focii
focii
A productivity app that takes advantage of in-person group settings to boost productivity and motivation to study. In particular, I explored how our app can facilitate physical experiences to boost productivity and social accountability.
100% of users indicated that focii would replace current methods of finding study groups and actually increase the number of study sessions they created/coordinated.
A productivity app that takes advantage of in-person group settings to boost productivity and motivation to study. In particular, I explored how our app can facilitate physical experiences to boost productivity and social accountability.
100% of users indicated that focii would replace current methods of finding study groups and actually increase the number of study sessions they created/coordinated.
A productivity app that takes advantage of in-person group settings to boost productivity and motivation to study. In particular, I explored how our app can facilitate physical experiences to boost productivity and social accountability.
100% of users indicated that focii would replace current methods of finding study groups and actually increase the number of study sessions they created/coordinated.
Team
Team
Me (UX Designer)
Angela (UX Researcher)
Anita (PM)
Saera (PM)
Dani (Developer)
Srishty (Visual Designer)
Me (UX Designer)
Angela (UX Researcher)
Anita (PM)
Saera (PM)
Dani (Developer)
Srishty (Visual Designer)
Me (UX Designer)
Angela (UX Researcher)
Anita (PM)
Saera (PM)
Dani (Developer)
Srishty (Visual Designer)
Skills
Skills
UX Design
Physical Experiences
UX Design
Physical Experiences
UX Design
Physical Experiences
Duration
Duration
January - April 2024
January - April 2024
January - April 2024
CONTEXT
Students prefer studying alone.
Students prefer studying alone.
Out of 6 semi-structure interviews with students that attended Carnegie Mellon University, 100% of these students indicated that preferred studying alone.
Out of 6 semi-structure interviews with students that attended Carnegie Mellon University, 100% of these students indicated that preferred studying alone.
But don't just take our word for it - online sources show that students of different demographics also support this notion.
But don't just take our word for it - online sources show that students of different demographics also support this notion.
Yet they can name many benefits of studying in groups.
Yet they can name many benefits of studying in groups.
Other people might understand topics better than you
Explaining topics to others reinforces your own knowledge of the topic
There is more motivation to start something boring when other people are doing it with you
The list keeps going.
So why study alone?
So why study alone?
The 6 semi-structured interviews that we conducted led us to two inferences:
Flexible Timing
Flexible Timing
Students can study on an ad-hoc basis.
Students can study on an ad-hoc basis.
Less Distractions
Less Distractions
Other people's behaviors can be extremely distracting.
Other people's behaviors can be extremely distracting.
PROBLEM
How might we make studying with groups more flexible and less distracting?
How might we make studying with groups more flexible and less distracting?
When framing this problem, our goal was to incorporate the benefits of studying alone into studying in a group setting. This way, students gain double the benefit when studying in groups.
RESEARCH
KEY NOTE
Parallel Explorations
Parallel Explorations
From here on out, I focused on how we can make studying in groups less distracting. Our group was large enough to take advantage of parallel explorations, so we split up and explored the topics that we wanted to.
From here on out, I focused on how we can make studying in groups less distracting. Our group was large enough to take advantage of parallel explorations, so we split up and explored the topics that we wanted to.
What are the distractions?
What are the distractions?
Now that we know that students find group settings distracting, we need to minimize what's causing the distractions. I first thought about what problems I often encountered when studying.
Now that we know that students find group settings distracting, we need to minimize what's causing the distractions. I first thought about what problems I often encountered when studying.
Personal
Problems
My Questions
Personal digital devices. It's easy to just look at your phone or surf the web.
Personal digital devices. It's easy to just look at your phone or surf the web.
Other people's digital devices. Some people just have way more notifications than you.
Other people's digital devices. Some people just have way more notifications than you.
Environmental noise. General chatter and noise in the vicinity can be annoying.
Environmental noise. General chatter and noise in the vicinity can be annoying.
Looking back to our synthesis of data points from the 6 semi-structured interviews that we conducted, users seemed to converge on one source of distractions.
Looking back to our synthesis of data points from the 6 semi-structured interviews that we conducted, users seemed to converge on one source of distractions.
The (unsurprising) root cause:
The (unsurprising) root cause:
REFRAME
How might we use digital mediums to encourage physical experiences for social accountability?
How might we use digital mediums to encourage physical experiences for social accountability?
We know that using a digital method to hold people accountable isn't a good idea - we don't want to be contributing to distraction. I therefore reframed the problem to use our app as a way to set up social accountability in the physical experience.
We know that using a digital method to hold people accountable isn't a good idea - we don't want to be contributing to distraction. I therefore reframed the problem to use our app as a way to set up social accountability in the physical experience.
IDEATE
Qualities of focii
Qualities of focii
Our new insights and reframed problem informed the following qualities of our app:
Our new insights and reframed problem informed the following qualities of our app:
Unobtrusive
Unobtrusive
Students should not be interacting with our app when they are studying.
Students should not be interacting with our app when they are studying.
People-Operated Experiences
People-Operated Experiences
Rather than facilitate, our app should help students set-up and run the experience themselves.
