Senior Project Overview
The goal of this project was to help people who use TikTok better regulate their time and set time limitations for themselves using the Time Management feature. I decided to explore the problem of Social Media addiction and think of a creative solution to help users manage their time on Social Media.
For this senior capstone, I chose to redesign the time management feature on the application, TikTok. What drew me to this problem was hearing many people tell me that they spend too much time on TikTok, which made me want to learn more about the application.
Problem Statement
Social Media is designed to addict. The goal of the User Experience design is to increase engagement with an app, even if this means employing harmful design choices. These designs are harming users enough to change the experience the users have with a specific app. In turn, this may cause them to become addicted or simply spend way too much time on an app.
TikTok's Current Time Management Feature
Methodology
First, a User Needs Analysis was to be conducted in order to identify the user needs. In order to complete the UNA, 5 – 8 interviews were held with the targeted audience. Once the information was gathered, deciding what features were to be implemented into the prototype was the next step in this project.
- The targeted audience of this presentation was users between the age of 10 – 30 years old. This may seem like a large age gap, but those are the primary users of TikTok
- The tools used for this project are Figma, Axure RP and the Adobe suite, and are used to create the wireframes, task flow and prototype
- The technology was used to create a prototype that aligned with the problem statement by creating more personalization options for the Time Management Feature for TikTok
- The major threat to success would be the time needed to gather information by interviewing people from the targeted audience, as well as having them test the prototype. Their feedback is vital to measuring the success of the project
User Needs Analysis
Conclusion:
- After conducting the interviews, I believe that the best way to help improve the TikTok Time Management Feature would be to change where it is in the menu. Currently, it is in the “Digital Wellbeing” tab. Some of the people I interviewed stated that the icon and location does not communicate to them that the time management feature would be located in the digital wellbeing tab. I believe that if it was simply part of the menu, then users would have an easier time locating the feature, and in turn, would be more obligated to use it if they know what and where it is.
- Another observation I made was that the users felt that the feature in its current state did not offer them options that fit their needs. They needed more customization in the app, but sadly there are only four options for the users to set their preferences to. Giving the users more choices would help them set their preferences to what they need and not limit them to specific times that the app sets for them.
Task Flow
Roughs and Sketches
Wireframe: https://i66iqi.axshare.com
Journey Map
Problems beyond the scope of this project...
During this project, many users noted that the time management feature was difficult to locate within the application. Changing the location or menue name and icons would have helped indicate to the participants where the time management feature was located.
Due to this problem falling outside of what I was trying to test in this project, I left the menus and icons as they were without redesigning them. If I were to change them, this would not align with the goals of the original problem statement, which aimed to redesign the user experience of the time management feature. Changing the menu would change the navigation and findability of the feature rather than add personalization to the app, which was my original goal.
High Fidelity Prototype: https://ysxils.axshare.com
Project Conclusion
This project helped me test my skills that I have learned and have been developing over the past four years. What I found most interesting abuot this project was the problems that did not fall within the original problem statement. The goal of this project was to help with time management and user personalization, but I found by conducting the one on one interviews that the users had a difficult time locating where the time managment feature was in the application. I left the menu as it was because changing the menu would change the problem statement.
Some of the key takeaways for me would be to balance the different stages in the project. Since I worked alone, I had to ensure that I was devoting enough time on every stage to complete the capstone. Another takeaway would have to be learning how to manage the stress of meeting a tight deadline, which I was able to accomplish by following a schedule that helped me reach certain milestones in the project.