WiseMind Study App Prototype (UI/UX Design)

A study companion with science-proven study techniques implemented

Here’s how this idea came into fruition:

The Problem

As a large studier, I was unsatisfied with how current study apps were on the Play Store/App Store. Despite being someone who would rather write notes on paper, I wanted to see how I can approach making a good study app. That is to say, I don’t think every note-taking app is bad. It just felt like lots of the apps I’ve seen felt more like cash-grabbers with a bunch of unnecessary features. You often need to subscribe for a membership to use many of these apps, and I see features like currency in a note-taking app, which baffles me.

I eventually got assigned a class project where I had the opportunity to design my own app, and naturally, I decided to tackle this study app idea. How can I make a study app that feels similar to paper note-taking, while at the same time, implementing proven study techniques?

The Solution

Alright, so what things do I want to include in the app, and what things do I want to avoid? Things I want:

  • Easy-to-use text editor so you can type out your notes

  • Notes saved in the cloud - can be used on computers, tablets, and phones

  • Organized layouts: Replicates how students would typically store notes by using folders that you can color

  • Audio notes: You can record lectures or record yourself “teaching” what you learned. This is a study technique that’s been shown to work well!

  • Drawing availability

  • Flash Cards that work with your notes

Things I want to avoid:

  • Obnoxious payments forced at the viewer

  • Blandness

  • Difficulty using on phone

  • Learning methods that don’t work

I started off by creating some persona profiles. What kind of people would be drawn to an app like this?

Here is what I came up with! The app features multiple ways to take notes - whether it be type, drawing, or audio. Notes are organized similarly to real life, you can have multiple folders, and you can see your content from there. The app has cloud saving, so you don’t have to worry about losing your notes, and you also have a built in calendar as well as flash cards that sync with your written notes. The app uses tested study techniques to help the user learn efficiently.

While the app is only a prototype this is definitely an app development project that can pursued in the future!

What I Learned

I had to think through the customer’s experience a lot more than usual for this project. I was able to do effective research on what the study app market needed and apply it, which turned out to be incredibly valuable! It also gave me the opportunity to place my own touch on something I cared about.

Organizing information in a way that’s easy is an essential aspect of being a designer. This app project was full of information organization, so I had to problem solve on how I can make this information very organized. I wanted to avoid frustration for the user, because I realize that notes can be difficult to organize sometimes!

I experimented a bit more with colors I didn’t typically use. Before this project, I generally used less color variety, and tended to use very bland whites and blacks. With this project, I started adding a bit more color to blacks and whites to make it more aesthetic. This is evident from the app’s background color!