How did I come to design a timesheet app for an art store?

I designed this app as part of the Google UX design professional certificate course and it is my first UX design.

Google let the participants of the course use a randomizer to pick the type of app we wanted to design and I landed on a timesheet app that would be used in a small independent arts and crafts store, which is perfect because I love to make art and I love independent art stores!

So, without further ado, here is the project.

Overview

1. Target Audience

2. Key Features

3. Design Process

4. Reflections and Further Improvements

1. Target Audience

An independent art store is not just a place where art supplies and materials are sold, but also a vibrant space where local artists can showcase and sell their work. The primary goals of the store owner include:

Promoting Local Artists: Creating a vibrant and inclusive art community where artists can thrive.
Offering Unique and High-Quality Art Supplies: Providing art supplies that are not available in larger stores, ensuring a distinctive shopping experience.
Creating an Inviting Atmosphere: Making the art store a warm and inspiring space where artists and art lovers feel welcome. The store often hosts workshops and offers personalized recommendations and advice.

To achieve these goals, the owner and their staff need to be friendly, knowledgeable about different art styles, mediums, and techniques, and able to provide expert assistance to shoppers. The in-person shopping experience must surpass that of online retailers and large chain stores to ensure the business's success. However, the small independent art store cannot afford a large surplus of employees due to cost constraints. Therefore, efficient time management of employees is crucial, freeing up the owner's time for other responsibilities such as marketing and networking.

The key challenge the app needs to address is that the owner's strengths lie in art and creativity, not in inventory and administration. They need an easy and intuitive software solution to manage their staff effectively. Additionally, the app needs to be aesthetically pleasing to appeal to the art-loving users and encourage them to use it over more utilitarian competitors.

2. Key features

For the timesheet app, I conducted a competitive analysis of 10 existing time-tracking apps to identify the most relevant features for my target audience. After thorough analysis, I focused on the following features that best meet the needs of the independent art store's staff and management:

Time Tracking (Manual and Automatic): Employees can log their work hours in real-time or manually enter them later, ensuring flexibility and accuracy in time management.
Reporting and Analytics: Managers can generate comprehensive reports on work hours, overtime, and project allocations to ensure accurate payroll and resource management.
Timesheet Approvals: A streamlined process for managers to review and approve timesheets, reducing administrative overhead and ensuring accuracy.
Integration with Calendars and Other Apps: Seamless integration with calendars and other applications, such as accounting software, to enhance workflow efficiency and accuracy.
Notifications and Reminders: Automated notifications and reminders for upcoming shifts, pending timesheet approvals, and important deadlines, keeping everyone informed and on track.
Data Backup and Synchronization: Secure data backup and synchronization across devices, ensuring that information is always accessible and protected.

Additionally, considering the sensitive nature of timesheet data, security and privacy were prioritized to ensure the protection of personal information.

These features were carefully selected to address the specific needs and pain points of the art store's employees and management, making the app an indispensable tool for efficient time management and payroll processing.

3. Design Process

Research and Ideation

The design process began with comprehensive research to understand the unique needs and pain points of the target audience. I conducted user interviews and surveys with art store employees and managers to gather insights into their current time-tracking methods and challenges. This research informed the initial feature set and design direction.

Competitive Analysis

To ensure the app offered the best possible features, I performed a competitive analysis of 10 existing time-tracking apps. This analysis helped identify the most valuable features for the user group, ensuring the app met their specific needs and outperformed existing solutions.

Wireframing and Prototyping

Based on the research findings and competitive analysis, I created low-fidelity wireframes to outline the basic layout and functionality of the app. These wireframes were iteratively refined into high-fidelity interactive prototypes using tools like Figma. The prototypes were essential for user testing, allowing for early feedback and continuous improvement.

User Personas and Journey Mapping

I developed detailed user personas representing different types of employees and managers within the art store. Each persona highlighted specific needs, goals, and frustrations related to time tracking and shift management. Additionally, I created user journey maps to visualize the steps each persona would take to accomplish tasks within the app. This helped identify potential pain points and opportunities for enhancing the user experience.

Usability Testing

Usability testing was conducted with a diverse group of users, including part-time employees, full-time staff, and managers. The feedback from these sessions was invaluable in refining the app’s design and ensuring it was intuitive and user-friendly. Key improvements were made based on this feedback to enhance the overall user experience.

Accessibility

Ensuring the app was accessible to all users was a top priority. I followed WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to make the app usable for people with disabilities. Key accessibility features included:

Color Contrast: Ensured sufficient contrast between text and background for readability.
Text Size: Provided adjustable text sizes to accommodate users with visual impairments.

Design Thinking Methodology

Throughout the project, I adhered to the design thinking methodology, which involves five key stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. This iterative process ensured that the app was developed with a deep understanding of user needs and allowed for continuous refinement based on user feedback.

Conclusion

The design process for the timesheet app was thorough and user-centered, ensuring that the final product effectively addressed the needs of the independent art store's employees and management. By incorporating extensive research, competitive analysis, iterative prototyping, and usability testing, the app was designed to be an intuitive, efficient, and valuable tool for managing time and resources.

4. Reflections and Future Improvements

Working on the timesheet app for an independent art store was an invaluable experience that highlighted the strength of my background as an executive assistant. This previous role allowed me to quickly understand the business challenges the store owner faced, enabling me to design a solution that truly met their needs. My ability to empathize with users came naturally, thanks to my experience in anticipating and addressing the needs of executives and their teams.

However, this project also made me aware of areas for improvement, particularly in my design skills. Recognizing this, I am now enrolling in additional design-focused courses to enhance my abilities and bring even greater value to future projects.

Throughout this project, I gained significant experience in wireframing and prototyping. I deepened my understanding of the design thinking process, particularly the importance of empathy in creating user-centered designs. This iterative approach, which involves continuous testing and refinement, proved essential in developing a practical and user-friendly app.

Balancing this project with writing my bachelor thesis was challenging, but it was also immensely rewarding. I looked forward to working on the app every day, relishing the opportunity to create something tangible that could be tested and improved upon. This project allowed me to combine analytical and creative work, crafting a product from scratch that I could proudly showcase.

Ultimately, this project reinforced my passion for UX design. It demonstrated the profound impact thoughtful design can have on users' lives and solidified my commitment to honing my skills further. I am eager to continue learning and growing in this field, with the goal of creating even more beautiful, functional, and user-centric products in the future.