Specialist in User Experience, UI Design, Product Design & User Research
Private Cloud Storage
Mobile App & Desktop App Design
My Role
As the sole UX/UI designer in the company, I led the charge in crafting an exceptional product experience for our private cloud storage, with a special emphasis on:
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Collaborating seamlessly with cross-functional teams, including our client, Apple, to effectively articulate and understand product requirements.
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Skillfully translating the product requirements into tangible designs through the creation of comprehensive wireframes, use flows, prototypes, and adherence to design guidelines.
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Conducting research and incorporating valuable insights into design evolution, leveraging diverse methodologies such as workshops, user interview, usability tests, and competitive analyses.
About the Product
Imagine having a personal private cloud storage solution that not only grants you secure and private access to all your digital files but also provides design excellence. That's precisely what Apollo Cloud offers. In collaboration with Apple and available at Apple Stores, Apollo Cloud received prestigious awards, including the 2018 iF Design and the 2017 Good Design awards.
With the intuitive Apollo Cloud App available on iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows, users can effortlessly share, backup, and sync digital content across multiple devices and platforms. Apollo Cloud also enables users to stream content from up to two IP cameras directly to the apps. This feature allows users to take control of live streams, review day briefs, create clips, and seamlessly share videos.
Apollo Cloud not only prioritises security and privacy but also provides a user-friendly and feature-rich experience across various devices and platforms.
01. Tech Collaboration
Team Shape
We had a very mature global cross-functional team to drive development, comprising experts in firmware, back-end, front-end (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows), marketing, QA, Customer Success, manufacturing, product, and design.
This collaborative synergy allowed us to work seamlessly across disciplines, enabling swift responsiveness to market dynamics. With each team member bringing our expertise to the table, we operated hand-in-hand with a cohesive and agile approach.
OS Specific Design
Drawing on research insights, it was evident that many users accessed our apps across various operating systems to sync and retrieve files. A notable accomplishment of mine was crafting a intuitive user experience that maintained a consistent design language across different OS apps. This also involved leveraging OS-specific native components to provide users with a user-friendly experience tailored to each device.
Working with Engineers
In daily and intensive collaboration with our engineering team, I successfully aligned the design scope with both front-end and back-end developers. Together, we devised design that functioned across different platforms.
Benefiting from the advantage of our company's in-house manufacturing capabilities for hardware, I had the flexibility to relay user needs and adjust hardware specifications to accommodate software upgrades, getting a harmonious integration of hardware and software elements. This collaborative effort both enhanced the user-centred approach and showcased our adaptability and responsiveness to evolving user needs.
02. Product Design
User-Centred Design
I crafted wireframes, prototypes, and UI mockups to streamline our proposition. My approach emphasised open communication, sharing progress, and ensuring alignment. I facilitated regular design review sessions with developers to balance the requirements and create design which resonate with users.
I developed a holistic user flow for the mobile app and desktop utility, providing development teams with a clear understanding of their workloads and timeframes.
Wireframe, Mockup, and Prototype
Created detailed wireframes to illustrate the flow and interaction of every functionality on the mobile app and desktop utility. Employing varying levels of mockups and prototypes, I effectively communicated design solutions to stakeholders.
UI Design
I played a key role in redesigning the mobile and desktop apps interface, implementing a consistent visual language and components across multiple platforms to ensure a unified and polished user experience.
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03. Research Methods
I took a proactive approach to research, aiming not only to meet but exceed the client's expectations while elevating the overall user experience. Here are a few examples of my contributions:
01.
User Interview
Investigated into the needs and pain points of users in the realm of Private Cloud Storage products. This effort resulted in the creation of a persona, aiding in the recruitment of representative participants for research studies.
02.
Data Analysis
Analysed quantitative data obtained from surveys. This analytical process helped to define and verify user behaviours, contributing to the development of a detailed persona.
03.
Stakeholder Workshops
Facilitated workshops involving various teams, including customer success, marketing, and sales. This collaborative effort aimed to gather diverse user feedback, fostering discussions on potential features and scopes for future development.
04.
Competitive Research
Conducted comprehensive research on competitors such as Synology, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, and iOS Photos. This included an exploration of market trends and the latest technologies to enhance our products and functionalities, ensuring we stay ahead in a dynamic landscape.
05.
Usability Test
I conducted a comprehensive usability study that had a significant impact on shaping the iteration of our product. In this study, we invited 19 participants from the United States, Europe, and Taiwan for a 5-week test.
To ensure precision in participant selection, I designed a prescreen questionnaire, filtering through 115 applicants and organising participants into 6 groups based on country and used device. Conducted in the participants' own environments, the weekly tests involved shipping hardware - Apollo Cloud - to each participant.
Every Monday, specific groups in different countries received tasks via Asana and questionnaires through Google Sheets. I reported serious bugs or usability concerns to developers each week. After the 5-week study, I analysed the data, categorising issues into three levels for improvement and exploration.
This pioneering research marked a pivotal moment for the team as it was the first time of systematic synthesis of user feedback and prioritisation. It offered invaluable insights and enhanced the company's research methods as well as enabling evidence-based decision-making.