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This will hide itself!
This will hide itself!
Platform
Application
Software Tools
Figma
Design Framework
Epicentre Design
Industry
Productivity
Role
Product Designer, Researcher
Skills
User Research Synthesis, Prototyping
REMIND
[Case Study 03 - Productivity Application]
3 March 2024
PROJECT OVERVIEW
01
ABOUT
01
I created Remind out of personal necessity, as I grappled with the daily puzzle of fitting work deadlines and personal life into 24 hours. This app is the result of countless conversations with fellow remote workers, all sharing the same yearning for a balanced day. It's designed not just to organize tasks but to transform the very nature of how we approach our days—mixing productivity with genuine enjoyment. Remind is about creating harmony between your professional ambitions and personal moments, ensuring one doesn't overshadow the other.
PROBLEM
02
The constant tug-of-war between urgent work emails and personal commitments was all too familiar. I'd end each day feeling like I was always one step behind, unable to enjoy personal time without the shadow of unfinished work looming over me. This widespread struggle among remote workers to prioritize tasks without sacrificing personal well-being cried out for a solution. It wasn't just about managing time better; it was about redefining what those managed moments meant.
SOLUTION
03
Remind is the personal assistant I dreamed of—intuitive, insightful, and incredibly adaptable. It prioritizes tasks based on a simple yet effective algorithm that considers urgency, importance, and your personal preferences. Visual timelines and gentle nudges guide your day, offering a bird's-eye view of both work and leisure activities. It’s a tool designed to break the cycle of constant busyness, allowing you to dedicate time to what truly enriches your life.
OUTCOME
04
Embracing Remind has revolutionized not just my workday but my life. It's a sentiment echoed by our community of users who have discovered the joy of finishing work with energy left to enjoy personal time. They report a newfound sense of control and accomplishment, moving beyond mere task completion to savoring moments of genuine satisfaction. Remind has turned the elusive goal of work-life balance into a daily reality.
RESEARCH PLAN
+ INTERVIEWS
02
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS STARTS WITH CREATING A RESEARCH PLAN.
THIS OUTLINES 7 KEY COMPONENTS:
PROJECT BACKGROUNDS/PROBLEM
RESEARCH GOALS
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
METHODOLOGIES
HYPOTHESIS
TIMELINE
PROJECT BACKGROUNDS/PROBLEM
01
Remote workers struggle to balance urgent work tasks with important projects and personal life, leading to a reactive work pattern. This lack of effective task prioritization and management results in stress, inefficiency, and a blurred work-life boundary.
RESEARCH GOALS
02
To understand the specific challenges remote workers face in prioritizing and managing tasks and how these challenges impact their productivity and personal well-being.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
03
To identify key factors contributing to task prioritization challenges among remote workers and explore potential solutions to improve their work-life balance and overall productivity.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
04
What are the primary challenges remote workers face in prioritizing tasks?
How do remote workers currently manage and differentiate between urgent, important, and personal tasks?
What tools or methods have remote workers tried, and how effective have they found these in managing their tasks?
What features do remote workers desire in a task management tool to better support their needs?
METHODOLOGIES
05
Qualitative Interviews: Conduct in-depth interviews with a diverse group of remote workers to gather insights into their daily routines and challenges.
Usability Testing: Test the Remind app with a select group of users to observe interactions and gather feedback on its features and usability.
HYPOTHESIS
06
Remote workers who use a task management tool that effectively prioritizes tasks based on urgency, importance, and personal goals will experience improved productivity and a better work-life balance.
TIMELINE
07
Week 1-2: Recruitment of participants for interviews and survey distribution.
Week 3-4: Conduct qualitative interviews and analyze responses.
Week 5: Distribute and analyze surveys.
Week 6-7: Usability testing of the Remind app with selected participants.
Week 8: Synthesis of research findings and formulation of conclusions and recommendations.
AFFINITY MAPPING
02-A
"I" STATEMENTS
"I find myself prioritizing my work based on urgency."
"I feel sometimes I choose which task to do based on their importance or how close it is to the deadline."
"I often defer decisions on which tasks to tackle first, leading to a chaotic workday."
"I prioritize tasks that are directly requested by my boss or clients."
“I find myself completing tasks based on what my manager gives me.”
"I sometimes prioritize tasks based on my mood"
"I'm frequently interrupted by family members who don't understand my work boundaries."
"I start doing household tasks during short breaks and end up taking longer than planned."
"Emails and messages demand my immediate attention, pulling me away from focused work."
"I feel guilty for not being productive enough during work hours."
"I work in the same space where I relax, making it hard to mentally separate the two."
"I still make time for exercise or hobbies due to work demands."
"I find it difficult to say no to work requests outside of my work hours."
"I've lost track of weekends and often work through them."
"My sleep schedule has always been fixed no matter how late I work"
"I change my work hours based on deadlines."
“I always end up eating lunch at my desk.”
"I plan to take regular breaks but often skip them when I'm deeply focused."
