design
develop
leadership
me!!!
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Duration
May 2023
Team
Allison He
Ariana Zhu
Role
UI/UX Designer
UX Researcher
Tools
Figma
Fig Jam
Designed and ideated at my first ever designathon, UCI 2023 Designation, Workshop prioritizes long-term mentorship, collaboration, and accessible settings for writing communities!
Won Honorable Mention & scored the third highest overall out of 60 submissions in design rubric.
EMPATHIZE
Problem
The UCI Designathon prompt meant a lot to us: As designers who can create and inspire change, how can we amplify and empower cultures of community and inclusivity in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and beyond?
Our approach was inclusivity in writing communities. Sure, we have writing workshops, collaborative writing platforms, mentorship opportunities for writers… but are there any platforms that combine the three? Much less for writers at all levels?
There is a need for an online web platform… and community… for aspiring writers.
So how do we help writers:
Understanding Our Users
After brainstorming and scoping out the project’s purpose, we decided to focus our user demographics on the following:
I specifically took charge over research on writers with reading or writing disabilities, identifying the following trends that those with learning disabilities struggled with with traditional writing platforms. Given the lack of time and resources, I mainly focused on reading scientific articles or online testimonials/direct quotes from active dyslexic writers!
For able-bodied demographics, we interviewed n = 6 creative writers who all expressed a passion for creative writing or pursuing it as a career. We found that:
All of these aspiring writers have a passion for creative writing, highly value feedback, and recognize the value of mentor-led workshops.
However, none of them even considered a platform that offers the following resources to them as a choice. There isn’t one readily available.
Comparative Analysis
There are not many well-established writing mentorship platforms in the market. When it comes to writing tools, tools can be scattered all over the place (e.g. Google Doc, FigJam, Google Drive). Mentorship platforms like ADPlist exist, but the information architecture is overwhelming.
IDEATION
Key Features of Workshop
After deep diving into some user research and analyzing what existing platforms have done right, we decided on the following features to include in our beloved Workshop:
I primarily worked on the Accessibility Settings, Collaboration Document, tutorials feature, navigation bar, and branding.
Again, biggest shoutout to my wonderful team: everyone contributed so much to the project and all of these features.
Lo-fi
Before we even got started with the hi-fi wireframes, my team and I kicked off with some lo-fis! I’ve quickly added some below.
Hi-fi
After settling up the lo-fis, we moved onto the hi-fi wireframes! I’ll quickly show the hi-fi wireframes below.
However, please note that not all of the hi-fi wireframes are below and not all of these wireframes were in our final prototype. This is just a glimpse of the work we did!
User testing & iterations
We sat down with some potential users — including the lovely designathon hosts — and had them walk through the app without our guidance, asking them to give feedback along the way.
Workshop ✏️:
The Final Prototype
Curious over our final design? Take a look here.
Onboarding. Before you’re able to use Workshop, we need to know you better first. Add your demographics, interests, and experience.
Tutorial. Not sure what to do? We got you — we’ll walk you through the features we have with you.
Accessibility. It’s our main priority. Change the font size, line spacing, font type to your liking. We can even read it out loud to you — remember, we accommodate you!
Writing Hub & Collaboration Doc. Easily share and access all of your files here — we included both your’s and your peers’! Also, don’t be afraid to work with others. Share and get feedback from your peers and mentors here.
Sessions & Chat. Build your writing network by attending workshops (with an explore page!) and engage in conversations with your peers and mentors.
So... what did I learn?
I’m obsessed with collaboration!!!!! In my previous experiences, I almost always relied on myself when it came to designing. Working with two other (amazing) designers was incredible, and it was so heartwarming for me to see how well we worked and how much we accomplished together. I really feel as if I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all this myself, and we’re still good friends to this day!
Research is a game changer. My previous design experiences didn’t have any emphasis on user research, so being able to deep dive into what users want was very fulfilling to me. Really recognized how important user research was here.
