WHAT DEUX YEUX HAVE TEUX DEUX TODAY?
A simple, designy to-do app gets an upgrade.
THE PROBLEM
TeuxDeux is built to be as simple as a pen and paper to-do list, but lacks the functionality of broader applications. Users have voiced the need for better functionality around long-term planning.
TeuxDeux does not allow for a task to exist on both a list and a date. This means that a list of to-do items cannot be dated, and dated to-do's cannot be categorized. In long-term planning, this is an issue.
We designed two, research-based features that would address users’ needs by allowing them to categorize dated tasks, easily visualize those categories on a date or timeline, and set multiple reminders. Our only measure for having solved our problem would be improved usability scoring.
Two levels of iterations and usability testing revealed improved usability from our iterations
HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE
Two weeks:
3 days for research, 3 days for design, 3 for testing and iteration
MAKE OF THE TEAM
KEY GOAL
A doctor, an educator and a program director
Produce user centered and tested design in a high fidelity prototype as a group
MY ROLE
I led research, developed our user interview questions, completed the bulk of initial user interviews, was responsible for usability testing, designed a portion of screens in Sketch along with some iconography and produced the final copy of our user flows.
RESEARCH
With a short sprint, we decided to keep our initial research broad and interview anyone who kept a to-do list, whether in an app or on pen and paper.
Our research included 2 pen and paper users, 2 beginner app users, and 2 pro-app users, one of whom used Teux Deux.
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Our interview questions:
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1. I’d love to hear more about keeping task or to-do lists, can you tell me a little about why doing this is important to you?
2. Could you explain your process of making a task or to-do list to me?
3. What do you like about this process?
4. What are some of the challenges?
5. When do you usually do this and how often?
6. Where are you located when you do this?
7. Who else, if anyone, is involved in this process?
8. How do you synchronize your calendar with your to-do list?
9. What are some things that make your system effective?
10. What makes (or would make) you select a distant, future date for a to-do item?
11. What are some ways you think your to-do process could be improved?
ALL THE STICKIES
Due to time constraints we had to to conduct our affinity mapping in stages and I ended up working on it both solo and together.
SYNTHESIS
Affinity mapping was the first step in processing our qualitative data. We took this information and created two personas.
Here is the list of our user "I-statements" generated from affinity mapping:
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I want my to-do list and calendar together.
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I like to share lists/tasks.
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I want help remembering my tasks.
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I make lists at home.
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I make lists outside of home.
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I would like reminders/notifications.
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I want to categorize tasks.
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I have longterm to-do’s.
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I maintain a separate calendar.
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I want to see multiple days at once.
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I differentiate between work and personal to-do lists.
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The hi-lighted statements are those that had the strongest support and were mentioned most frequently in our user interviews. These are the areas we would focus on when choosing what features to develop.
All of these statements and the commonalities among our interview subjects contributed to our personas, User-Lite and Pro-User.
User-Lite
“It’s hard to keep track of everything. Between book club, groceries, and birthday gifts, there’s so much to remember.”
Goals:
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Keep up with lots of activities
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Remember key events
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Make only one trip to the store
Behaviors:
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Makes and maintains paper task lists
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Uses different app at work to track more complex projects
“There’s a lot going on and I can’t afford to miss a deadline. I’ve got both class and clients, and there are so many deliverables to keep tabs on.”
Goals:
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Keep track of simultaneous projects
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Categorize tasks
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Save time
Behaviors:
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Races from meeting to meeting
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Creates daily and weekly tasks
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Checks tasks daily
Pro-User
FEATURE DEVELOPMENT
We used our research to discuss potential features to build.
Our discussion landed on a few possibilities for features, and we evaluated what we could feasibly produce and test in a little over 1 week.
We started with focusing on the reminder function because it was mentioned by 80% of users, and it would be an easy addition to the app without disrupting its simplicity.
Other possibilities we discussed are shown on the chart below evaluating their feasibiliting, include tagging, calendar syncing, a Gant chart system and a sharing feature.
DESIGN WHILE TESTING
We held a couple 5-minute design studios on the reminder feature. We picked our favorite and decided on a user flow. My team member completed the sketches to load into Marvel POP. I started scheduling usability testing. We were only on day 3.
Everything was going smoothly, and then... one of my teammates wanted to add another feature.
So, we discussed it.
For awhile.
...and went with it!
We discussed the flow, they sketched it and loaded it into Marvel POP.
I completed our first round of usability testing on ten smart phone users that same day with two different features. Overall the testing confirmed that our features as designed were usable, and recommended one small change in the reminder flow that we completed.
We were already on our way to iterate.
REMINDER FUNCTION SKETCHES
TAG FUNCTION SKETCHES
HIGHER FIDELITY
We made a plan for our user flows and divided the screens up for us to design overnight in Sketch.
The next morning, we discussed our flow and screen plan, compared our screens and started moving forward in fixing flaws and inconsistencies. Once we each had fixed the issues on our assigned screens, one of my team members would collect all of them into one Sketch file, review them, export them to Invision and make them functional.
At this point, however, one of our teammates wanted to spend more time perfecting their icon, which would take an unknown period of time. This created some momentary, sub-level tension between my two team members.
Though I was not aware of it at the time, this is where I internally began to respond as my personality type - the mediator - would predict. The tension of not having an agreement added to my stress level.
FINAL TESTING & ITERATIONS
With our production a little behind schedule, I started rescheduling tests when possible, but we had to go to one of our usability tests that evening with the already tested clickable paper prototype, and our Sketch screens only halfway complete.
From this test we acted on the very good feedback to move the position of our tag.
We also learned that the tag itself did not solve their problem, the user needed to be able to easily view in a day what tasks were for what category without having to click a tag.
To solve this, we had another long discussion.
We ultimately decided to change the tags to colored dots.
The HiFi prototype in Sketch, then uploaded to Invision, could now be finished.
Further testing revealed a need to enhance readability of the filter tags function.
Testing also revealed a need to be able to filter tags by clicking the dots and not going through the search flow.
At this point we only had time for one more usability test with a pro-user, which gave early confirmation that our iterations were heading in the right direction.
FINAL FLOWS & FUTURE STATE APP MAP
Reminder Flow
Tag Flow
Future State App Map
LEARNINGS & NEXT STEPS
I learned that I need to be aware of my desire for mediation, to use it only when it is helpful, and to let go of that need and return to the research for evidence for good design solutions.
I learned the importance of activities such as the design studio. We would have experienced less stress and fatigue if we had employed more sketching and less discussion.
Having a communication protocol for when an item is open for discussion or not would be helpful. This would mean for receiving feedback on a design in development, as well as when to allow additional features.
Feedback from my team included that my agility in gathering research was a significant contribution. They reported enjoying how easy I was to talk with and that I brought a friendly vibe to the group. They also said they could rely on me to meaningfully summarize issues at-hand and to provide technical solutions.
Next steps in app development would include adding a calendar syncing function, an early design of what that might look like is shown below.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
