with three initial ideas, my first idea was to create an app with a variety of recipes that users can cook online with friends or family in multiple households. They could do this through video chat and would be able to follow along the same recipe. The users could also share recipes online and post images of their meals. My second idea was to create an app for mobile, desktop and tv that allows users to watch shows or films with each other and can also speak to one another. This idea is similar to Disney+ groupwatch feature, however, this does not include the ability to speak to one another. My third idea was to create another app where users can read along books with other users such as family members or friends through the microphone of their phone or tablet. The users would be able to see what other friends are reading with their loved ones, and can also post reviews on the app. The app would include a video call feature so that you can see the other user you are reading with and can communicate further.
After some further research on what is currently available on the market, I decided to go with my reading application idea. This idea made me the most excited to carry on with as I am a big fan of reading and it seemed like an enjoyable prototype to make. I made a second mindmap that included the overall idea, target audience, app features and a list of app name ideas that I came up with. Creating a mindmap allowed me to visualise my idea and keep all of the key information in one place. Once I had my idea finalised, I started my research into other book apps that are available on app stores at the moment and to clarify that my concept idea was not already created. I then did further research into UX/UI design inspiration for my wireframes. After brainstorming app name ideas, I decided on calling the app, 'The Book Cafe.' This is because my concept is focused on reading, and I decided on the word cafe as these are popular places for individuals to go and read books or meet up with friends/family, which I think reflects the main feature of my app.
(Engl, 2020)
(Mohammadi Nia, 2021)I first found this design that I liked. It is very minimal which makes it seem neat and tidy for the user. The design makes it straightforward to navigate and there are no harsh colours clashing. The simple colour scheme makes it feel as if you are reading an actual book, with the off-white/beige background and black text. I like how the word the user is listening to is highlighted which will make it easier to the user to follow along and see where they are in the book.
(Ruslandi, 2021)I found a second design on Dribble with a use of a lot of illustrations. This stuck out to me as the illustrations add colour and flow to the prototype. It engages the user through their journey. When researching, I found that illustrations are important to use when it comes to user interface design. According to SecretStashe(Staats, 2018), illustrations help to get the main point across faster than text. Adding illustrations makes the process more engaging and easier to understand, as they help to explain the concept. They can also improve the user experience that the app or site delivers even when they’re not used to fulfil a specific action. For example, the use of illustrations can delight users as they create a specific that the user feels upon initial interaction.
(Nikitin, 2021) While researching designs, I discovered this concept for an audio book app. The widget design caught my eye as it seperates the content from each other visibally without being too bold. The use of the serif font also replicates the font found in books, which fits the app perfectly and contrasts with the san serif font. The designer also designed a shelf so that the books look as if they are standing on a shelf, which makes the app feel more personal. This is because book readers usually keep their physical book copies on shelves, and this concept allows book readers to also have a shelf for their books on their device.
When recieving feedback from my lecturer, it was mentioned that the text used within the bookshelf feature was quite small. After evaluating this, I decided to make the text slightly bigger and only have two books shown at a time, so that it will be easier to the user to be able to read what is on their bookshelf. I moved the 'favourite book' feature so that the user will only need to press the heart next to the book's title to be able to favourite the book. I thought that this made the layout look neater and less busy. The hamburger menu has also been removed because I realised once I finished my designs, that I did not have a need for the hamburger menu. I then decided to remove the coloured nav bar. I thought that it did not fit within the screen design well, and often looked random on the screen. When I decided to remove it, I thought that the page looked much more organised and the nav bar blended well into the design without the coloured bar. The last change I made was to the recommendations feature. Before, I designed a screen for when the user chooses which genre they want recommendations for, and then they are taken to another screen with those recommendations on. I thought it would be easier for the user to have everything on one screen instead of having to press through multiple screens to find their recommendations. I also could not find any illustrations to fit within the different recommendations tabs well.