Minor Project: Final compilation and Reflection

27.9.2024 - 6.1.2025 / Week 1 - Week 16
Adriena Tan Yan Zi / 0351236 / BA of Design (HONS) in Creative Media
Minor Project 

---

Lectures 

Week 1: 

We have to form a group and start choosing which client out group would like to take on. We have to ask our client many questions to start figuring out what exactly do they need from us. 

Client 1: TrueXR
1. User experience immersive design 
2. Only producing the concept behind it
3. Develop a concept to demonstrate how that idea would work if we don't possess the necessary skills
4. AR glasses with HAND TRACKING information 
5. Volumetric Video (interactive holographic that involves the gloves and the glasses)(we need to know how the real thing moves and works in order to create this)

Client 2: Expedio design
1. Branding and Messaging Development
2. Website Development & Optimization 
3. Content Marketing 
4, Email Marketing 

Client 3: DAIKIN
1. Produce Design thinking and create branding for Air Purifier
2. Create a sub brand for DAIKIN just for the air purifier
3. Design the concept and prototype for the Air purifier 
4. Cannot disclose any part of this project to anyone

Week 2: 

What is Design thinking?
To empathize with your client's situation and design a prototype that addresses their needs, focusing on making it out in the market and improving sales. 

- Most people are not visionary enough to know what they want from a product or what type of product they want. 

- Establish empathy. Connect with your client's or customers' story. Put ourselves in their shoes. 
- Define a problem statement. Characteristic of a person, their needs and insights. Who, what, where and why. 
- Brainstorm meaningful solutions. Practice letting loose, no idea is too crazy.
- Prototype. Inexpensive, consider what you will need, staff, time and money. 
- Testing. improve, scrap, tweak these existing ideas. 

 

Users' Desirability
Tech Feasibility
Business Vitality 

Empathy in action 
Creating personas an effective way to focus on your user and ensure that you are designing for the top needs. 

What do you need to do?
Prepare interview questions for the selected groups member.
write down exactly what they say, what we think they might mean
What you hear is only one thing. Be sure to observe their body language. 

Week 3: 
We learned about how to create user persona anf how we can apply it to this project. 

---

Instructions 

---

Minor project reflection

Task 1: Project Proposal
Task 2: Devise and produce design management protocols relevant with industry practice
Task 3: Produce the final presentation of the proposed solution to a panel of reviewers

Week 2: 
First thing first we started with contextual research to try to grasp our client's need and the market's research. Then we were asked to research on empathy, accompanied by analytical reports on product or service functionality and effectiveness, technical innovations and challenges, as well as aesthetics and design appreciation, is essential to support our new project proposal. The proposed solution must address the identified needs uncovered through our research on the target audience.

Our group picked the Expedio's X-board project consisting 7 members from different specialisation. 

Group 5 - X-BOARD IDEA SPACE 

• Janice Marie Eng Chia Hui [UI/UX] (Group leader) 
• Chan Wan Qing [DA]
• Adriena Tan Yan Zi [DA] 
• Jordan Axel [UI/UX]
• Celeste Low Ly-Ven [UI/UX]
  
• Caitlin Ong Lynn Dee [GD]
• Dow Jia Zheng [ED]

Overview: 
The ultimate tool for creatives who thrive on visual thinking and dynamic collaboration. Its sleek, mobile whiteboard design allows you to capture ideas, brainstorm freely, and share concepts effortlessly—anytime, anywhere. Whether you're sketching out your next big project or problem-solving with your team, the X-Board empowers you to stay flexible, creative, and productive in any workspace.

Problem to solve:
In today’s fast-paced and flexible work environments, collaboration and dynamic idea-sharing are key to productivity. However, traditional meeting tools such as fixed whiteboards and stationary presentation systems limit movement, interaction, and creativity. Teams need adaptable, mobile solutions to foster collaboration, brainstorming, and effective communication across different workspaces and formats.

1. Contextual Research 

Our group initiated contextual research on the company and its specific requirements. The team leader organized the research into various sections and assigned each section to different members. My responsibility, along with Wanqing, was to investigate the brand's direct and indirect competitors. We successfully completed our research and provided a summarized version for easier comprehension.

After finishing our contextual research, we allow sir to check and appprove of our infor we've collected so far then we moved on to coming up with questions we needed to collected the required information from our target audience. 

Then we showed it to sir and he commented that we need are lacking information and that we should do more research before approaching the interview questions again. 

