Synopsis
I worked remotely with a startup company based in Chicago to design and develop a stress-management and constructive thinking app for iOS.
I can't share specific details or display the app publicly until it is released, however I have been given permission to share the app privately in the context of a job interview.
I can't share specific details or display the app publicly until it is released, however I have been given permission to share the app privately in the context of a job interview.
I was responsible for most aspects of the app's creation including; branding, design, copywriting, development, and user testing.
Time Frame: 2018 - 2021
Challenge
Learning Swift & SwiftUI
The biggest challenge I faced in this project was diving back into code and learning a new programming language. Although I have had three years of formal programming training, it had been a while since I had coded on a daily basis.
Solution — Doing Tutorials, Reading Development Books, and Asking for Help
Luckily there is plenty of information available on the web and in books. I focused on doing tutorials to bring me up to speed and I read a few books to get a deeper understanding of the languages I needed to learn.
I simply needed to practice coding again and put in the time to build off of the knowledge I had so I could learn something new.
Another part of learning is asking for help when you need it. Throughout the development process I sought guidance from other iOS developers in various communities to help work through programming problems.
Another part of learning is asking for help when you need it. Throughout the development process I sought guidance from other iOS developers in various communities to help work through programming problems.
What I Learned
Iterative Design
This project more than any other has given me first-hand experience with iterative design. What started as a simple prototype has expanded into a sophisticated and powerful app.
We went through many iterations to make it better and more robust. Several iterations were made based on user testing.
Conducting Formal User Testing
I had the opportunity to conduct several in-person, one-hour long user tests. In these tests I was looking to understand the app's usability, identify pain-points people were experiencing with the app's process, and determine if we had successfully executed on the goals of the app. I also asked some market research questions to help us with determining a pricing model.
Overall, this journey was incredibly insightful and gave me a solid understanding of the full cycle of product development. I would love to show it off to you in a job interview or introductory call.