Sameera
Khan
Variety: The Childrens Charity
During this project with Variety- The Children’s Charity. From the initial brief of redesigning their portal and website, we developed throughout the term to address different parts of a larger problem we found. Over eight weeks we developed an understanding of Variety’s ‘customers’, values and goals creating a solution that can continue to develop and support them in providing help to more children around New Zealand.
Designer Profile
I had two roles within my team: As the User Experience Designer I was responsible for research and having an in-depth understanding of the users, creating personas, user journeys and conducting user testing sessions .As the Information Coordinator I communicated with the client, gathered APA references and collating our teams work to create the presentation slides.
Project Background
From the initial brief of redesigning their portal and website, we developed throughout the term to address different parts of a larger problem we found.
Over eight weeks we developed an understanding of Variety’s ‘customers’, values and goals creating a solution that can continue to be developed and support them in providing help to more children around New Zealand.
Problem Statement
How can we create an informative and engaging website for families to interact with, that is simple and easy to understand?
Design Methodology
Agile Workflow
The breakdown of a Lean UX structure that uses an agile team system, including the processes and steps from start to finish. This helps to understand the difference between a UX designer and UI designer to help place myself in a set role in my team and to help me to communicate what tasks I will complete in my role.
Our project is very UX heavy and understanding how different design steps can be applied to working team environment can help when explaining and sharing workload.
MDA Framework
MDA Framework is a workflow adopted by game designers, focusing first on the user and how they interact with the digital world they create. The boundaries, rules and relationship within the world and a user’s behaviour and dynamics within it. I adapted this frame work in the second part of the term as the UX designer in my group, but also because we are working with a client. The aesthetic or design coming last as the client has an existing brand and graphics are not apart of my role. This framework helped structure and build my personas and their user journey’s, helping to pose questions that I can then answer to create their world, place my team solution into their world and understand why it is necessary and beneficial.
User Research
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To gain an understanding on how our target audience processes information, what draws their attention and how the understood the language and layout of the site. The user research was conducted with the audience between 40-60 years of age.
Given the task to make a donation, the user wanted more information before even considering the task, to make an informed decision. I found the user looked for connection and understanding with variety, with stories and data about the outcomes drawing the most attention.
In trying to find information, they soon become overwhelmed with the amount of content on the page and poor navigation, becoming agitated, they eventually gave up .
Found that the best form of communication is simple and consistent language, support with data. The layout should be easy to follow portraying the most relevant and important information and imagery.
Humans and Web (theory research)
A theory paper that discusses the effect of human behaviour on how we understand and interpret
data. Used to inform our design decisions and including layout positioning that work with the brains ability to recall information. How visual aspects effect trust and reliability on a site , and how this information can help us create a connection to our uses with an informative website. We applied this research by using consistency in colour, images and font , including Fitts Law with interactive elements, having a larger surface to increase the use of the function.
Personas
Created using information provided by Variety on the demographic who uses is apart of the charity in combination with research to create two person that represent to challenges often faced.
User Journey
Overall User Journey
Visually mapping out the overall journey a family will take through the processed of Variety. From Part One: Hearing, learning and understanding who they are and what they do. Part Two: approaching the charity and filling out documentation. Part Three: applications and uses of what Variety provides. We used this journey to map out the points where we could improve and provide a suitable solution for Variety. Leading use to create different motion, infographics and design elements.
User Journey w/ personas
Mapping out where and how our users interact with our solution, keeping it simple and easy to follow. The different colour blocks highlight the aspects we created to make an informative journey, to show how they are helpful and necessary in the journey.
Final Solution
An updated website design of Variety’s main site. With an introductory video and infographics that create an inspirational and informative platform.
Graphic , motion and infographics created by team members.Work included is my own to show research, user testing , personas and presentation of the project.