After he approved of our  extra information he advice us to make some necessary changes and altered as well as finalised the questions according to his comments. He also refined some questions for us when we send in for him to check. 

2. Client meeting  

This week, we had another meeting with the client to clarify additional details and discuss the desired output product. We explored their expectations regarding brand identity, brand values, and product specifics. Additionally, they provided us with some brand references for further guidance.

meeting notes (9/10/2024)

With clarified questions, we gained a clearer understanding of how to proceed with the next steps based on the ideas we already have.

3. Data Collection

We first sketch out the questions we were going to inclde in the google form.

Questionnaire

After completing it, we shoed it to Mike to let him check of there's any refinement needed with the proposed user personas. He went through the questions and poited out the ones that he deemded not as effective to collect data then asked us to refine it. We refined it accordingly and let him do a final check before finalising everything. 

Then we finalised everything and put it into the google form dividing them into sections. 

Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuFlSbdw0Lfhnup3JdjKI3krNicdw0CZj-_EvuORO5EhrGSQ/closedform

After analyzing the collected data, we organized it into different sections and then consolidated it into a comprehensive summary. This approach made the overall information easier to understand and helped us identify the needs and challenges faced by our target audience more effectively.

However after we shoed this to Mike, he commented that we didnt have enough information to move on to the next step so we needed to conduct another thorough face to face interview with one representitive from each of our target audience. 

4. Insights, Problem statement and How might we

Using the additional data collected from the online interview conducted by Celeste, we moved forward with insights discovery, problem statements, and “how might we” questions. Together, we identified the issues our target audience is facing and categorized them into common themes to streamline the ideation process later. From the identified issues, we selected a few and grouped them under the main categories to determine the key themes for our project. Unsure of our findings, we shared our progress with Mike, who reviewed and approved it. He also helped by formulating the insight statements for us.

Top 5 Ideas

Ideas categorising

Key themes

Insight statements

Problem statement 

How might we

5. Ideation 

Based on the the statements that we've decided above, we move on to trying to find the design direction of the brand. We gathered around was asked each of us to first find viual references before we start design the key visuals.

Branding examples by adriena

Website examples by adriena

Social media feed example by adriena

Email marketing example by adriena

Reel example by adriena

We were also tasked with developing the key visuals aligned with the design direction, as each of us has different ideas. I was assigned the responsibility of selecting the color palette, choosing the font, and creating the moodboard before we move forward with finalizing the design direction.

Presentation by Adriena Tan

Ultimately, we established our design direction and logo based on the key visuals developed by Jordan and Caitlin then finalized them collaboratively.

Final Task 1: Project Proposal

Minor Project Presentation by Celeste Low

Task 2 &3

Customer Journey Map 

Following project 1, our next step is to develop the customer journey map based on the strategies proposed by our teammates for each stage.

Before finalizing the plan and content, we engaged in discussions and made adjustments as necessary to ensure the most efficient approach to delivering outcomes that effectively address our target audience's needs. Once everything was finalized, the group leader developed an advertising and promotional plan timeline outlining the schedule for each of our deliverables.

Subsequently, our group leader assigned specific deliverables to each team member, with Wanqing and me tasked to work on the social media feed and posts. To begin, we conducted online research to gather visual references and align on a shared design aesthetic.

Visual reference board by Adriena & Wanqing

Social Media Plan (1) - Social Media posts sketching (week 11-12)

I started with sketching the social media posts according to the art direction Caitlin set for us.

Art direction by catilin

X-board logo post

X-board logo showcase posts sketch by adriena

Issues and challenges faced when using whiteboard post

issues and challenges posts sketch by adriena 

Website live post

website live posts sketch by adriena

Product teaser post

Product teaser posts sketch by adriena

Booking a showroom post 

showroom post sketch by adriena

Q&A story post

Q&A Post sketch by adriena

 

user generated content digitalised sketch post by adriena

Social Media Plan (2) -Digitalising Social Media posts in Adobe Illustrator (week 11-12)

AI workspace

Final digitalised social media posts

Issues and challenges

 

 

posts by adriena

Issues and challenges

Product launch post by adriena

Book a Visit post

 

 

showroom post by adriena

User generated content post 

Story/ highlight post 

Self pick-up option available

Q&A story & highlight

User generated content story post

Unfortunately, the social media posts I designed were not used in the end, as Janice preferred to redesign them herself due to dissatisfaction with the initial version. We ultimately proceeded with her final design instead as sir preferred hers when we consulted on week 12. 

