YoungExplorer
Designing a mobile app to spark creativity and self-exploration of children.
UI/UX Design, 2023 Spring | Duration: 1 month | Solo Project
BACKGROUND
It is a create a mobile brand expression for the Children’s Museum of Denver. The mobile is a key invitation for educators and families to bring the children to attend the activities held by the Museum. Visual components are key branding conveyed in the user experience.
Project Overview
The graphic elements are surprisingly hidden in each page, the more children explore, the more rewarding fragments they will get. An interaction system that invites children to gain hands-on exploration via kid-powered learning. Providing the kids with joyful and inspiring elements is the brand’s pursuit.
Figma, PhotoShop, Illustrator
Tools
4 weeks
UI/UX Design, Wireframing, Prototyping
Time
Skills
CONTEXT
Children’s Museum of Denver currently only possesses a website and the client wants to expand the influence of “Kid-Powered Learning”.
Therefore, I compared two competitors organizing various events for the kids and concluded the most standing values of the Children’s Museum.
A Safe & Inspiring Digital Interface
Keywords
Creative, Inventive, Joy
Increase educators, children’s parents, and caregivers’ trust in the children’s museum. Improve young kids’ understanding via interactive visual elements and clear information structure.
GOALS
UNDERSTAND
Brand Analysis
Information Structure
After analyzing the existing visual features from the brand book, three sections need to be emphasized.
Compelling Activities
Neutral and Welcomed Components
ACCORDING TO CREATIVE BELIEF
How might we invite discovery, spark creativity, and promote exploratory learning?
IDEATION
Lovely Graphic Patterns
Urge children to gain hands-on experience on their own.
Open Door to the Kids
Provide open-ended activities and let the children feel engaged in the learning process.
Given the current layout of our app's information structure, users are finding it challenging to locate various features within the dispersed drop-down menu. Therefore, I propose a new navigation bar for the mobile application, which is compact and intuitive.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
WIREFRAMING & HIGH-FI ITERATION
Different from the website, the mobile app ought to address event schedule tracking and member support, which is a simplified version to browse.
To convey a cheerful, attractive, and uniform visual style, the focus is placed on the paper scraps derived from the bird origami, which serves as our logo.
COMPONENT EXPLORATION
I was inspired by the hands-on experience like interacting with tools and toys for the young kids, so I chose building blocks as the navigation bar elements in a chunky style, aiming to prompt kids to click and explore more details and events they feel interested in from their self-motivation.
Icon Development
FINAL ICON
Default Color
Active Color
FINAL DESIGN
Splash Screen
Warm Welcome
Spark Creativity
Home Page
Small surprise hidden in between the gaps encourage children to explore more.
Different colors suggests various programs.
Event Page
Provide scientific and creative tools for kids to perceive the world with their senses.
Invite children to experience the excitement of discoveries.
About Page
Strengthen the creative brief with an interactive pinwheel.
Harmonious colors indicate a comfortable environment for kids to explore.
Donate Page
The varied colors symbolizes the belief that everyone can support children's diverse and individual growth paths.
SUCCESS METRICS
Optimize Information Architecture
Design System
Style Tile
A system for bridging young children's curiosity and excitement to the world.
REFLECTION
The experience of incorporating a variety of bright colors on a canvas while also achieving a balance in visual elements has been immensely fulfilling. I deeply appreciate the constructive feedback and critiques from my peers in the design community. This journey of exploration and learning has been truly valuable.
Color Balance
The component concept of the paper piece is inspired by origami. I intend to concentrate on exploring origami's possibilities in a two-dimensional framework. In upcoming experiments, I plan to integrate animation to test how well it pairs with mobile applications, particularly in creating three-dimensional visual effects.