CASE STUDY
timeboxer
Mobile app
Track your activities and performance.
October - November 2022
CASE STUDY
timeboxer
Mobile app
Track your activities and performance.
October - November 2022
Project overview
The problem
University students often struggle to find time for leisure activities due to their busy schedules and poor time management.
The goal
Design a mobile application for the startup Timeboxer Spa that will help users plan their day effectively, set goals, and track their performance.
The product
TimeBoxer is a Chilean-based company that provides mobile solutions to boost productivity. Their tools are designed to help users better manage their daily activities and achieve their goals using the “timebox” methodology. They primarily target university students and young professionals who work or study in Chile and are seeking options to optimize their time management.
My role
UX and UI designer, design a mobile app for timeboxer, from its conception to the final prototype.
Responsibilities
My responsibilities include conducting interviews, creating paper and digital wireframes, developing low and high-fidelity prototypes, conducting usability studies, integrating accessibility features, and iterating on designs.
Understanding the user
As part of my research process, I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the target users. The research revealed that university students, who have a significant amount of curricular activities, often find it challenging to balance their academic workload with other activities or hobbies due to a lack of free time.
While this user group confirmed my initial assumptions, further research revealed additional challenges beyond a heavy workload. University students also struggle with low efficiency in planning and executing tasks, such as studying, and are frequently distracted by social media apps. Additionally, many students expressed a desire to incorporate leisure and recreational activities into their schedules.
User pain points
Time
University students often find it challenging to effectively organize their academic activities.
Mental health
Insufficient free time for leisure activities can exacerbate feelings of stress.
Improvisation
Throughout the day, they often improvise the order in which they carry out their activities.
Persona and problem statement
Elisa is a busy civil engineering student who struggles to balance her academic workload with leisure activities. She needs an easy and intuitive solution to efficiently organize her daily schedule. This is particularly important as she frequently experiences episodes of stress and anxiety.
User - Journey map
Understanding of Elisa’s experience highlighted the potential benefits of having a mobile app like Timeboxer.
Competitive analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis of the four leading productivity apps for daily activity organization. The analysis focused on evaluating six key dimensions for each app, with the objective of designing a solution that would provide value to the previously mentioned user segment.
Starting the design
Paper wireframe
I brainstormed ideas using the “How might we” methodology. Then I designed and iterated proposals for each screen of the application using paper wireframes. This process allowed me to select the most effective elements to address the users’ pain points and create digital wireframes. I prioritized a simple and intuitive design to enable easy event scheduling and timer activation.
Digital wireframes
It became clear that easy and intuitive navigation was a top priority for users. To address this need, I added easy-to-access buttons, streamlined the organization of information, and made sure form options were clear and understandable.
Low fidelity prototype
I designed a low-fidelity prototype with a main user flow to add a new event and execute it. This was the prototype used for the first usability study. See low fidelity prototype.
Usability study findings
To ensure a user-friendly and effective solution, I conducted two rounds of usability studies. The first study, which utilized a lo-fi prototype, provided valuable insights that were used to improve the digital wireframes and create more detailed mockups. The second study utilized a high-fidelity prototype and helped to identify areas in need of improvement in the mockups. I conducted two unmoderated usability studies with five participants for both prototypes to gather feedback on usability.
Round 1 findings
- Some users who are sensitive to white light expressed a preference for darker colors in the app.
- Users mentioned the lack of clear indicators on the home page for completed events.
- Finally, users suggested that more signs and icons were needed to improve navigation between screens.
Round 2 findings
- Users still find it hard to identify a completed task on the home screen.
- Users expressed the desire to be able to schedule notifications before each task or activity.
- Additionally, users noted the absence of options to add or edit the information displayed in the analysis section.
Refining the designs
Mockups
I used a dark color palette with better contrast, implementing a confirmation icon when an event is completed, and incorporating clear colors and icons.
Most users expressed some frustration as they couldn’t activate or schedule notifications for each activity. An option to activate notification pre-set to 30 minutes before the activity was added.
Users mentioned that it was still difficult to differentiate completed activities from the pending ones on the list. The color of the confirmation icon’s background was changed.
An option was added to add and edit default elements in the analytics screen.
Accessibility Considerations
Screen readers
The design incorporates alternative text for images to help users with vision impairments who use screen readers.
Icons
The app incorporates easily recognizable icons to enhance navigation and improve user experience.
Colors
The app’s design incorporates a darker and more contrasting color palette to address the needs of users who are sensitive to bright white light.
Final designs
High fidelity prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype includes an improved user flow for adding events, as well as improvements to the cues and icons of on-screen elements. See high fidelity prototype.
Style guide
Spacing
Going forward
Learning
Impact
The application provides users with an intuitive and easy-to-use solution for organizing both their professional and leisure activities.
What I learned
Designing the application taught me the importance of prioritizing the user throughout the development process. It’s easy to become too close to a project and lose sight of the end-users needs, so placing the user at the center of the design process is crucial for success.
Next steps
Conducting another round of usability studies can help to confirm whether the pain points identified by users have been successfully addressed in the final design. Go deeper into functionalities to customize the analysis of scheduled and performed events.