“I like planning for my day because I can manage my goals.”
“I feel confident when I plan for my day because I am confident of managing my workload.”
“I gain satisfaction from having a task oriented holistic outlook on my day.”
USER 1
USER 2
USER 3
USER 4
USER 5
In our affinity mapping session, a technique where insights from user interviews are grouped to identify common themes, we focused on challenges like task prioritization and work-life balance among remote workers. This visual sorting helped clarify the need for better task management tools and improved work-personal life separation, guiding our app development to boost productivity and user satisfaction.
Theme idenitification
02-b
COMMON TRENDS
In the theme identification stage of our affinity mapping, we sorted insights from user interviews into clear categories. This helped us spot the major issues remote workers face, like juggling tasks efficiently and keeping work from overtaking personal time. Pinpointing these themes was key in shaping the direction of our app development to really meet user needs.
Task Prioritisation
Work-Life Balance
Distraction Management
Routine and Flexibility
research key findings
02-C
KEY INSIGHTS
Remote users want a way to easily see their tasks on one screen for a broad overview of their tasks.
Remote users feel that they struggle with which task to complete first - urgency.
Remote users feel that they want a way to separate between work and personal tasks.
Remote users are satisfied when they manage to complete their task in a strategic and systematic manner.
IDEATION
03
A BUILDING NEEDS A FLOOR PLAN BEFORES IT'S BUILT. THAT'S WHAT I
CONSIDER THIS PAHSE OF THE PROJECT TO BE. THIS STEP BUILDS A STURDY
FOUNDATION FOR THE REST OF THE PROJECT TO BUILD OFF OF.
THIS OUTLINES 5 KEY COMPONENTS:
USER PERSONA
PROBLEM STATEMENT
HOW MIGHT WE
USER FLOWS
USER PERSONA
03-A
Daniel Kim
Age 34
Location Singapore
Occupation Software Developer
Daniel is a software developer working remotely for a fast-paced tech startup. In his role, he juggles between product development and customer support, managing a variety of tasks daily.
"I need a way to balance work and life—where my tasks work for me, not against me."
CHALLENGES
Daniel struggles with prioritizing tasks effectively, often overwhelmed by urgent demands. This reactive approach leaves little room for strategic work or personal time, leading to stress and a blurred work-life boundary.
GOALS AND NEEDS
Task Prioritization: Daniel seeks a solution to help him differentiate and manage urgent, important, and personal tasks.
Visual Task Management: A desire for a visual method to organize his day, allowing for flexibility as priorities shift.
Work-Life Balance: Aims to establish a clear separation between professional tasks and personal activities.
BEHAVIOURS
Prefers to plan his day the night before or in the morning, attempting to allocate specific times for work and personal activities. However, unexpected tasks often disrupt his planned schedule.
FRUSTRATIONS
Finds it challenging to maintain a consistent work-life balance.
Feels his reactive work pattern hinders meaningful progress on projects.
Struggles with decision paralysis due to the overwhelming number of tasks.
USER MOTIVATIONS
Achieving Work-Life Balance
Gaining Control Over His Day
Reducing Stress and Overwhelm
USER NEEDS
Effective Task Prioritization Tool
Visual Task Management
Clear Segregation of Work/Personal Tasks
PROBLEM STATEMENT
02-B
PROBLEM STATEMENT
In our research, we consistently heard from remote workers like Daniel who face daily challenges in managing their tasks efficiently. Many expressed feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to address urgent demands immediately, often at the expense of important but less urgent tasks. This ongoing struggle not only disrupts their workday but also extends into their personal time, affecting their overall work-life balance.
This problem statement emerged from observing patterns in our user interviews where respondents frequently mentioned their difficulties in task management. Their feedback highlighted a common need for a solution that could help them effectively categorize and prioritize their tasks, ensuring that they can handle urgent responsibilities without neglecting their personal well-being. By addressing this issue, we aim to help users like Daniel reclaim control over their workday and achieve a healthier balance between their professional and personal lives.
Daniel needs a way to prioritise task because he struggle with deciding which task to complete first and as a result has trouble attaining work life balance.
HOW MIGHT WE?
02-C
HOW MIGHT WE STATEMENTS
Daniel is concerned with task prioritization and work-life balance. We decided to focus on these two main recurring themes.
Task Prioritisation
Work-Life Balance
user flows
02-d
TASK PRIORITISATION
Our task prioritization user flow starts with users entering their tasks, which are then automatically categorized into urgent, important, or non-urgent groups. The app suggests an optimal order for tackling tasks based on deadlines and personal objectives, with the ability to adjust priorities through a simple drag-and-drop interface. This flow ensures users focus on what’s crucial without getting sidetracked.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
The work-life balance user flow helps users clearly define their work hours and personal time within the app. It encourages setting specific times for breaks and leisure activities, integrated directly into the daily planner. Notifications remind users to start and end work at predetermined times, fostering discipline and preventing burnout. The flow is designed to maintain a healthy balance between professional obligations and personal well-being.
