Fall 2018
Case Study & Feature Design
Role : UX Design, iOS Interface, Sketch & InVision Prototype
___________
iOS Photos is sometimes used so we don’t forget an event, date, or information. But we can’t do that well because these photos often get lost in the sea of pictures. In 2018, I worked on investigating and developing a Photos feature which allows iPhone users to organize and distinguish their images. The following year, Apple came out with their Files app to combat this challenge.
User Research
I began by researching this iPhoto flaw by interviewing users. My main objective was to identify how users utilize iOS Photos as a tool for their memory. I was most concerned by how the organization of iPhoto contributes to memory and accessibility. The majority of users:
1. Must actively search to retrieve/access pictures on Photos
2. Take pictures of other media to remember information or dates and deadlines
3. Take these pictures at work or school to: share with others, save for personal archives, and to remember dates
2. Take pictures of other media to remember information or dates and deadlines
3. Take these pictures at work or school to: share with others, save for personal archives, and to remember dates
I gathered screenshots of college student’s camera rolls to see the problem.
Examples of College Student’s Camera Rolls
Originally, I assumed that the photos taken of other media were just for remembering an event, date, or information. Instead, there was a variety for reasons for taking these photos.
People want to more easily locate and organize their pictures of other media, but have a hard time finding the photos they take.
Brainstorming Solutions
We found the Memory, Learning, and Tags all fit under the greater category of Organization. While the others are both important they ultimately could be avenues for better organization and could act as features for organizing Photos.
After ideating through sketches, I created a Scan mode which allows users to specifically denote that this photo is not a personal picture and thus, does not need to be placed into the Camera Roll.
Prototyping
In order to explore the integration of another camera mode, I designed many different access points. This allowed for the comparison of possible access points.
The Entry Points occur in places which seem logical for Photos because it matches the current UI flows which exist for other types of images. The entry points in the medium fidelities above are Scan Mode, Albums, and Camera Roll. I choose to utilize the flows which most closely matched the existing layout design in Photos.
I choose to simplify this complex scan and tagging system into separate interactions:
1. Take a Scan
2. Edit and tag (directly after taking scan)
3. Locate “Scan” Image
4. Add a tag (later on)
5. Sort the Tags
2. Edit and tag (directly after taking scan)
3. Locate “Scan” Image
4. Add a tag (later on)
5. Sort the Tags
Medium-Fidelity Interaction Mockup
Hi-Fi Scans & Tags Mockup
Conclusions
My user testing and prototyping was both, an enjoyable and insightful experience. I was able to speak with people who are familiar with the photo app. I spoke mostly to college students who, I correctly guessed, could relate to the people problem. The majority agreed that it was difficult to find photos from lecture, class, and studying when you need them. My prototype seemed to make sense and fit into the existing design of Photos