🎯 Objective
Simulate the design of a new website for a fictional co-working space in Berlin, applying a combination of UI and UX principles to enhance user engagement, promote community interaction, and showcase available co-working and virtual office solutions.
✍🏼 Role and Deliverables
As the Product Designer, lead the simulated design process from conception to implementation, focusing on applying UI and UX principles.
💪🏻 Challenges
Encounter and address challenges in balancing simplicity with functionality, integrating community engagement features, and optimizing the user experience while adhering to UI and UX principles.
💥 Outcome and Impact
Implementation of design solutions (by following the UX/UI Principles) could lead to increase user engagement, improve task completion rates, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Background
The OFFIS project originated from a desire to explore User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design principles in-depth. With a focus on creating intuitive digital experiences, I started this simulated project with a design of a website for OFFIS, a fictional co-working space in Berlin.
The primary challenge that the project aims to address is the need for OFFIS to establish a digital presence for renting co-working spaces. In today’s digital age, where online platforms play a crucial role in facilitating business transactions, the absence of an efficient digital platform poses a significant obstacle for both users and stakeholders.
For users, the lack of an online platform means a cumbersome and inefficient process for booking co-working spaces. Without a user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation, potential users may find it challenging to explore available spaces, make bookings, or access essential information about OFFIS.
For stakeholders, such as OFFIS management, the absence of a digital platform hinders their ability to effectively showcase available spaces, attract potential customers, and streamline the rental process. Additionally, it limits opportunities for business growth and revenue generation.
Solving this problem by designing and implementing a user-centric digital platform for OFFIS could yield several benefits, like for potential customers, providing with the convenient experience for finding and booking co-working spaces; and for stakeholders, it would lead to increased customer satisfaction, improved business efficiency, and potentially higher revenue generation through increased bookings and customer retention.
By prioritizing the UX and UI principles in this Digital Product, the aim was to not only enhance the overall user experience but also to gain valuable insights into their practical application in real-world design scenarios.
Process
1. Understand
Conduct imaginary user research to understand both the user’s and business’ needs..
2. Define
Clarify objectives. Define user personas, user journeys, and key features to address needs.
3. Ideate
Sketch wireframes and different design concepts to find the most effective approach.
4. Validate
Test with real users to gather feedback and validate assumptions.
User Research
In the user research phase, I conducted an imaginary study to gain insights into both the users’ and business’ needs for the OFFIS project. This involved exploring the characteristics, preferences, and pain points of potential users, as well as understanding the goals and objectives of the co-working space.
User Personas & their User Journeys
Based on the research findings, I developed fictional user personas to represent different segments of the target audience. These personas include details such as demographics, behaviors, motivations, and pain points, helping to humanize the target audience and guide design decisions.
Mapping out the user journey allowed me to visualize the steps users take to achieve their goals within the OFFIS digital platform.
By identifying touchpoints, pain points, and opportunities for improvement, I gained insights into the user experience and identified areas for optimization.
Hypothesis
Implementing UX/UI principles in the design of OFFIS’s website will enhance user experience, increase member engagement, and optimize digital presence, while creating a co-working community.
Design process
From ideation to execution, the design process focused on user-centricity and simplicity, adhering to UX/UI principles.
Wireframing and prototyping played crucial roles in visualizing the user journey and refining interface elements to ensure optimal usability. Every design decision, including the choice of UI elements and visual aesthetics, was guided by the project’s objectives and the desired user experience.
of the OFFIS project
of the OFFIS project
Final Product, Mockup and Prototype
Mockup of the OFFIS project
Usability Testing
During real-world usability testing of the OFFIS website, participants were asked to complete various tasks representative of typical user interactions. The feedback gathered provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of the website design and user experience.
1. Task: Book a Co-working Space
Feedback: Participants praised the intuitive booking process, highlighting the clear layout and easy-to-follow steps. However, some users suggested adding a calendar view to visualize availability more efficiently.
2. Task: Explore Amenities
Feedback: Users appreciated the comprehensive amenities section.
3. Task: Register for Community Events
Feedback: Participants found the event registration process easy, efficient, with a positive feedback on “helpers”, due to the error handling principles applied.