DESIGN
04
THIS IS WHERE THE PROJECT COMES TO LIFE. IT'S THE MOST EXCITING
PHASE BECAUSE IT'S WHERE RESEARCH AND DESIGN MEET. FACTS AND
IMAGINATION LIVE TOGETHER TO MAKE A PRODUCT BECOME A REALITY
THIS OUTLINES 4 KEY COMPONENTS:
BRANDING
SKETCHES
WIREFRAMES (PROGRESSIVE)
UI KIT
MOCKUPS
HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOYPE
BRANDING - MOODBOARD
01
Our moodboard for the time management app blends vibrant colors inspired by Microsoft's design language with dark themes to offer both energy and sophistication. This combination is carefully chosen to evoke a sense of clarity and focus while providing an interface that is both visually appealing and easy on the eyes during long usage periods.
The colorful elements are designed to categorize tasks visually, making them easily distinguishable at a glance—urgent tasks might pop in warm colors like reds or oranges, while less urgent ones appear in cooler tones like blues and greens. This use of color not only helps in quickly navigating through the app but also in prioritizing tasks effectively.
Meanwhile, the dark theme provides a modern, professional look that reduces eye strain, especially important for users managing their tasks late at night or in low-light conditions. It’s intended to make long periods of task management more comfortable, encouraging productivity without overwhelming the user visually.
Overall, the moodboard's design choices reflect a deep understanding of the user's needs for time management—balancing aesthetic appeal with functional design to create an environment that enhances focus and efficiency. This thoughtful approach aims to resonate with users who value both style and substance in their productivity tools.
SKETCHES
02
Our initial sketches for the app focus on delivering a user-friendly interface that simplifies complex task management and work-life balance needs. These sketches outline a clean, intuitive layout starting with a dashboard that displays tasks categorized by priority and type. Each task can be interacted with through simple gestures, allowing users to update status, edit details, or reschedule.
For the task prioritization, the sketches show a dynamic list where tasks can be dragged to reorder based on changing priorities throughout the day. Visual indicators such as color coding and icons help users quickly identify task types and urgency.
The work-life balance sketch features a filter integration that visually separates work tasks from personal activities, highlighted in different tones. Users can block out time for breaks, personal errands, or relaxation, and set automatic reminders to transition between work and personal time seamlessly.
These initial sketches set the foundation for an app designed to intuitively manage daily responsibilities and promote a healthy, productive lifestyle.
WIREFRAMEs
04-A
LOW FIDELITY
03
MID-FIDELITY
03
HIGH-FIDELITY
03
WIREFRAMING
03
During the wireframing and wireflow stages of our time management app, we meticulously crafted detailed blueprints that map out the user experience and navigational paths within the app. This step was essential for visualizing the structural foundation and interactive elements of the app, ensuring a logical and intuitive user journey.
The wireframes provide a clear layout of each screen, illustrating how tasks are displayed, managed, and interacted with. Key features such as task input forms, priority filters, and scheduling options are strategically placed for easy access and user-friendly navigation. Each element is designed with the user's workflow in mind, facilitating a seamless transition from one task to another without unnecessary distractions.
The wireflow builds on the wireframes by outlining the paths users take as they navigate through the app, from logging in to managing daily tasks to reviewing performance analytics. It connects the dots between individual screens, showing the relationships and flow between different parts of the app. This visual roadmap helps us identify any potential usability issues early in the design process, ensuring that users can manage their time efficiently with minimal effort.
Overall, the wireframing and wireflow stages were critical in defining the app’s architecture and providing a clear, structured approach to enhancing time management capabilities. This groundwork lays the basis for developing a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing app that meets the specific needs of our users, helping them achieve better productivity and a balanced lifestyle.
UI KIT
04-B
UI KIT
04
The building blocks of my designs.
H1
23px
Inter BOLD
Line spacing -0.66px
Line height 23
H2
20px
Inter Regular
Line spacing -0.66px
Line height 23
H2
23px
Inter Regular
Line spacing -0.66px
Line height 23
B1
16px
Inter Regular
Line spacing -0.44px
Line height 23
B2
14px
Inter Regular
Line spacing -0.44px
Line height 34.5
Red
HEX
#E1392E
RGB
225 / 57 / 46
Green
HEX
#28A954
RGB
40 / 169 / 84
Red
HEX
#2F74DB
RGB
47 / 116 / 219
Pink
HEX
#ED7087
RGB
237 / 112 / 135
Orange
HEX
#E56229
RGB
229 / 98 / 41
MOCKUPS
04-c
PERSONAL
AND UNIQUE DESIGN
SOLUTIONS FOR
EVERY CLIENT
I strive to create intuitive, elegant user experiences
and interfaces that enhance engagement, simplify
complexity, and elevate brands in a digital-first
world.
©2024
JOSEPH
SOH
1°17′N 103°50′E
I AM BASED IN SINGAPORE
DESIGNER
