APP SKETCHES

I edited this prototype many, many times before coming to this final iteration (seen when clicking on the link above). The purpose of the assignment was to pick a problem and come up with an app to work towards a solution. I chose protests, in relation to recent events, and wanted to figure out a safe way to plan and host racially involved events and protests within your given area.
The beginning of the assignment involved sketching out the screens we wanted to have included in our app design. In doing this, I took a spread of my 8.5" x 11" sketchbook to draft out the screens, process everything, and mark down and develop the little things that are involved in the making of the app. This process actually took me a lot longer than I had expected, being that once you put everything down on paper, you are hit with road blocks and pieces to the puzzle that happen to not fit like you had hoped. The first page involves more notes than anything, and the second page is where I worked on the main aspects of the app (at that time) that I wanted to include in the final prototype.

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A lot changed from the sketch, to the paper prototypes. Here, I used my sketches as reference and began cutting out paper to fit the size of the screen on my phone. From there, I drew the screens I would have in my app onto the small, screen sized sheets of paper. I used spot coloring as a way to persuade the viewer into clicking certain icons, and give more of an incentive to move around the app. I kept my lines as clean as I could, and kept in mind what I learned from previous design courses while working on the prototypes. This process took almost 5 hours to complete, not to mention I added more screens, and altered screens entirely before even touching Adobe Xd.
In the end, I took out the server/discussion aspect of the app, and kept the map, the feed/homepage, the resource page, and the profile page.

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In Adobe Xd, I had bounced around the idea of having a feed to begin with. I wanted to have a social aspect of the app, so people would have a safe space to confess and tell their stories. The feed would give others aa space to share photos from protests they were present in, have mature discussions, and more. In the end, I took out the feed screen.
The page that took the longest to develop was the map. I had to figure out what colors I wanted, what shapes and icons I wanted, wording and font, and little things such as color contrast and a key in the bottom corner. I went through more than one iteration of the map section. This section is definitely one that I feel I need more experience or reference in map making in order to ensure a perfect and polished outcome.
The resource section was one I took quite some time on as well, but that was simply for the fact that there are so many screens involved with this specific feature. I tried my best to remain consistent with each of the resource screen, and am actually satisfied with how they turned out.
The only other page I kept was the profile page. Here, I included subsections for keeping up with events and protests you're tracking, any articles or resources you saved, and any personal and private notes you want to keep for reference. The profile is only accessible to the user, but gives a proper profile feel to it. I also included a settings icon, along with three dots (as seen throughout the app) for elements such as asking for help, more information, or event sharing what you find across other platforms.
Lastly, on the dock I included a "+" icon. This is not for the purpose of posting, anymore, but rather to contribute to the app. I feel as if a part of contribution involves perspective and opening up to the entire community. This can only be done if viewers and professionals alike can contribute information and experiences to this app meant to bring awareness to injustice worldwide. This icon would function similarly to how the Tumblr app used to allow its users to post a note or photo. Here, users can submit a link or send a description of a resource they want to be added to the app. These requests will be brought to the admins of the app, and will be reviewed for liability.

App Prototype