Be realistic about the designs I make. I was too ambitious and proposed a more comprehensive “accessibility” feature for our users — even for blind users (I know, I know)! However, given the time, the task, and the amount of resources we had, I had to stop myself and stay realistic with my ideation process. It was better that way — I was able to focus more on the features that we did stick with.
© 2024 by Lucy Han. Created with this playlist on repeat ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Duration
May 2023
Team
Allison He
Ariana Zhu
Role
UI/UX Designer
UX Researcher
Tools
Figma
Fig Jam
Designed and ideated at my first ever designathon, UCI 2023 Designation, Workshop prioritizes long-term mentorship, collaboration, and accessible settings for writing communities!
Won Honorable Mention & scored the third highest overall out of 60 submissions in design rubric.
Designed and ideated at my first ever designathon, UCI 2023 Designation, Workshop prioritizes long-term mentorship, collaboration, and accessible settings for writing communities!
Won Honorable Mention & scored the third highest overall out of 60 submissions in design rubric.
EMPATHIZE
Problem
The UCI Designathon prompt meant a lot to us: As designers who can create and inspire change, how can we amplify and empower cultures of community and inclusivity in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and beyond?
Our approach was inclusivity in writing communities. Sure, we have writing workshops, collaborative writing platforms, mentorship opportunities for writers… but are there any platforms that combine the three? Much less for writers at all levels?
There is a need for an online web platform… and community… for aspiring writers.
So how do we help writers:
Problem
The UCI Designathon prompt meant a lot to us: As designers who can create and inspire change, how can we amplify and empower cultures of community and inclusivity in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and beyond?
Our approach was inclusivity in writing communities. Sure, we have writing workshops, collaborative writing platforms, mentorship opportunities for writers… but are there any platforms that combine the three? Much less for writers at all levels?
There is a need for an online web platform… and community… for aspiring writers.
So how do we help writers:
Understanding Our Users
After brainstorming and scoping out the project’s purpose, we decided to focus our user demographics on the following:
Understanding Our Users
After brainstorming and scoping out the project’s purpose, we decided to focus our user demographics on the following:
I specifically took charge over research on writers with reading or writing disabilities, identifying the following trends that those with learning disabilities struggled with with traditional writing platforms. Given the lack of time and resources, I mainly focused on reading scientific articles or online testimonials/direct quotes from active dyslexic writers!
I specifically took charge over research on writers with reading or writing disabilities, identifying the following trends that those with learning disabilities struggled with with traditional writing platforms. Given the lack of time and resources, I mainly focused on reading scientific articles or online testimonials/direct quotes from active dyslexic writers!
For able-bodied demographics, we interviewed n = 6 creative writers who all expressed a passion for creative writing or pursuing it as a career. We found that:
For able-bodied demographics, we interviewed n = 6 creative writers who all expressed a passion for creative writing or pursuing it as a career. We found that:
All of these aspiring writers have a passion for creative writing, highly value feedback, and recognize the value of mentor-led workshops.
However, none of them even considered a platform that offers the following resources to them as a choice. There isn’t one readily available.
All of these aspiring writers have a passion for creative writing, highly value feedback, and recognize the value of mentor-led workshops.
However, none of them even considered a platform that offers the following resources to them as a choice. There isn’t one readily available.
Comparative Analysis
There are not many well-established writing mentorship platforms in the market. When it comes to writing tools, tools can be scattered all over the place (e.g. Google Doc, FigJam, Google Drive). Mentorship platforms like ADPlist exist, but the information architecture is overwhelming.
Comparative Analysis
There are not many well-established writing mentorship platforms in the market. When it comes to writing tools, tools can be scattered all over the place (e.g. Google Doc, FigJam, Google Drive). Mentorship platforms like ADPlist exist, but the information architecture is overwhelming.
IDEATION
Key Features of Workshop
Key Features of Workshop
After deep diving into some user research and analyzing what existing platforms have done right, we decided on the following features to include in our beloved Workshop:
After deep diving into some user research and analyzing what existing platforms have done right, we decided on the following features to include in our beloved Workshop:
I primarily worked on the Accessibility Settings, Collaboration Document, tutorials feature, navigation bar, and branding.
