How did I validate user needs?

 

First I needed to understand the audience. The CEO, an experienced scriptwriter, provided first-hand industry insights on how professionals work with scripts.

• I conducted competitor analysis by researching similar apps on the market like PDF Expert, Adobe Reader, and GoodReader.

• I also conducted informal user testing with industry professionals to refine usability.

 

Pain points identified: 

• The UI was inconsistent, causing frustration.

• The lack of branding made the app feel disjointed rather than a premium product.

• The annotation process could be smoother, and professionals working late hours needed a dark mode.

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Design Execution

• Started with establishing a branding guide, expanding the color palette, introduced a cohesive typography system, and set up logo variations for flexibility.

• Crafted user flows for new features like the transfer annotations screen, home screen, and marketing slides to promote Pro memberships (Scriptation works on a Freemium model).

• Designed dark mode to be easy on the eyes for users working late into the night.

• Developed new, intuitive icons for script-specific functions, digitizing symbols familiar to industry users. Tested each new niche icon with industry experts.
   

Collaboration & Feedback

• Worked closely with developers, reviewing builds and iterating designs based on feedback.
   

Constraints

• With a small team and limited resources, I prioritized adaptability, focusing on creating scalable systems rather than overhauling the app.

• Without a robust team and producers, I organized, ideated, and executed the redesign independently, a (big) lesson in self-discipline, planning, and project management.