Rather than facilitate, our app should help students set-up and run the experience themselves.
These qualities then informed some of my initial ideas:
These qualities then informed some of my initial ideas:
Initial
Ideas
My Questions
Phone Stack. [continue from here]
Phone Stack. [continue from here]
Watch Party. [continue from here]
Watch Party. [continue from here]
Quiet Time. [continue from here]
Quiet Time. [continue from here]
TO INVESTIGATE
User Agency
Would allowing users to craft their own experience and feed content make them care more about the content?
TO INVESTIGATE
User Agency
Would allowing users to craft their own experience and feed content make them care more about the content?
Investigating user agency
Investigating user agency
Since influencing the algorithm will take time, I decided to conduct a week-long journal study that tasked 5 users to change their current recommendation content to their desired target content. I then followed up with a thirty minute contextual interview about their journal data.
Since influencing the algorithm will take time, I decided to conduct a week-long journal study that tasked 5 users to change their current recommendation content to their desired target content. I then followed up with a thirty minute contextual interview about their journal data.
Initial
Ideas
My Questions
Extent of user influence. Can users successfully change their feed content?
Extent of user influence. Can users successfully change their feed content?
User behavior. What courses of actions do users take to change their feed?
User behavior. What courses of actions do users take to change their feed?
User perceptions. What actions do users think have the greatest effect on the algorithm?
User perceptions. What actions do users think have the greatest effect on the algorithm?
Some key findings:
Some key findings:
Malleable algorithm
Malleable algorithm
All users successfully changed their feed content to their target content.
All users successfully changed their feed content to their target content.
No single right way
No single right way
All users pursued different courses of action to achieve the change they wanted.
All users pursued different courses of action to achieve the change they wanted.
PEOPLE ENJOY CONTROL.
PEOPLE ENJOY CONTROL.
They were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a high degree of influence on the algorithm. While they weren't able to pinpoint how much each action influenced the algorithm, people seem to generally have a good idea of how the algorithm works.
They were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a high degree of influence on the algorithm. While they weren't able to pinpoint how much each action influenced the algorithm, people seem to generally have a good idea of how the algorithm works.
They were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a high degree of influence on the algorithm. While they weren't able to pinpoint how much each action influenced the algorithm, people seem to generally have a good idea of how the algorithm works.
IDEATE
Starting from forty ideas
Starting from forty ideas
My team started ideating broadly by conducting a Crazy 8s activity. We each addressed similar user needs with different solutions, making it difficult to narrow down on specific ideas.
My team started ideating broadly by conducting a Crazy 8s activity. We each addressed similar user needs with different solutions, making it difficult to narrow down on specific ideas.
Initial
Solutions
Initial Solutions
Periodic survey. A recalibration survey that asks users what content they want to see.
Periodic survey. A recalibration survey that asks users what content they want to see.
See more. Informational pop-up disclosing why they are seeing a post.
See more. Informational pop-up disclosing why they are seeing a post.
Customization. Tailoring posts to a user's personal preferneces.
Customization. Tailoring posts to a user's personal preferneces.
And narrowing it to one
And narrowing it to one
Now the most important part - what do the users themselves want? Each team member storyboarded three different, progressively risker versions of their assigned solution.
We then cumulatively conducted 15 speed-dating sessions, presenting 40+ scenarios in random orders to identify user preferences.
To further narrow down our ideas, each team member storyboarded three different, progressively risker solutions to address their assigned user need.
We cumulatively conducted 15 speed-dating sessions, presenting 40+ scenarios in random orders to identify user preferences.
PEOPLE WANT CUSTOMIZING.
PEOPLE WANT CUSTOMIZING.
Out of all the solutions presented, people ranked feed customization as the most desirable.
Out of all the solutions presented, people ranked feed customization as the most desirable.
Out of all the solutions presented, people ranked feed customization as the most desirable.
CREATE
Guiding the design
Guiding the design
Now that we've decided on a solution to move forward with, I created personas to extract out specific pain points that I wanted to address in my design. There were two types of users I encountered when researching, each with a specific pain point I decided to focus my design around:
Now that we've decided on a solution to move forward with, I created personas to extract out specific pain points that I wanted to address in my design. There were two types of users I encountered when researching, each with a specific pain point I decided to focus my design around:
Location & Features
Location & Features
Home page
Home page
Access the feature while exploring content.
Access the feature while exploring content.
Settings page
Settings page
Where all account information can be found.
Where all account information can be found.
Search bar
Search bar
Helping users quickly find content to filter on.
Helping users quickly find content to filter on.
Frequency slider
Frequency slider
Providing more flexibility in adjusting content.
Providing more flexibility in adjusting content.
On paper, it works
On paper, it works
I started with a rough paper prototype that only contained the bare minimum. This was because I only wanted to test whether the locations were intuitive, and if the features were sufficient.
I started with a rough paper prototype that only contained the bare minimum. This was because I only wanted to test whether the locations were intuitive, and if the features were sufficient.
Each team member then used contextual inquiry to interview 3 users (for a total of 15 users), seeking honest signals by collecting users' thoughts using a post-interview System Usability Scale (SUS) Test and Satisfaction Survey.
