• Discovered limited user feedback documented, no analytics or design artifacts existed

• Enabled the product owner, stakeholders, business intelligence, and developers to collaborate with us in real time. This gave us massive time savings

• 10+ major and complex enhancements released in 2 years
• Revealed several pain points in a major feature called the power filter. This global control would filter all the data of every screen, thus allowing users to condense the data into a lens digestible to them
• After redesigning the power filter mostly as a global header compartmentalized element the could be finely tuned on the fly, vs a separate and complex screen, we saw massive improvements in generalized and specific user feedback and time to completion of major goals

• We could now test, and iterate on designs without developing actual coded prototypes, saving hundreds of hours of development time

• Reducing cognitive overload, a major issue with the existing state of the app
• Removing inconsistencies between components and screens in UX and UI

• User confusion as to what they were looking at on any given screen was a major problem in the app. Now there exists a call-able help menu tailored to the screen or component they're interacting with
• Separate documentation accessible through the main menu allowed users and partners to learn the system in a whole new comprehensive space

• Industry standard UX/UI adherence
• Accessibility
• Execution viability on their custom WordPress platform

• Websites I created were exclusively assigned to me
• I'd work within their Atlassian system (Jira) to update the project as it was built

• One of our biggest projects was the vehicle search modules included as the first and dominant element on their homepages. By looking at the heat mapping and interaction metrics from Google Analytics,
  
  We determined that there were two primary user groups with the same goal of locating a vehicle but with different approaches. Some already had an idea of the exact make and model they wanted, while others only had a vague idea.
  
  We implemented and A/B tested variants that allowed drop-down selection for year, make, and model, one that had clickable images indicating make and model (sedan, convertible, SUV, etc.), and a final variant that had both
Screenshots from analytics tools

• Some of these uncaught errors would have heavy consequences for our clients, as some dealers had a three strike limit on OEM compliance violations, with a penalty of losing large amounts of OEM funding

• I’d have users walk me through how they used the system daily and show me any pain points in their user paths
• Designed a few tasks for them to complete so that I could see if my designed user paths aligned with their actual goals

• Custom component UI library developed with HTML, CSS, Sass, JavaScript, and PHP that Phalanx would generate visual assets for the websites, emails, and display ads
• If an asset was highly custom, we would create it from scratch, but Phalanx performed at least 90% of the assets

Phalanx Generated Email

• User experiences and flows
• Features
  • Noticed a lack of robust gamification, which excited us about filling that niche
  • Encouraged repeat app usage by awarding points for completing tasks (with weighted rewards based on the difficulty of the task) and earning badges. This melded well with the friendly writing tone and positive encouragement throughout the app
• Visual language
  • We found that most apps employed a similar visual language, primarily using a clean, minimal aesthetic
• UI patterns

• Adults 19-40 at all different stages of their well-being journeys

• Current well-being apps used
  • Duration of time used
  • Devices used
  • Likes and dislikes
    • We found they had an overall lack of interest in repetitive and “boring” interactions with the applications they were currently using
  • Overall interest in our mission and app's function
  • What they thought their most important positive habits were, why, and how long they engaged in them

View User Testing Script

View User Interview Results

• As gamification introduces complexity into the experience and the app learning process, white-boarding was the best approach, as it is flexible and streamlines the initial design process

• We imagined our app as the torch that accompanied users on their path to self-improvement
  • Incorporated a fire motif into our logo, with the flame resting in the crossed arms of the W, like a fire brazier
  • Wick was a short and catchy name that immediately brought comforting fire to mind
• Chose a font with an earthy, grounded, and rugged feel
• The sans-serif font was modern enough for a self-help app, and resembled fonts used in state park assets and signs, such as on hiking trails
• Feelings of adventure and immersion in nature became our target experience
  • Selected cool greens and blues in contrast to the yellow and orange CTAs to communicate this
  • Illustrated visuals throughout the entire app and iconography related to camping and adventure
• Language decided on as down-to-earth, comforting, and empathetic

View Style Guide

• Provided many valuable insights as having them step through the app and speak their thoughts aloud revealed pain points that we stamped out before the hi-fi prototype, and also revealed new insights or ideas, some of which were incorporated into the final design

• Fleshed out every possible user state identified in our lo-fi prototype testing and brought it to life using our established visual language

• Utilized our existing research group to compare results to an established user base
• All users agreed that they enjoyed the journey format of the app and that they preferred our experience over the other apps they were currently using on their well-being journey

View Adobe XD Prototype