Final social media posts design by janice

Creating the mockups

Photoshop mockup workspace

Final Instagram post moskups 

Final reel mockup by adriena

Final story mockup by adriena

Final feed mockup by adriena

By now, our other teammates are also finishing up their parts for the execution as well. 

Final submission 

our execution:

• E-mail marketing 
• Website 
• Social Media 

Final presentation slide 

G5 (Expedio) Final Presentation by Janice Eng

Final submission link

 

 

---

Feedback 

Week 2:
Please frame questions in a polite and thoughtful manner, refining them to minimize unnecessary work. Where appropriate, include examples or research to provide context and justification. At this stage, focus solely on gathering information rather than proposing solutions, and avoid questions related to solving the X-Board, as we currently lack sufficient data on the audience's preferences.

Week 3:
The user personas can be categorized as follows:
1. Corporate Office Workers: Consider whether this category will include various types of office workers operating in different environments, such as open spaces or private rooms (e.g., cubicles). 
2. Lecturers: This category seems broad, so it may be helpful to specify a particular area or field of expertise. Alternatively, consider rephrasing this category to encompass a broader term, such as "Educators."

Week 5:

Feedbacks on Survey Analysis

A1. Sell the features of the product not hard sell

A2. Functionality - must function as a mobile whiteboard - must serve as a divider

A3. Are they willing to pay for RM400-500, what can they add to the products so that they are willing to pay the price

A4. Create an awareness first, teach them how to use the board, why they need this board

C1. Is the board suitable for large group of people, what is the scenario of these people using x board, how many boards they need; would they want to build a wall for themselves to divide themselves

D1. Go back to Expedio, what is the largest size they can customise

Week 10:

Website: Design landing page with keywords for the SEO, make an incentive for them to book a demo

Social Media: Advertisements (which post will be the ad/how many ads and how frequent)/sales deals move to the newsletter to keep it exclusive/ for the collaboration issues post separate it to the specific target audience. 

Blog: Awareness 

Social Media: Countdown for something climatic only, try to make it more

Demo: Plan out the physical demo based on the how might we/ follow up demo requested by people/booth 

Email: Demo Follow up, remind them on what was discussed in the demo

Week 12:
The art direction should align with our chosen keywords, so consider identifying an alternative word that can replace "awareness" for visualization purposes. Based on the brand identities and values, we need to select relevant keywords and explain why each was chosen. The art direction should then be developed in accordance with these keywords. Stock videos can be used for the reels, eliminating the need for original footage. Additionally, consider modeling the X-board to avoid the need for shooting, taking pictures, and editing them yourself.

---

Reflection 

Week 1:
This week we got in class and we were required to form a group of 7-8 from each specialisation if we could manage to find them. Other than forming a group, we were being briefed on the different projects offered by the client and that we needed to choose one between them. Our group went for the Expedio project as we feel that’s best fit the skill set our groupmates possessed. 

Week 2:

During the second week, we had a lecture on design thinking, which included several video examples demonstrating its application. Additionally, our group began the contextual research on the company and its specific requests. The team leader divided the research into different sections and assigned each part to different members. My task, along with Wanqing, was to research the brand's direct and indirect competitors. We completed our research and even summarised it for easier reading. Furthermore, our group had a meeting with the Expedio team and I found it quite useful to double confirm and acquire information on what the client needed from us and obtain information we need for the following progress. 

Week 3:

This week, we compiled the summarised contextual research and cross-checked it with the information gathered during our meeting with the Expedio team. After verifying the details, we proceeded to fill in the empathy map to better understand the client’s objectives and requirements. We also began creating user personas to narrow down the target audience for our data collection, which we submitted to the lecturer for review. Additionally, Wanqing and I drafted survey questions and shared them with the lecturer for feedback.

Week 4: 

This week, we finalised the questions and got the lecturer’s approval. It came back with that we had to make a few changes to the phrasing of the questions as some of them seemed to be a play on words according to the feedback. After the questions are finalised, we categorise the questions into sections customised to each of the user personas so that the questions stays relevant. Then, we were asked to send out the form to the people we know within the user personas of corporate decision-makers, agile workspaces and creative teams to collect the respective data and document each person we sent out in a table made by Janice to keep track of the total sent out forms.