Both surveys contained statements where users would express a level of agreement, from 0 to 5 (0 denoting strong disagreement, and 5 being strong agreement).
Each team member then used contextual inquiry to interview 3 users (for a total of 15 users), seeking honest signals by collecting users' thoughts using a post-interview System Usability Scale (SUS) Test and Satisfaction Survey.
Both surveys contained statements where users would express a level of agreement, from 0 to 5 (0 denoting strong disagreement, and 5 being strong agreement).
Key
Findings
Key
Findings
Easy and valuable to use. 100% of users agreed that it was easy to use, and would continue using it while on Instagram.
Easy and valuable to use. 100% of users agreed that it was easy to use, and would continue using it while on Instagram.
Inconsistent. >25% of users found the feature inconsistent due to the high number of choices on the frequency slider.
Inconsistent. >25% of users found the feature inconsistent due to the high number of choices on the frequency slider.
Incorporating feedback
Incorporating feedback
People said
People said
Revisions
Revisions
-
There were too many choices when deciding on frequency level
There were too many choices when deciding on frequency level
+
Slider labels now use a Likert Scale of three options - not frequent, same, very frequent.
Slider labels now use a Likert Scale of three options - not frequent, same, very frequent.
-
The end result was ambiguous, since users were not sure what kind of posts would be filtered out
The end result was ambiguous, since users were not sure what kind of posts would be filtered out
+
Provided examples of posts that will be altered in frequency in the customization page.
Provided examples of posts that will be altered in frequency in the customization page.
-
There wasn’t any way to view your current customizations and changes
There wasn’t any way to view your current customizations and changes
+
Added a button that leads to a page to show all current modified customizations.
Added a button that leads to a page to show all current modified customizations.
An existing design system to tap into
An existing design system to tap into
Rather than redesigning the entirety of Instagram, I was instead adding a feature to it. To maintain the same look and feel of Instagram, I used aspects of their design system to help create some assets of my own.
Rather than redesigning the entirety of Instagram, I was instead adding a feature to it. To maintain the same look and feel of Instagram, I used aspects of their design system to help create some assets of my own.
FINAL DESIGNS
Navigate
Navigate
Access the
customization page
Access the
customization page
when you're scrolling through your feed or changing your account settings
when you're scrolling through your feed or changing your account settings
Customize
Customize
Change how often you see certain types of posts
Change how often you see certain types of posts
by creating a new customization for certain post hashtags. Check the example posts to verify whether or not the content matches what you want to change.
by creating a new customization for certain post hashtags. Check the example posts to verify whether or not the content matches what you want to change.
Adjust
Adjust
View and modify current customizations
View and modify current customizations
by editing frequencies or removing the customization completely.
by editing frequencies or removing the customization completely.
Reset
Reset
Restore all changes to default
Restore all changes to default
with a click of a button if you decide that the changes are unnecessary.
with a click of a button if you decide that the changes are unnecessary.
REFLECT
Learnings
Learnings
Problems behind problems.
Thinking of "auditing algorithmic bias" immediately made me think of report rates. However, more research told me that this wasn't the actual problem to solve. Digging deeper reveals a set of other problems that we can solve in hopes of solving our initial problem.
Prototyping an algorithm is hard.
I wanted to mock up the customization feature on Figma, but since each user’s experience is personalized on Instagram this would mean that we would need to know the users’ preferences prior to the prototype. I still need to find better ways to prototype algorithmic experiences.
Finding the right honest signals.
It was difficult choosing the right metrics to look for. Does high satisfaction actually translate to a satisfactory prototype? What about usability? Based on this metric, I chose the best research method to gather data.
Problems behind problems.
Thinking of "auditing algorithmic bias" immediately made me think of report rates. However, more research told me that this wasn't the actual problem to solve. Digging deeper reveals a set of other problems that we can solve in hopes of solving our initial problem.
Prototyping an algorithm is hard.
I wanted to mock up the customization feature on Figma, but since each user’s experience is personalized on Instagram this would mean that we would need to know the users’ preferences prior to the prototype. I still need to find better ways to prototype algorithmic experiences.
Finding the right honest signals.
It was difficult choosing the right metrics to look for. Does high satisfaction actually translate to a satisfactory prototype? What about usability? Based on this metric, I chose the best research method to gather data.
Next Steps
Next Steps
26.7% of users thought they would report content more often, but I think we can push this up to an even higher percentage.
26.7% of users thought they would report content more often, but I think we can push this up to an even higher percentage.
Further
Investigations
Further
Investigations
Identification rate of biased ads. Does this number change if users are familiar with the content they are consuming?
Identification rate of biased ads. Does this number change if users are familiar with the content they are consuming?
Frequency of use. How often would users use this feature when they are actually browsing or surfing media?
Frequency of use. How often would users use this feature when they are actually browsing or surfing media?
Adding other features. Would pairing this current idea with our previous ideas be more effective to encourage auditing?
Adding other features. Would pairing this current idea with our previous ideas be more effective to encourage auditing?
