Dreamwish

UX design
Project Overview
An app that enables users to generate gift ideas, share budget expenses, and create wish lists and plans. There are few apps currently on the market for creating wishlists, and some of them heavily rely on online shopping, often promoting specific brands and requiring users to add pre-existing item. Thus, I would like to create one, which enables users not only to add items from specific shops but also create customized wishes.
Steps

  1. Empathize: Personas, Empathy maps, Initial competitive research

  2. Define: User Stories, User Journey, Problem statements

  3. Ideate:

    • Wireframing — Low fidelity Paper and Digital
    • Secondary research — direct competition analysis
    • Wireframing — High fidelity

  4. Prototype

  5. Test: Primary research: Usability study, Design refinement

A screenshot of a ui design wireframe for a mobile app.A screenshot of a ui design wireframe for a mobile app.
Research
Secondary research
Competitive analysis
Jan 2024
Goal: Surface competition research and market for Wishlist application.
Actions: Looking for existing Wishlist applications in Google Play, online platforms, and through internet searches. Make a list of these competitors.
  • Pinterest
    Options available: adding photos, making lists (boards), sharing.
    Options missing: reminder, rating, budget/price, date if a gift is connected with a particular event; no categories.
  • Google Keep
    Options available: adding photos, making lists, tags, reminders, sharing.
    Options missing: rating, budget/price, date if a gift is connected with a particular event; no categories.
  • Listonic
    ‍    Options available: adding photos, making lists, categories, sharing.
    Options missing: reminders, rating, budget/price, date if a gift is connected with a particular event;
There are three applications that are mostly used for the purpose of creating Wish/Giftlists:
  • Wishlists - online wishlist — 5.0 rating, 907 reviews, 50k downloads
  • Giftster - Wish List Registry — 3.0, 643 reviews, 100k downloads
  • GoWish — 3.4, 724 reviews, 100k downloads
Insights: There are many apps that help users creating lists. Not many; however, that are suitable for a Gift/wish list usage. The applications that rely heavily on online shops are excluded from the research altogether as they have different function.
Personas and User stories
Kasia and Marek
Jan 2024
First persona is Kasia, a teenager living in a small town with a vibrant social life. She enjoys going out with friends and sharing her interests with them. Another persona is Marek: a busy dad struggling with gift ideas and making plans how to spend time with his family.
A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
Insights: Kasia wants to show off places to visit and products she wants to share with family and friends. It's important for her to have different options available to describe her needs (images, links, tags). Integration with social media platforms is a priority for her. Key functions are to share the budget for gifts, be able to make polls to decide what to buy.
User Journey Map
Persona: Kasia
Jan 2024
Wireframing
Paper wireframing
Low-fidelity
Jan 2024
The starting point and a quick way to visualize ideas. Below sketches depict basic frames and content, which helped me with my brainstorming sessions.
Digital wireframing
Low-fidelity
Jan - Feb 2024
Translating paper wireframes' concepts into a more refined and visual format. Assessing the effectiveness of various ideas. Creating basic screen views.
Research
Secondary research
Competitive analysis
Feb 2024
Project background: Research for an application that allows users to make plans, generate gift ideas, share budget expenses, and create wish lists.
Research goals: Competition analysis. Making a user friendly, easy to use app.
Research questions
    • What do the users like and don’t like about the existing applications?
    • What are they missing?
    Wishlists - online wishlist
    Metrics: 5.0 rating, 907 reviews, 50k downloads, not many written reviews
    4 stars, 8 February 2024
    It's a great app. Beautiful layout and easy navigation. There's no annoying ads which is a huge plus. Almost perfect however. It's quite irritating that it's easy to swipe off the list you are editing and all the info you typed in are all gone. Personally I swap between two apps on the phone to copy paste the info from the web to the app and it's very easy to accidently close the list I was editing. There is no auto save so everything will just be gone.
