Design Contest Platform UX UI

A freelance based project. I was contracted to create a web-based platform to facilitate the services of clients who are looking for design services, and designers who submit these design jobs in a form of a contest.
DesignsContest’s business will be an online platform to allow clients who require unique designs to be created like logo desgins etc. On the other hand, designers will submit these logo designs as a contests submission which will be picked and chosen by the client. The winner design submission will be rewarded or otherwise the client will be guaranteed money back.

Overview

DesignsContest’s business an online platform to allow clients looking for design services like logos. On the other hand, designers submit designs in a form of a contests which are then hand-picked and chosen by the client. The winner designs will be rewarded.

Problem

Offer a unique online platform for design contests and to get a share in the design market sector. While creating a great work opportunity for young designer in the design market, the design solution needed to address the following issues:


Designers Customers

A platform to access unique design contests from clients


Effective platform to understand client ideas and create designs.


A global recognized platform to find design contests

A fast way to get design work completed by a number design concept to select from


Affordable prices from a good choice of package pricing

Money back guarantee *Get the perfect logo design that you want, or get your money back


Table 1. User goals.
Figure 1. Completed Design Contest App.

What I Did

Having a dynamic process, broken down into a few different larger stages is important to keep consistent from project to project. It is the practices within each phase that should be catered to each project. My process included the following steps.

ux process design contest
Figure 2. Design Contest Design Platform (codal).

Understanding Business goals and Users needs

To succeed the user experience is aligned with business goals. First, identify business goals; then identify usability goals that allow to develop the UX vision and strategy. Business goals describe company objectives and direction.


ux process design contest
Figure 3. Business Plan.

Research & Analysis

In order to understand the user's wants, the business and business goals and to ensure to provide a centric user design, service to the on the platform it is important It is important to conduct a survey and interview questions.


Open end questions will be used a strategy to create that freedom and remove restriction of to offer insights and detailed aspects of the project.


Figure 3. User Needs Questionnaire.

Silence as a social cue is also an important tool to allow the interview to express themselves about the business and etc. The location also is a great consideration as casual comfortable place will offer a more relaxed atmosphere to get more realistic answers to the interview or/and Questionnaire. Generally, 45–60 minutes is ideal. Is ideal and if there is a requirement for further information it is best to schedule another interview. All research will be conducted with anonymity to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

Planning and Project Management

Planning user experience (UX) projects is a balancing act of getting the right amount of user input within the constraints of the project, ceros. To carry out the required tasks i utilised a project management tool called Asana. Asana is the best way for teams to track their work and get results. From tasks and projects to conversations and notifications.


Figure 4. Planning and Project Management
User scenarios

User flows demonstrate how business goals will be achieved in design, and provide the most accurate view of scope and effort. Also known as a blueprint, journey, narrative or map, a user flow helps to as a deliverable that demonstrates the step-by-step elements required to allow the user and the business to accomplish their objectives. User flows detail the pages and elements required to implement the more strategic user journey and business objectives you’ve already defined.

Figure 5. Scenarios Information Flow.
Business Aspect Designer Aspect Affiliate Aspect

Matt is a business man, apparently Matt goes online to search for logo and combine different free stock images and brand items to use for their company.


The downloaded images seem to work to show to their clients how their work.

The problem is the in a lot of inconcistencies in the brand identity.


Matt's company would utilise a great brand that address all company's image and marketing tools.

Jane is a great online freelancer she normally works from home and has some clients she works for on a week to week basis.


Jane would like to get more work and increase her client base for her freelance work.


Design Contest is a great platform to allow jane to get more design work.

Jose is either a designer or has a business person, he is computer literate and has some marketing knowledge. Jose has recently completed his undergraduate studies and is looking for a way to get some cash with low starting capital.


By referring users the website, Jose gets x amount in form of commission from the service.


This affiliate program on design contest suits Jose needs perfectly.

Table 2. User scenarios.
Personas

After guring out who the projects audience is I normally build the personas, This is similar to shaping a piece of clay. By doing this I’m creating a clear image of who the user in our audience is. The personas looked something like this:

Small Business Owner Graphics Designer
Name Matt Johnson Jane Morris
Title CEO Freelance Graphics Designer
Age group 25-34 yrs 35-44 yrs
Demographics

30 years • Married • Masters in Business Administration

25 years • Single • MSC in design and architectural science

Goals/Challenges

Needs to a brand for his newly established company. • Save time online by using freelancer to create logo and brand identity. • Value for money for his business • Has little knowledge of branding but has an idea on what he would like to have.

Needs to a brand for his newly established company. • Improve skills • Online recognition • Easy access to online jobs • A better managed platform to find contest • Competitive aspect of design.

Environment

His company has a great team of workers with more than 60% literacy computer knowledge.

Jane has been working as a freelance graphics designer she is looking for the best a best design platform to find jobs and improve her skills.

Table 2. user personas.

After guring out who the projects audience is I normally build the personas, This is similar to shaping a piece of clay. By doing this I’m creating a clear image of who the user in our audience is.

Rapid Prototyping

To quickly fabricate the a scale model and give a rough plot of the product rapid prototyping technique is a very effective method to physically plot the idea of the project.

Figure 6. rapid prototyping.

Sitemap Creation

A list of pages of a web site accessible to users. A documentation tool for listing web pages to understand the flows essential for the design process.

information architecture
Figure 7. rapid prototyping.
Wireframes

To understand the workability and visual appearance of the application an A/B Testing across web and mobile platforms were conducted.

Figure 8. Lo and Hi fidelity Wire frame

Figure 9. Lo and Hi fidelity Wire frame

Figure 10. Lo and Hi fidelity Wire frame

Figure 11. Lo and Hi fidelity Wire frame

Figure 12. Lo and Hi fidelity Wire frame

Figure 13. Lo and Hi fidelity Wire frame
Usability testing

To understand the workability and visual appearance of the application an A/B Testing across web and mobile platforms were conducted.

Figure 14. Usability Test.
Iterations

To understand the workability and visual appearance of the application an A/B Testing across web and mobile platforms were conducted.

Figure 15. Design Iterations.
Design documentation

Overall guidance to the architecture of the app design for software designer and stakeholders.

Figure 16. Design Documentation.

Design

Visual design maximizes the aesthetic, information-conveying capabilities of graphics and text. It’s actually a subdiscipline within the UX process, contributing to UI Design, information design, and graphic design.

Figure 17. Final mobile application design.
Figure 18. Final web application design.

Results

Business goals
  • An application with potential to dominate the online design market.
  • Position the business for a competitive market.
  • Designer recognition through awards etc.

User Needs
  • Clients
  • A fast way to get designs completed.
  • Affordable prices.
  • Tap in the market of uniquely hand-picked professional designers.
  • Designers
  • Access unique design contests from clients.
  • A global recognized platform for designers.

Contact

done

done

done