Week 5: 

In week 5, Janice, Wanqing and I analysed the collected data. We had to analyse the data in different sections like demographics, whiteboard usage and issues, preferences and about the X-board. After summarising those, we also had to summarise them overall and come up with the final summary that concludes the common feedback to identify the common issues our consumers are having. In class we showed what we collected and summarised to Mike but he commented that the collected data had holes that the existing data was not able to cover as it was not detailed enough. We were advised to carry out another data collection to cover these holes so we decided to do an online interview with 1 person from each category. 

Week 6:

With the additional data collected from the online interview carried out by Celeste, we are to proceed to work on insights discoveries, problem statements and how might we. All of us worked on listing out the issues we think our target audience are facing and tried to split them into the main common categories so that we can sort them out later on when we reach the categories of ideas part. Based on the issue we identified from the collected data, we picked out a few and placed them under the main common categories so that we can move onto deeming the key themes of our project. We were not sure of our finds so we sent the progress to Mike and got his approval, he also came up with the insight statements for us. 

Week 7: 

With the insight discoveries and the key themes finalised, we move on to creating key visuals and start developing the brand identity. We needed to determine the brand direction, colour palette, brand font, brand logos and some of the graphical elements for the brand. We also needed to finalise our proposal slide with all the new visuals that we came up with. We struggled to find the brand direction as we feel like everyone in group constantly has different brand impression approaches in mind but things went smoother when Janice decided to only let 2 person in our group to decide on the brand identity design and ask them to experiment and come up with the logo and graphical elements and the rest of us just developed out delegated parts accordingly. 

Week 9: 

In Week 9, we collaborated online to develop the customer journey map. Our task was to determine the actions to include in each stage of the map: Discovery/Awareness, Registration, Onboarding and First Use, and Sharing. For each stage, we needed to decide on the type of content to release. 

Janice got a head start by outlining the basic content and then worked on the details, including the launch and design timeline for each post. Before diving into the specifics, we needed to identify and analyze the needs and challenges of our customers to ensure the content aligns with their lifestyle and remains relevant.

Week 10:

After finishing and finalising the customer journey map, we moved on to discuss the initial advertising and promotional plan in the order of what we are required to do each week that we estimate the whole pre-launch, during launch and post launch would require about 8 weeks to be complete. This is also where we start specifying what type of contents we want to include throughout the social media and decide on which format would each content be impactful. Then in class, we were delegated in groups to look for our design references in order to start thinking about our art direction. Wanqing and I were in charge of finding references for social media and the layout for each specific content that we’re supposed to do. At the end, Janice requested Caitlin to start planning the art direction as she is a graphic design student and she had a more in-depth knowledge of how it should look before we move on to the next step. 

Week 11:

This week, we were asked to start sketching on the layout of the social media posts as delegated. I was supposed to work on each of the social media posts and wanqing work on the reels. For each of the posts, I tried to make variations of layouts so we can explore which one is more cohesive with each other and with the rest of the email marketing, website and reels as well so that the visual appearance of our content stays consistent. I tried to design the sketches according to the art direction made by Caitlin as well as the reference that we found last week. We were told to finish the layout by next week while the process and outcome was recorded in our Miro board. Then receiving the copywriting I started digitising the posts that had been sketched out. 

Week 12:

This week, we had a meeting to check on our progress from last week and I got feedback that the sketches look fine for now. We also had Mike to check our progress and he commented that we should finalise our key visuals and make sure the keywords we use are related to our key visuals, so we needed to come up and rationalise some of them. Then, we had a meeting later that week to discuss that not all the content we wanted to include is necessary for the final prototype so we decided to add and remove some of the contents. With the new decided posts, I waited to finish the copywriting part, then I got started on sketching out new sketches for the new content which was recorded in miro and started to rework some of the digitalise some of the post according to my teammates feedback. 

Week 13:

For week 13, I continued digitising the social media posts and was told that my designs for social media were not very consistent once again and got multiple feedback from the group leader to change it. I listened to their advice and tried making the necessary changes but despite all the changes in the end the group leader decided it’s still best for me to send her my working files and she tried to rework them which then Mike approved. Before the weekend, Janice asked me to redesign the show for your X-board story based on the approved social media posts which I then sent to her for approval before inserting into the slide.  

Week 14: 
For the final week, we worked on finishing the presentation slide. We were also delegated to fill in different parts of the project tracking document and we also had to upload our designs and work into the google drive. We had one last meeting and I was told to make the social media mockup for the posts that were approved and so I went online to find free mockups psd file and edited them. After I’m done, I upload the final designs to the slide.