Omar Osama | Product Designer

Some of VoxRec’s customers complained about not being able to handle their notes properly, which led them to cancel their subscription and move to other -very basic- recording apps.

By interviewing some of these users, we found that most of them were college students and they shared an inconvenient experience in recording their studying notes. Later, we conducted research to get more insights about helpful features they usually need.

Process

For this problem, I decided to run a solo design sprint so we could get more insights easily and quickly.

Timeline

Day 0 - Understand

Pre-sprint Research

Set outsider

Day 1 - Define

Problems defining (HMW)

Provided features research

Send surveys overnight

Day 2 - Decide

Develop relevant solutions for problems provided

Prepare surveys to scope the problems

Rapid Information Architecture

Day 3 - Decide / Prototype

Read through results

Day 4 - Visuals Test

Build visuals and prepare for testing

DAY 0 - UNDERSTAND

Preparing solo design sprint

To be able to get ready for a solo design sprint I got help from some references of Laura Eiche on these types of design sprints.

Small pre-sprint research

Before starting I got some help from my friends at college to understand what they get through to make proper studying notes as well as listing to them. I got a very good insight into the effort and the collaboration they makeover these files.

we use any app recorder that can pause and continue

Taking studying notes using records could be hard at first

We share records with each other especially at exam times

It’s very annoying when you have to listen to nonsense chatters between important info.

Get more into details to accurately know what problems our users are facing and where we can do the most help.

What they say?

what they do?

Who are they?

What they need to do?

what they see?

They’re in the campus studying for their exams

They’re in their classes taking notes

They’re in library trying to focus while listing to study notes

They’re listening to last minute notes before exam

They’re asking questions

They’re talking to their devices to mark important information with their voice

They sometimes make chatters with their colleagues

They look at notes, records, and books.

They have so much to distract their sight

They look at their phones, laptobs, board, and books in the same time

They need to record notes with ease

One place to go where their written and recorded notes are

More control over their records, easy reach, easy share

Relevant automation that makes their recording experience easier

College students who use recorded studying notes in their studying

They're either studying or recording in the lectures

They usually move from writing to recording and back all the time

Recording and listing with ease

College students with very busy hands

Studying, Taking notes, listening, and trying to focus

Asking questions and talking to their devices and each other

Notes, Books, Teachers and phones

Pains

They fear to lose records and notes before exams

They can’t get the right notes for a lecture

Get focused on one place while studying

Fear of not starting the record in time

Storage ends while recording

Having embarrassing voices in the records they’re going to share

Can’t document music guidelines in music lectures

Set an outsider to exchange ideas with

On day 0 I called one of my friends who is a CS student and discussed the problem with him.

Gladly he agreed to have a daily discussion with me for the following 4 days to exchange ideas and make sure together of the progress in the right path.

DAY 1 - DEFINE

How Might We...?

HMW Eliminate the possibility of losing important recordings?

HMW Make it easier and quicker to navigate to the right recordings?

HMW Make sure they only record the needed notes and at the right time?

HMW Use less storage while eliminating the possibility of stopping a record because of a storage problem?

HMW Give them more control over what to share?

HMW Let them have all the documents in one place?

Features they’re usually using

Trim recorded files
Allows you to use a waveform to edit your recorded files.

Choose Audio quality
Allows you to choose the audio quality of a recording so you can control your storage.

Import records
Allows you to import voice files from other apps/cloud services.

Add notes
Allows you to add notes while and/or after making a record. (a text note).

Pause and continue
Allows you to pause while recording and continue from where you paused.

Password protection
Allows you to create a protected folder where you can securely save some important records.

Overwrite
Allows you to select a specific area of your record to overwrite it.

Take snips
Allows you to take snips from records and share or save them as separate files.

DAY 2 - DECIDE

Problems and Solutions

HMW Eliminate the possibility of losing important recordings?

Export
Allows you to export your recorded files to Any app, device and/or Dropbox, iCloud, G-Drive and E-mail.

Import Recordings
Allows you to import voice files from other apps/cloud services.

HMW Make it easier and quicker to navigate to the right recordings?

Tagging and Categorizing
Allows you to add tags to your recorded files like: Work, Meetings, Shopping…etc . And also group your recorded files in folders.

HMW Make sure they only record the needed notes and on the right time?

Record with ease
Access direct recording from a widget. Have record button everywhere in the app.

Skip silence
Automatically trimming silence from your records.

Overwrite
Allows you to select a specific area of your record to overwrite it.

Pause and continue
Allows you to pause while recording and continue from where you paused.

Apple Watch compatibility
Allows you to record from Apple Watch.

HMW Use less storage while eliminating the possibility of stopping a record because of a storage problem?

Choose Audio quality
Allows you to choose audio quality of a recording so you can control your storage.

Skip silence
Automatically trimming silence from your records.

Overwrite
Allows you to select a specific area of your record to overwrite it.

Pause and continue
Allows you to pause while recording and continue from where you paused.

HMW Give them more control over what to share?

Trim recorded files
Allows you to use a waveform to edit your recorded files

Take snips
Allows you to take snips from records and share or save them as separate files

Overwrite
Allows you to select a specific area of your record to overwrite it.

Pause and continue
Allows you to pause while recording and continue from where you paused.

HMW Let them have all the documents in one place

Add notes
Allows you to add notes while and/or after making a record. (a text note).

Metronome
Allows you to hear a metronome while recording with an option to include.

Surveys

Survey goal: Assess the most valuable features that we may include in our final solution.

Survey strategy:

Get to know the contributor.

Categorize the contributors' groups into two sections: Listeners, Recorders.

Get an insight into how much a contributor do listen or record.

Weight their answers based on the group(1) and frequency of making actions(2).

Personal Question

Value: Age, Work

How much of a Listener?

Features Survey

How much of a Recorder?

Recording Behavior

Examples of how this survey works:

Hello, My name is Ahmed, I’m 30yo, Working as a CEO

Dismissed

Hello, My name is Noura, I’m 23yo, I’m a Student

I’m more of a Listener student who gets recorded files from their colleagues. But I don’t listen a lot

Listener

Low weight answers

Hello, My name is Ola, I’m 26yo, I’m a Student

I like to record my own studying notes, I have no problem sharing them with my friends later. I record way too much records and keep them organized for exams

Recorder

High weight answers

Snips from the survey:

Survey using Google Forms

DAY 3 - DECIDE / PROTOTYPE

To-implement solutions based on survey...

= Include in Beta

= Less important (later)

= Dismiss

Export
Allows you to export your recorded files to Any app, device and/or Dropbox, iCloud, G-Drive and E-mail.

Import Recordings
Allows you to import voice files from other apps/cloud services.

Record with ease
Access direct recording from a widget. Have record button everywhere in the app.

Pause and continue
Allows you to pause while recording and continue from where you paused.

Apple Watch compatibility
Allows you to record from Apple Watch.

Trim recorded files
Allows you to use a waveform to edit your recorded files

Add notes
Allows you to add notes while and/or after making a record. (a text note).

Tagging and Categorizing
Allows you to add tags to your recorded files like: Work, Meetings, Shopping…etc . And also group your recorded files in folders.

Skip silence
Automatically trimming silence from your records.

Overwrite
Allows you to select a specific area of your record to overwrite it.

Choose Audio quality
Allows you to choose audio quality of a recording so you can control your storage.

Take snips
Allows you to take snips from records and share or save them as separate files

Metronome
Allows you to hear a metronome while recording with an option to include.

Information Architecture (IA)

Entry Point

Main Functionality

Splash Screen

Widgets

Onboarding

Recordings (Home)