CASE STUDY
DoDone - Organization App
In today’s world, everyone has their own method for organizing their life—whether it’s jotting tasks down on paper, asking Alexa for reminders, texting a partner, or using an app. The ultimate goal of all these methods is to save time.
Time Management – Life Management.
I collaborated with a team of four friends on this project, where my primary focus was on product design. In addition to designing, I was deeply involved in organizing meetings, brainstorming ideas, and conducting research. I developed both low and high-fidelity screens, finalized the design, and made key edits to our app. We followed a structured process, as outlined below.
We invested significant time in studying and understanding the common challenges people face when planning their daily, weekly, or monthly schedules. It was crucial for us to grasp the amount of information that needs to be considered and the various tasks and events that require attention. Our team also needed to comprehend how people manage their time and assess their productivity.
Research:
Our team conducted quantitative research to identify patterns in how users solve problems. We employed empathy-driven insights by administering a 10-question survey through Survey Monkey. Our goal was to understand a typical day in the lives of our users, uncover their frustrations with task management, and explore the methods they use to remember tasks. The survey group consisted of 37 participants, ranging in age from 19 to 69 years old.
Results:
The survey revealed that 57% of participants still rely on paper lists, while only 38% use digital tools. This data indicates a significant number of people don’t use their phones to manage errands. Interestingly, most participants spent little time planning their errands and often felt inefficient in completing them.
These findings highlighted a clear need for a more efficient and simple way for users to track their tasks. We recognized that our audience is diverse, making it essential to further explore their pain points and desires to create a solution that truly meets their needs.
With these survey results in mind, we conducted personal interviews to dive deeper into user behaviors and challenges. A few key insights emerged:
- “One thing I don’t find helpful about navigation when running errands is that it doesn’t tell me when I’m done.”
- “If it’s not on a list, I forget about it, but my wife can’t get the list to me before I leave work.”
- “When running errands, I value money the most—gas, time, and price all equal money.”
These insights helped us focus on the critical factors that users consider when managing tasks, guiding the next steps in our research.
“Busy working people need a way to remember and accomplish tasks in the fewest steps possible in order to save time and money.”
Based on the interview insights, we crafted a clear problem statement and proceeded to analyze existing tools in the market. We examined seven popular applications to understand how they addressed user needs, managed tasks, and navigated their features.
Findings:
- Most popular apps focused on basic functions such as calendar management, task details, and general organization.
- However, features like errand navigation, task collaboration, and gamification were notably absent.
Discoveries:
- Applications tend to excel either as task trackers or errand navigators.
- The effectiveness of managing time and completing tasks is significantly influenced by the user’s location.
We developed “How Might We” and “Point of View Statements” based on the insights from our research. A significant finding from our interviews was that people run errands between one and five times a week, often without time to plan, leading to stress. Many users rely on memory or paper lists to manage their tasks.
The data gathered enabled us to create detailed user personas, which guided our product design. We identified essential features for our product and pinpointed areas for improving existing solutions. Key features we focused on include:
MAPPING A LIST OF TASKS:
Parents need real-time navigation to efficiently manage errands and get their kids to activities on time.
TASK SHARING / ASSIGN:
Commuting parents need real-time errands from their spouse to handle household chores during their drive.
TASK ACHIEVEMENTS:
Young professionals seek a way to track and showcase their progress in completing tasks, boosting their competitive edge.
TIME/MONEY EFFICIENCY:
Budget-conscious parents need to optimize gas and time to maximize their monthly income.
Possible Solutions Based on User Needs:
- Track and validate time spent on tasks.
- Generate reports on time allocation.
- Centralize to-do lists, time tracking, and constraints.
- Enable task prioritization.
- Simplify task addition and list search.
Product Features & Benefits:
- Calendar
- Task Categories
- Daily Task Checklist
- In-Route Task Preview
- Task Assignment & Sharing
- Achievement Tracking
The core concept of the product is DOing tasks and getting them DONE. This is how the name of the product DoDone was born.
From initial sketches to low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes, I categorized users into three groups: New Users, Current Users, and Users Managing Shared Tasks. User flows guided the key steps, such as enabling task creation and importing tasks from other apps. This required adding a “permissions” step for accessing data on users’ devices.
Based on workflow wireframes, I developed rough sketches to explore visual concepts and impressions. Key elements included:
- Bottom menu with a Call to Action (CTA)
- CTA on every main page
- Top navigation with additional links
- Option to return to the previous page
- Permission boxes
Design
For the design system, I focused on creating a clean, modern, and practical style. It was essential to ensure simplicity and functionality while providing users with customizable themes for different moods and day/night settings.
Design evolution and progress:
I refined the look and feel with a new graphic language that enhanced our ideas. The app now displays necessary locations directly on the map, adjusting routes based on real-time data such as traffic, priorities, and store hours.
Our main screens were “Create a New Task” and “Import From App” for integrating data from other applications. I designed these screens with a minimalist approach, using large elements to ensure an intuitive and smooth user experience.
We began testing with printed wireframes, and initial feedback led us to implement voice activation. Many users, especially while on the go, found it challenging to plan tasks, update lists, or manage schedules manually. Feedback highlighted the need for voice support to facilitate task management during trips.
- “Commuters need to adjust their routes on the map to adapt quickly to traffic changes.”
- “Busy commuters need a voice-activated method to update errands or appointments while driving safely.”
We initially tested printed wireframes and received feedback that led us to integrate a voice activation feature. Many users expressed the challenge of planning, adding tasks, or finding free time while on the go. The feedback emphasized the need for hands-free task management during trips.
While evaluating splash pages, we identified a potential for monetization and decided to include an additional user group. The new user story is:
“As a local shop owner, I want to advertise to nearby users so I can attract customers in my area.”
Testing
In the initial round of testing with eight participants from diverse age groups and professions, we observed the following:
- Older participants frequently skipped the video tutorial, whereas younger users showed a preference for it.
- All participants successfully created tasks using the app.
- A few users found the term “import” confusing.
fter incorporating feedback and making necessary updates, we conducted a second round of testing.
This time, the changes addressed most users’ concerns and resulted in positive feedback. To enhance accessibility, I also introduced a “light color” version of DoDone.
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