Study Space
Prototyping, Wire-framing, Concept Sketches
TIMELINE
2 weeks (Nov 2023)
ROLE
UX Designer, Product Designer
SKILLS
UX Design, UX Research, Prototyping, Wire-framing, Sketching
TOOLS
Figma, Google Docs
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
Methodology: Heuristic Evaluation, Cognitive Walkthrough
In order to understand the impact of one’s physical environment on studying, I conducted online research using academic journals and case studies that focused on environmental psychology. This research included a review of studies examining factors such as lighting, noise levels, and room temperature, and their effects on cognitive performance and focus during study sessions.
For instance, an article titled “Impact of Indoor Physical Environment on Learning Efficiency in Different Types of Tasks: A 3 × 4 × 3 Full Factorial Design Analysis,” scholars discovered that students' performance differed based on the setting and task. Students performed best under warm, relatively quiet, and moderate light exposure conditions while recalling images. On the other hand, the learning efficiency of attention-oriented tasks succeeded in a cool, fairly quiet, and bright lighting environment.
Overall, research clearly demonstrated the effect that a student’s environment can have on learning. In order to truly be focused and create a perfect studying experience, students should be able to easily find a space that fits their needs and preferences. Studying is a large part of students’ lives and finding somewhere with a comfortable and productive environment is essential to academic success.
CONCEPT SKETCHES
Before entering Figma, I began by sketching out simple, low-fidelity screens on paper. Throughout this process, I was able to create various versions of each screen and ideate new ways of design before finalizing anything. Using paper allowed me to easily erase and rethink. This prototype can be seen below and highlights the most important features of Study Space. I performed casual usability testing with family and friends on the first iteration and utilized this feedback to make a few important changes before curating a digital prototype.
PROTOTYPING
Due to limited time, I focused on recreating four screens in Figma, all of which emphasize the most important interactions between a user and Study Space; filtering a search, accessing saved searches, exploring filtered results, and viewing the homepage. These are currently rough drafts and the remaining screens and UI will be fully developed in the future based on feedback from testing with prospective student users.
POTENTIAL API USE
Google Maps SDK and Places API
The Places API supplies location data and can be used to display a location’s hours, address, photos, business type, and reviews. This API would also allow for users to filter by “open now.” Additionally, Maps SDK embeds a Google Map on applications and has an option to create and display custom markers. Overall, both the API and library are vital in providing information about locations to study at, correctly displaying them on a map, and providing directions on getting there.
BestTime API
While Google does not offer a public API or library for their popular times map feature, the BestTime API can provide foot traffic data and allow users to filter and find places based on this data. This API could be potentially used as an additional filter option in Study Space’s search feature to help users find somewhere to study that may not be as busy as another. This would also be useful if a student particularly prefers to study in a lively setting or an environment with few people.
Future API use
Another important feature of Study Space is the option to filter based on a location’s inside noise volume and lighting conditions. Although there are currently no APIs or libraries that can supply this data, a database can be collected by observing the locations and personally recording the noise and lighting conditions.
Another alternative is creating a feature within the app where users can rate the noise and lighting conditions of a place which would then be displayed to other users. In a similar manner, SoundPrint is an app that has users measure a venue's sound level and submit it to their database. Based on these submissions, users can then search for venues by filtering sound levels and volume categories. Ideally, it would be great if SoundPrint created an API that could supply Study Space with this information.
TAKEAWAYS
Exploring APIs was a new experience for me, broadening my technical knowledge. Moving forward, I plan to dedicate more time to understanding the technical integration of APIs and researching existing solutions and competitors.
With students all over the world, developing an application like Study Space is crucial in promoting academic success. Research consistently highlights the importance of a learning and studying environment through its correlated effect on performance. By leveraging already existing APIs and future technologies that provide data on environment factors such as noise levels, lighting, and ambiance, students can discover a personalized study environment that is best suited for them.
OVERVIEW
Study Space is a mobile application designed to allow students to search for their ideal study environment. Utilizing the Google Maps Places API and BestTime API, users can search for places that fit their specific preferences such as available amenities, environmental conditions, and location type. Study Space would also ideally use an API that provides noise quality and lighting information so that users can further personalize their search.
OBJECTIVE
I was tasked with creating a prototype that utilizes an API to solve a problem. The goal of my prototype is to enhance the study experience of students all around the nation.
DESIGN PROBLEM
Many students find themselves struggling to locate the best place to study and get some work done. Some prefer quiet places, while others favor a low hum. Some may need a private room, and others need a social environment. Every individual has unique needs and finding the right place for them is important. Students have to search all over the internet to find the perfect place to study. Evenso, location finders like Google and Apple Maps do not allow for these specific filters.
With Study Space, users can completely customize their search and filter to their needs, leading them to discover their ideal study experience.
FIRST ITERATION
SECOND ITERATION