The platform developed for studio brief 2 has been succesfully articulated and developed to tackle a problem within the current property management industries. Compared to any project undertaken to date, possibly the largest body of initial research of was carried out diving deep into the purpose behind the app and justifying its reasoning with government laws, articles and statistics. The recently changed laws were a clear indicator that there was a huge gap in the market for a platform such as ‘Redsquare’. Its demographic was identified as a vast market of anyone over the age of 18, therefore a ubiquitous layout and composition had to be adopted into the design production in order to create a user friendly interface which would be engaging for any gender or age group.
Choosing a screen based solution to this problem had its own potential and limitations which had to be recognised. The small resolution of the phone meant that limited pixels were available to design with therefore, simplified iconography, serif type and full bleed imagery had to be incorporated. The relationship between CMYK and RGB colour had to be addressed in order only incorporate colour schemes which could be clearly articulated on screen alongside matching CMYK printed colours which which are identical to the screen colours. By carefully choosing these colours, it would create a cost effective solution to any printed memorabilia to go alongside the brand identity such as invoices or business cards. The choice to utilise mobile phone screens instead any other screen based media was its ability to be easily accessible at all times whilst being used on the go. Travelling is crucial to how the app functions and therefore a mobile device was the best way of utilising the apps current location technology. The functionalities of a stationary device such as a computer webpage would render many elements of the interface useless.
Interviews with people in the property market, surveys and online feedback were all crucial recognising the need for the software within current society. Various developing critique sessions were also instrumental to identifying what features were to be included within the app. Without these constant pieces of feedback, it would have been impossible for my app to evolve into a product which is needed by the consumer, I would have been stagnated in my own ideas of what the public need. Ideas such as, the landlord rater, blueprints, planning permission and school checker would have not been incorporated without a constant ongoing converstaion with peers and public.
In order to grasp and understanding of what makes a user friendly and professional interface, a large body of research was undertaken before the designing process. The main elements analysed were transitions, animations, typesetting and negative space which drastically informed what was produced within my own interface. It was shocking to see how small unnoticeable details such as how elements of the page fade in or out could have such a large impact on what emotions the interface portrays to the user. Design principles such as grid systems and colour theory was also used to justify decisions within the interface.
Reflecting on the most potent experiences in this module which have developed my practice as a designer, the critique session with visiting professionals from ‘Only’ was by far the most influential. Their presence and responsive conversations made me realise that my work being produced is no longer just for educational purposes, it gave me more confidence and pride within my work as an emerging professional. Working with screen has expanded my knowledge of digital design and interfaces exponentially. New elements have been adopted into my practice such as coding, web safe fonts, wire framing, sound effects and working with pixel. Adobe XD and Adobe After Effects are also two brand new pieces of software which I am now proficient in using and can be utilised and developed further within later projects.
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