MaskMe → Case Study
About
MaskMe—a smartphone app for people who need to rent a costume for a party or any other purpose.
Role: UI/UX Design & Branding
Responsibilities: User Research • Wireframing • Usability Test • Visual Design • Prototyping
Timeline: Jan - Feb 2023
Project Type: Mobile App Design & Branding
Tools: Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Cloud
The Process
🔎Discover, ☑️Define, 💡Ideate, 🎨Design
The Problem
Costume and party enthusiasts often face frustration while searching for diverse costume options. They waste time searching the web and visiting multiple stores. They'd love the convenience of choosing a nearby locker for costume pickup.
The Challenge
I needed to help the users to easily search and find costumes for their parties as well as to offer them an easy way to find a location where they would pick the costumes up. The main focus of this project was to create an intuitive UX and UI experience that would help the users achieve their desired outcomes.
I started with a person who needed my help
I needed to define who our end user is, since this was a project with an already defined user persona my task was to extend the research and figure out what our user expects and what they are struggling with in terms of costume exploration and renting.
So I needed to do a couple of things for Elena: To help her find inspiration for parties To make her spend less time finding the costume To create a quick way to pick-up and drop off her costume
Elena also had some frustrations such as: Finding the right costumes Searching for a costume online and in stores for too long Not having any easily accessible ideas on which costume to choose
I had to check who our competition is
After extensive web and app store searches, I discovered a lack of costume rental apps, which was the original strength of the MaskMe app. Most rental websites had outdated designs, unpleasant interfaces, and limited functionality, resulting in a subpar user experience.
So I asked myself, how do we differentiate ourselves from the competition? 🤔
By offering our users the flexibility to rent affordable costumes, which can be easily picked up and returned, the focus is on user experience. This ensures that the intuitive user interface makes the entire process enjoyable.
Wireframes
My goal was to find useful features and components for the home page, helping users achieve their goals. With version 1, I saw the need for a better hierarchy and user interface to improve the user experience. In versions 2 and 3, I gained a clear understanding of user requirements for finding costumes and discovering helpful ideas to meet their needs.
Wireframes - Part 2
I initially intended to include the lockers screen in the navigation bar but decided to integrate it into the rental flow after testing. Through UX testing, I improved the product details screen, offering users the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. The rentals screen assists users in navigating through their current and completed rentals.
Testing, prototyping and iterating
After extensive iterations and testing, I developed user flows and prototypes that greatly improved my understanding of the app's functionality. The transition from wireframing to the initial UI design posed a significant challenge during the UX ideation phase. To overcome this obstacle, I took a step back, invested more time in iterating, and learned the importance of continuous improvement through iteration.
Final Designs
By designing and testing the final UI screens iteratively, I improved the user flow and achieved a modern, cohesive UI identity that caters to the target audience. Applying UX principles, I created an app that not only looks appealing but also operates seamlessly and intuitively, ensuring a positive user experience.
Takeaways & Reflections 💡
Design thinking in UI/UX is a skill that requires a lot of practice.
UI/UX requires patience, iteration, and problem-solving skills.
The focus should be on users and their needs, as well as the business needs.
Working under tight deadlines can be motivating and uncomfortable, but beneficial.
Next Steps 👨🏻💻
In my UI/UX journey, I prioritize learning UX research methods like user interviews to understand user and business needs. I aim to improve my ideation skills, and create better user flows, wireframes, and diverse prototypes. For the MaskMe app, my goal is to design the remaining UI elements, conduct thorough iterations and tests, and ensure a seamless user journey.
This is my first UI/UX project!
I'd appreciate any feedback and support! 🙏🏼
→ Available for freelance projects