Transcend
Take control of the technology use and explore new life experiences
Take control of the technology use and explore new life experiences
Do you ever feel like you'd be lost without your phone, or find it hard to put it down? Are you curious to know what it’s like to be a little less dependent on your phone and a little more in charge of how and when you use it? Transcend provides a fun, simple way to help college students take control of their technology use and explore new life experiences.
Project Management
UX / Visual Design
Competitor Analysis, Interview, Ideation, Persona, Moodboard, UI Flow, Wireframe, Prototype
Jan - June 2015
The app is my capstone project for master degree at UW. In this project, our sponsor is interested in whether there’s an app that could encourage app-enablement while discouraging app-dependence based on the concept proposed in the book “The App Generation."
The project has 2 phases. Phase 1 took place between January and March 2015. It was about project planning and user research. Phase 2 was to implement the design and ship the project. It happened between April and June, and included 2 round of iterations.
I led the team of 3 people, including 1 designer and 2 developers, and was responsible for the experience design of the iOS app. I took charge of the UX work, produced all major deliverables, presented the design concept, and negotiated and confirmed features with the sponsor.
In The App Generation, Howard Gardner and our sponsor Katie Davis, Assistant Professor at UW Information School, argue that digital media technologies open up exciting new opportunities for young people to explore their identities, connect with other people and ideas, and express themselves creatively.
In the book, the authors make the distinction between app-enablement and app-dependence. App-enablement is what we hope to see in all youth: using technology as a gateway to new experiences, relationships, and ideas. App-dependence is what we'd like to avoid: approaching technology uncritically and expecting it to supply the answers to all of life's questions and decisions.
As this kind of app is not a brand-new idea, we did 4 competitor analysis to understand the competition in the market, went through customer reviews on App store and Google Play to identify the strengths and areas for improvement of each app, and built domain knowledge of different ways to stay focused.
You earn and achieve your badges while recording focused time engaged in a range of self-selected activities, challenges, and reflections. Experience a sense of accomplishment by charting your activities and cultivating time management skills. Aim control of your technology use by monitoring your usage hours everyday. Gain personal insight by reflecting on your technology habits. Transcend provides a self-directed method for helping you to shift the balance in your life from app-dependence to app-enablement.
1. Become Self Conscious
Chart activities and play a game that helps stay focused and be aware of technology use behaviors.
2. Gain Personal Insights
Understand the personal habit of using technology through data collection and progress tracking.
3. Build Confidence
Cultivate time management pattern by earning badges and experience a sense of accomplishments.