Again, biggest shoutout to my wonderful team: everyone contributed so much to the project and all of these features.
I primarily worked on the Accessibility Settings, Collaboration Document, tutorials feature, navigation bar, and branding.
Again, biggest shoutout to my wonderful team: everyone contributed so much to the project and all of these features.
Lo-fi
Before we even got started with the hi-fi wireframes, my team and I kicked off with some lo-fis! I’ve quickly added some below.
Lo-fi
Before we even got started with the hi-fi wireframes, my team and I kicked off with some lo-fis! I’ve quickly added some below.
Hi-fi
After settling up the lo-fis, we moved onto the hi-fi wireframes! I’ll quickly show the hi-fi wireframes below.
However, please note that not all of the hi-fi wireframes are below and not all of these wireframes were in our final prototype. This is just a glimpse of the work we did!
Hi-fi
After settling up the lo-fis, we moved onto the hi-fi wireframes! I’ll quickly show the hi-fi wireframes below.
However, please note that not all of the hi-fi wireframes are below and not all of these wireframes were in our final prototype. This is just a glimpse of the work we did!
User testing & iterations
We sat down with some potential users — including the lovely designathon hosts — and had them walk through the app without our guidance, asking them to give feedback along the way.
User testing & iterations
We sat down with some potential users — including the lovely designathon hosts — and had them walk through the app without our guidance, asking them to give feedback along the way.
Workshop ✏️:
The Final Prototype
Curious over our final design? Take a look here.
Workshop ✏️:
The Final Prototype
Curious over our final design? Take a look here.
Onboarding. Before you’re able to use Workshop, we need to know you better first. Add your demographics, interests, and experience.
Tutorial. Not sure what to do? We got you — we’ll walk you through the features we have with you.
Accessibility. It’s our main priority. Change the font size, line spacing, font type to your liking. We can even read it out loud to you — remember, we accommodate you!
Writing Hub & Collaboration Doc. Easily share and access all of your files here — we included both your’s and your peers’! Also, don’t be afraid to work with others. Share and get feedback from your peers and mentors here.
Sessions & Chat. Build your writing network by attending workshops (with an explore page!) and engage in conversations with your peers and mentors.
So... what did I learn?
I’m obsessed with collaboration!!!!! In my previous experiences, I almost always relied on myself when it came to designing. Working with two other (amazing) designers was incredible, and it was so heartwarming for me to see how well we worked and how much we accomplished together. I really feel as if I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all this myself, and we’re still good friends to this day!
Research is a game changer. My previous design experiences didn’t have any emphasis on user research, so being able to deep dive into what users want was very fulfilling to me. Really recognized how important user research was here.
Be realistic about the designs I make. I was too ambitious and proposed a more comprehensive “accessibility” feature for our users — even for blind users (I know, I know)! However, given the time, the task, and the amount of resources we had, I had to stop myself and stay realistic with my ideation process. It was better that way — I was able to focus more on the features that we did stick with.
I’m obsessed with collaboration!!!!! In my previous experiences, I almost always relied on myself when it came to designing. Working with two other (amazing) designers was incredible, and it was so heartwarming for me to see how well we worked and how much we accomplished together. I really feel as if I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all this myself, and we’re still good friends to this day!
Research is a game changer. My previous design experiences didn’t have any emphasis on user research, so being able to deep dive into what users want was very fulfilling to me. Really recognized how important user research was here.
Be realistic about the designs I make. I was too ambitious and proposed a more comprehensive “accessibility” feature for our users — even for blind users (I know, I know)! However, given the time, the task, and the amount of resources we had, I had to stop myself and stay realistic with my ideation process. It was better that way — I was able to focus more on the features that we did stick with.
© 2024 by Lucy Han. Created with this playlist on repeat ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
design
develop
leadership
me!!!
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Workshop ✏️. Providing accessibility & community for aspiring writers.
Duration
May 2023
Team
Allison He
Ariana Zhu
Role
UI/UX Designer
UX Researcher
Tools
Figma Fig Jam
Designed and ideated at my first ever designathon, UCI 2023 Designation, Workshop prioritizes long-term mentorship, collaboration, and accessible settings for writing communities!