    5 stars, 10 February 2024
    ‍It's a great app with great designs and is very useful. There aren't many apps that offer wishlists where you can also add the pricing, picture, link etc. I'm extremely satisfied with it, it has everything I've been looking for to verbalize my wishes and make a list of my priorities. One thing I might add is when I accidentally pushed the check mark button on one of the products I added, it couldn't be undone anymore. I had to write out the wish again, tbh it was a bit troublesome. Otherwise✨✨
    Users like: layout and easy navigation; no annoying ads; adding photos, pricing, links.
    Users don't like: the app doesn't work, it's easy to swipe off the list you are editing.
    Missing: Not implied in reviews.
    Giftster - Wish List Registry
    Metrics: 3.0 rating, 643 reviews, 100k downloads
    3 stars, 27 December 2022
    The app is ok for basics but it seriously needs some attention. The interface feels like it hasn't been updated since 2012, and it can be a bit confusing to navigate if you're not familiar with it. The ability for the app to fetch the data is great but it lacks the functionality of alot of other similar apps such as sharing links from sites or other apps to this app via the inbuilt Android share tool or getting regular updates on prices of items to let you know when it's on special.
    3 stars, 26 December 2018
    Very handy app to have. Would be great if there was an option for the recipient of a gift to re-add that same item back onto their list once recieved or an "ongoing" flag that doesn't allow it to show as purchased on your list. Sometimes you want things on your wishlist that you use all the time, like gift cards for favourite restaurants or favourite personal care products. But if somebody reserves it, then it greys out to the rest of the group. To add it back on, you have to start from scratch.
    4 stars, August 14, 2020
    ‍Very useful. It's the best gift app I've found so far. I just wish the UI was modern and attractive. Feels like I'm inside a crumpled and ripped paper bag. Gallery views, instead of long lists, would be nice too. That said, I've tried other gift apps with a nicer looking interface and walked away sorely disappointed in their functionality. In my book, function beats form every time. If the developers improved the app design without compromising functionality, this would be a 5 star ⭐ winner!
    Users like: handy, mark items as bought, a lot of options of a wish
    Users don't like: graphic, outdated UI, confusing navigation
    Missing: a function of "android share", keeping the item on a person's list even if someone already bought it for them (gift cards); Gallery views instead of long lists
    GoWish
    Metrics: 3.4 rating, 724 reviews, 100k downloads
    3 stars, 22 January 2024
    ‍It's OK, but I wish you could just import your whole wishlist or basket in one go. I have so much saved on my wishlists on sites like Amazon already that it makes no sense to upload here one by one.
    3 stars, 27 December 2023
    ‍It's so good!! But there is eo much issues that made me mad, I can't even explain, and there is way too much buttons to press just to add something on the wish list.
    4 stars, 25 November 2023
    ‍Love the app. It's super easy to use you don't have to pay anything. As soon as you get to the wishlist part you know everything. No tutorials needed. The only thing I don't like is the button is really small when you're adding it to your wishlist.
    5 stars, 4 November 2023
    ‍Literally all you have to do is put the link for the item in and it puts the details and picture for you. Also you can name and put a picture for your wishlist. This is super accessible and very easy to use.
    Users like: copy and paste link function, option to reserve a gift
    Users don't like: the app is slow or crushes; the navigation of creating an item is confusing and complicated
    Missing: importing a basket in one go as a list
    Insights
    Users desire easy navigation with a modern look, while also wanting numerous options to describe their wish. Desired functions to consider include:
    • Copying and pasting a link to create a wish
    • Reserving a gift
    • Importing a basket as a list in one go
    • Android share functionality
    • Keeping an item on a person's list even if someone has already bought it for them (gift cards)
    • Saving the process on the go.

