GUEST ME
GUEST ME is a responsive data-driven web platform, which connects speakers with Canadian educational institutions.
Background
This project is a team effort of Langara College students. Our team consisted of 3 designers and 4 developers. The main task was to conceptualize, design, develop and release a data-driven, responsive website in the required time frame (12 weeks). In order to effectively manage our project we used an agile methodology.
My Role
In the project, my roles were project manager and UX designer.
Project Manager
- Worked with the lead developer and lead designer to create the project plan.
- Distributed tasks according to people’s skills and interests and gave reminders about deadlines.
- Monitored project progress ensuring the key milestones are met and led the team into working through project changes.
- Evaluated the project performance.
- Set up meetings, released the agenda, issued the schedule, coordinated the teamwork, and analyzed the effectiveness by using burndown charts, etc.
- Reported issues regarding the design and functionality of the app.
- Presented the results of work to the audience including the Langara students, teachers, and staff as well as the representatives from the industry.
- Conducted a post-mortem team meeting to review the successes, failures, and lessons learned on the project and the opportunities for improvement going forward.
UX Designer
- Designed wireframes, mockups, and prototypes and created their iterations based on usability testing results and stakeholders’ feedback.
- Demonstrated UX writing and analytical skills by providing annotated wireframes and user flows, user research and usability testing reports, questionnaires for surveys and interviews, competitive and market analysis, Lean Canvas Business Model, and other documentation, such as a design plan, and style guide.
- Conducted user research and created user journey maps, empathy maps, personas, and user flow.
- Analyzed the collected data to identify patterns and trends that will guide design and development decisions for digital products.
- Created engaging, and compelling content that is relevant to our target users and aligned with business objectives.
- Developed GUEST ME brand and marketing strategies.
- Wrote the Proposal and designed UX and web development flow charts for this document.
Brainstorming and Strategizing
Research
Conducting analytical research, testing design solutions, constantly looking for opportunities to improve the product being developed, and presenting the results to interested parties were my favorite tasks.
Competitor Analysis
Analyzing the products of our competitors, I focused on their features and strived to identify opportunities for our application. Also, I detected usability issues with competitors’ applications, which helped our team to avoid mistakes and provide a competitive UX.
Target Users
Market research and user segmentation analysis helped me to define our target audience and create Personas.
User Flow
Writing user stories and team discussions allowed me to clarify the core features of the app and create the final version of the user flow for the speaker and organization.
User Flow – Speaker
User Flow – Organization
Wireframes
As a UX designer I worked on the creation of user interface wireframes, which helped our team visualize and anticipate the content and structure of our application: demonstrate functionality, features, and user flow. It’s a great way to identify issues in the early stage of development. To automate the process and keep the wireframe design consistent I used a component-based approach.
Organization
Branding
Our brand identity is based on the values and vision of GUEST ME! It communicates that every user is a welcome guest on our modern platform, for whom we create stress-free conditions while helping to solve users’ problems.
- Barlow typeface is chosen because of its friendly rounded shape.
- Mint blue is our primary color, conveying harmony and tranquility while being refreshing and inviting at the same time.
- Speaker and microphone are the two key symbols that have combined into one memorable shape of our logo.
UI Kit
Mockups
I worked on the “Find a Speaker section” as well as on mobile versions of other web pages since our goal was to make web pages render well on a variety of devices and screen sizes to ensure usability and user satisfaction.
Landing Page
Log In as a Speaker
Log In as an Organization
Find a Speaker (Organization)
Speaker’s Profile View (Organization)
Manage Bookings (Speaker)
Availability For Work (Speaker)
Edit Account (Speaker)
Prototype
Performing user tests on a prototype is important for validating design decisions. Working on the desktop and mobile versions of the prototype and its iterations with the following user testing allowed me to detect unintended scenarios and usability problems.
Social Media
Effective social media design is memorable, engaging, easily shared among fans, consistent across platforms represents the brand, and aligns with your social media goals. Our team has developed a design strategy that consists of the creation of compelling content, its periodic updates, as well as tracking performance and adjusting our strategy.
After conducting a study of popular platforms, from the standpoint of the prospects of posting our social media assets, competitive advantage, and matching the “Guest Me” target audience, I chose LinkedIn. Working on social assets, I considered the brand colors, and dimensions and included the Langara College logo as a sign of respect to our institution and as an additional strategic move to promote our platform.
Tools Used
