My project intends to mitigate the effects of our fast-paced, digital-focused world. Through the creation of an app prototype on Figma, I’ll be focusing on problem-solving through design.

Impact

I’ll be employing UX design practices to solve the problem of decreased attention spans resulting from constant information overload. My hope for its success is that it improves focus, productivity, and overall well-being by providing features tailored to the needs of college students.

The hope for the project’s impact is that it effectively appeals to college students, empowering them to take control over their attention and recognize where digital platforms provide unwanted distractions. Although this app will only reach the prototyping stage, the app’s real-world impact could manifest as students reporting increased focus, better time management, and reduced feelings of anxiety related to device usage.

Scenarios

The best case scenario for this prototype, following my intended impact, is that college students see significant improvement in their ability to stay focused on their work, and that they feel empowered over their usage of digital technology. This could result in higher grades, reduced stress, and a more positive relationship with work and technology.

The worst case scenario is that the app is seen as ineffective by college students. In the research I’ve done about UX design features, I learned about shame as a tool to monitor smartphone usage. It’s important to not trigger negative emotions for those already struggling with these issues, as users are more likely to change their actions when they experience positive emotions. The app’s worst-case scenario, therefore, could produce feelings of shame or guilt that keep college students feeling addicted to technology.

Another worst-case scenario would be the exclusion of parts of my target audience. I wouldn’t want the app (prototype) to exclude people with disabilities from participating in any the app’s features. Here is where the limitations of Figma come into play. Specifically, I won’t be able to add screen-reading capabilities into the prototype. My research taught me that Figma does have an accessibility mode, though, for users with visual impairment to listen test the prototype. I can include placeholders to suggest the developed app would include these features—so as include as much of the audience as possible. I will also work on visual contrast and accessible layouts to include people with visual impairments.

App notifications may increase feelings of anxiety

Identities and Perspectives

Personal identities, especially my own, will undoubtedly effect the design process. My perception of the target audience and their relationships with technology are likely skewed as I myself am a college student with ADHD. This personal identity can lead me into thinking that this issue of focus is a larger problem than it is, or that some of the features that help me as an individual with ADHD may not be not representative of the entire population. Here, it will be important to listen to the voices of others. I’ll be employing a survey to listen broadly to voices of college students, and I’ll be following up with repeated user testing through interviews. This will attempt to mitigate my own biases in design.

Perspectives from marginalized or underrepresented groups within the college student population might be missing from my design approach. The Saint Joe’s population may underrepresent the experiences of students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, or non-traditional (part-time, working, adult learning, etc.) students.

Inclusivity

The project may miss valuable input from specific communities or individuals that can provide insights to the app’s inclusivity. Though the app isn’t directly focused on issues of class, race, and disability, it is important to listen to these perspectives of people from varied standpoints to incorporate their needs into the app’s functionality. To make the project more inclusive, I’ll attempt to diversify my surveying and user interviews. My friend group of primarily white women will likely skew the results. I’ll be sure to spread the survey on broader platforms than just friend group-chats, and I’ll interview people who aren’t just my best friends.