Stitch Niche
Stitch Niche is an application designed to assist with resizing and designing crochet and knitting patterns. Stitch Niche will help those of all skill levels be able to customize their patterns to fit their needs. Stitch Niche is unique because it tackles the difficult task of resizing patterns that often requires a great deal of time and effort to do the calculations. This application hopes to make working on the projects you want to make a little easier!
UX Team Members
- Valarie Mello(https://usabilityengineering.github.io/ux-journal-ValarieMello/) - Competitive Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation, Scenarios, wireframes, prototype, and Personas
- Steven Thao(https://usabilityengineering.github.io/ux-journal-StevenThao21/) - Sketches, Competitive Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation, Scenarios, and Personas
User-Centered Design Artifacts
Phase I: Analyzing Users, Competitors, and Initial Designs
Executive Summary
This first report covers the research methods and results from the UX team’s contributions to the first sprint in the Development of Stitch Niche. This first sprint focuses on the user being able to resize a rectangular pattern for both crochet and knitting.
Three Main Goals of MVP:
- Create/Resize rectangle knitting pattern.
- Create/Resize rectangle crochet pattern.
- Have a help feature/guide for the users of Stitch Niche.
Competitive Analysis:
- The UX team researched 5 competitors.
- None had all the desired features of stitch niche.
- Determined there is a high need for a way to resize crochet/knitting patterns.
Heuristic Evaluation:
- Analyzed one of the competitors from the competitive analysis, Stitch Fiddle.
- Identified strengths and weaknesses in design conventions
- Analysis revealed that there is a strong need for a simple UI that is easy to follow and learn.
User Stories and Personas:
- Developed personas about the potential users of Stitch Niche.
- Created stories that helped identify needed/desired features in the application.
Sketches:
- Designed sketches for the MVP of the spirit.
- Designs incorporated the 3 main goals of the MVP.
- Sketches can be built upon to incorporate later features as development progresses.
Full phase I report
Phase II: Refining interaction and designing wireframes
Executive Summary
This second report covers the research methods and results from the UX team’s contributions to the second sprint in the Development of Stitch Niche. This second sprint focuses on implementing additional pattern shapes and features to the application.
Three Main Goals of MVP:
- Angled patterns for knitting and crochet.
- Ball and circular pattern for crochet.
- Pattern visualization.
- Carryover goal: Have a help feature/guide for the users of Stitch Niche.
Informal Feedback:
- Software Engineering team performed a demonstration of Stitch Niche application.
- Demo was performed for Software Engineering class (n = 65).
- Provided feedback to the software engineering team.
- Emphasis on needing a help feature and proper labeling.
Cognitive Walkthrough:
- External evaluation was performed by 3 other UX classmates.
- Evaluate if users can accomplish goals.
- Was based on personas and scenarios created in Phase 1.
- Wireframes were used as the basis for the walkthrough.
- Wireframes were clear and led to successful walkthroughs
Wireframes:
- Visual diagram that outlines the structure and layout of the application.
- Visualize the flow of the application.
- Were used sed to perform cognitive walkthrough.
Full phase II report
Phase III: Prototypes and User Testing
Executive Summary
In the third sprint, the Stitch Niche UX team focused on creating a functioning prototype that would be used in a User Test to gather information about the application’s current state and indicate if there are areas in need of change or improvement.
Artifacts
Various artifacts were created in order to lead to a successful user test guaranteeing us the most accurate and consistent data .
Prototype:
- Based on wireframes and mockups.
- High fidelity design that was used in the User Test. Demonstrated various features of the application.
IRB documentation:
- Testing protocol was drafted in order to gather consistent feedback from users.
- Protocol contained a list of tasks and questions for participants.
- Information was recorded by the moderator of the session.
- Informed consent was drafted to inform participants of risks and what their contribution to the study entailed.
User Testing
User testing was conducted with a group of volunteers in order to gather feedback about the application.
The Stitch Niche Prototype was very well received.
The design was very easy for users to follow and interact with.
User Test participants heavily desired some sort of Visualization for their patterns amongst other features discussed in the full report.
Full phase III report