    A screenshot of a ui design wireframe for a mobile app.
    Information architecture
    User flows
    Based on Personas
    Jan 2024
    An user flow graph of a mobile app.
    Wireframing
    Digital wireframing
    High fidelity
    March 2024
    Moving on to digital wireframes in Figma, I opted for efficiency by utilizing the existing Wireframing Kit by Tiago Gonçalves for basic elements. However, later I've decided to redesign it in accordance with Material Design 3.0 for accessibility.
    Although I used an existing kit, I had to redesign several elements and create new components for my project. I've designed the fundamental view of the app, including top, bottom, floating, and side menus. The user flow, guides us from the empty Home Page to one with a newly created Wish.
    My mockup uses size, contrast, and color to emphasize key areas, helping users locate important information. Emphasis and organization create a clear information hierarchy, guiding users to read content in the intended order. Scale and proportion capture attention, highlight relationships, and enhance visual appeal. Consistent typography and Gestalt Principles ensure a user-friendly, psychologically grounded, and consistent design.
    Prototyping
    High fidelity
    March 2024
    Making the wireframes interactive tanking into account user journeys and user flows. Adding the interactions and animations including gestures and motion.
    Research
    Primary research
    Usability study
    April 2024
    Project background: I’m creating a new app to help people create Wish lists, share them with friends and buy presents together for someone’s birthday according to their Wishes. I need to find out if the main user experience, creating a Wish, is easy for users to complete. We’d also like to understand the specific challenges that users might face in creating a new Wish, finding someone’s Wish and copying it to their list as a gift, adding details like reminders, partners, event date and sharing it with friends.
    Research goals: Determine if users can complete core tasks (creating a new Wish, finding the Wish and copying it to your gift list). Determine if the app is difficult to use.
    Research questions
    • Are there parts of the user flow where users get stuck?
    • Are there parts of the user flow which was confusing to users?
    • Do users think the app is easy or difficult to use?
    Key Performance Indicators
    (KPIs)
    • Conversion rate.
    • System Usability Scale.
    Methodology
    Unmoderated usability study
    Location: Poland, remote (each participant will complete the study in their own home)
    Participants
    Two males, three females, between the ages of 20 and 75.
    Script
    • IMPORTANT. Please note: You will be testing a prototype, so not all functions are available. The prototype resembles slides with active elements but does not support writing capabilities. The active elements blink in blue when clicking the white background. If you wish to restart the flow click 'R' on your keyboard. The slider 'Enable if a gift' doesn't work in task 1 flow. This prototype is designed for mobile phones.
    • Task 1
      ‍      A. Create a new Wish.
      B. Add Ewa as a partner for the Wish.
      C. Share the Wish with Janek.
    • Task 2
      A. Select a gift for Ewa. How would you go about doing this?
      B. Find perfume in Ewa's list and add it to your Gift list.
      C. Add a reminder, event time and date, and people to share this gift and budget with Marek.
    • Questions
      ‍      After completing the each task, please answer the questions below:
      What was difficult or strange about this task, if anything?
      What would you change in this application, if anything?
      What was missing, if anything?
    • After the unmoderated usability study
      Participants will complete the System Usability Scale
      Participants will score the following ten statements by selecting one of five responses that range from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”:‍
    • I think that I would use this app frequently.
    • I find the app unnecessarily complex.
    • I need the support of a technical person to be able to use this app.
    • I think the I find the app easy to navigate. 
    • There is inconsistency within the app.
    • I imagine that most people would learn to use this app quickly.I feel confident using the app.
    • I think the app is easy to use.
    • The main user flow is clear.
    It was observed that:
    • 3 out of 5 participants the app is unnecessarily complex. This means that means there are too many features available to the users upfront and makes most of them confused.
    • 4 out of 5 participants find the application easy to navigate. This means that the navigation is done right for most of the users.
    • 4 out of 5 participants were confused with the line to name the wish and the switch button making it a gift. This means the features need to be separate and made more clear.
    • 4 out of 5 participants were confused with the line to name the wish and the switch button making it a gift. This means the features need to be separate and made more clear.
    Insights
    Design refinement
    Digital wireframing
    Updating desing based on research
    May 2024
    Complexity: A pop-up has been added to explain the basic elements required for creating a Wish, minimizing the number of features while providing a button for additional options if needed. The options are divided into sections for clarity and include supporting text. The gifting feature has been changed from a confusing switch to a special 'Gifts' list, explained in a small frame to educate the user.
    A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
    A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
    A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
    A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
    A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.A Google Persona slide which means a slide made to represent a target person for web/app design with basic information about the target, their goals and frustrations.
    New Wish flow
    Mockups
    Complexity: A pop-up has been added to explain the basic elements required for creating a Wish, minimizing the number of features while providing a button for additional options if needed. The options are divided into sections for clarity and include supporting text. The gifting feature has been changed from a confusing switch to a special 'Gifts' list, explained in a small frame to educate the user.
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