Won Honorable Mention & scored the third highest overall out of 60 submissions in design rubric.
EMPATHIZE
Problem
The UCI Designathon prompt meant a lot to us: As designers who can create and inspire change, how can we amplify and empower cultures of community and inclusivity in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and beyond?
Our approach was inclusivity in writing communities. Sure, we have writing workshops, collaborative writing platforms, mentorship opportunities for writers… but are there any platforms that combine the three? Much less for writers at all levels?
There is a need for an online web platform… and community… for aspiring writers.
So how do we help writers:
Understanding Our Users
After brainstorming and scoping out the project’s purpose, we decided to focus our user demographics on the following:
I specifically took charge over research on writers with reading or writing disabilities, identifying the following trends that those with learning disabilities struggled with with traditional writing platforms. Given the lack of time and resources, I mainly focused on reading scientific articles or online testimonials/direct quotes from active dyslexic writers!
For able-bodied demographics, we interviewed n = 6 creative writers who all expressed a passion for creative writing or pursuing it as a career. We found that:
All of these aspiring writers have a passion for creative writing, highly value feedback, and recognize the value of mentor-led workshops.
However, none of them even considered a platform that offers the following resources to them as a choice. There isn’t one readily available.
Comparative Analysis
There are not many well-established writing mentorship platforms in the market. When it comes to writing tools, tools can be scattered all over the place (e.g. Google Doc, FigJam, Google Drive). Mentorship platforms like ADPlist exist, but the information architecture is overwhelming.
IDEATION
Key Features of Workshop
After deep diving into some user research and analyzing what existing platforms have done right, we decided on the following features to include in our beloved Workshop:
I primarily worked on the Accessibility Settings, Collaboration Document, tutorials feature, navigation bar, and branding.
Again, biggest shoutout to my wonderful team: everyone contributed so much to the project and all of these features.
Lo-fi
Before we even got started with the hi-fi wireframes, my team and I kicked off with some lo-fis! I’ve quickly added some below.
Hi-fi
After settling up the lo-fis, we moved onto the hi-fi wireframes! I’ll quickly show the hi-fi wireframes below.
However, please note that not all of the hi-fi wireframes are below and not all of these wireframes were in our final prototype. This is just a glimpse of the work we did!
User testing & iterations
We sat down with some potential users — including the lovely designathon hosts — and had them walk through the app without our guidance, asking them to give feedback along the way.
Workshop ✏️:
The Final Prototype
Curious over our final design? Take a look here.
Onboarding. Before you’re able to use Workshop, we need to know you better first. Add your demographics, interests, and experience.
Tutorial. Not sure what to do? We got you — we’ll walk you through the features we have with you.
Accessibility. It’s our main priority. Change the font size, line spacing, font type to your liking. We can even read it out loud to you — remember, we accommodate you!
Writing Hub & Collaboration Doc. Easily share and access all of your files here — we included both your’s and your peers’! Also, don’t be afraid to work with others. Share and get feedback from your peers and mentors here.
Sessions & Chat. Build your writing network by attending workshops (with an explore page!) and engage in conversations with your peers and mentors.
So... what did I learn?
© 2024 by Lucy Han. Created with this playlist on repeat ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
I’m obsessed with collaboration!!!!! In my previous experiences, I almost always relied on myself when it came to designing. Working with two other (amazing) designers was incredible, and it was so heartwarming for me to see how well we worked and how much we accomplished together. I really feel as if I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all this myself, and we’re still good friends to this day!
Research is a game changer. My previous design experiences didn’t have any emphasis on user research, so being able to deep dive into what users want was very fulfilling to me. Really recognized how important user research was here.
Be realistic about the designs I make. I was too ambitious and proposed a more comprehensive “accessibility” feature for our users — even for blind users (I know, I know)! However, given the time, the task, and the amount of resources we had, I had to stop myself and stay realistic with my ideation process. It was better that way — I was able to focus more on the features that we did stick with.