Assignment 2
Broad Application Goals
App Name: TrueLink
Description:
TrueLink is a pioneering social platform crafted for individuals who yearn for authentic connections in the digital realm. It embraces a diverse audience, spanning generations and backgrounds, all united by their shared desire for genuine interactions. Whether it's cultivating new friendships, uncovering meaningful relationships, or engaging in unguarded conversations, TrueLink provides a sanctuary where users can authentically be themselves.
Value Proposition:
TrueLink introduces a unique approach to social networking that addresses an unmet user need. By limiting posts to once a day and extending the posting window to fifteen minutes, TrueLink encourages thoughtful, deliberate sharing. TrueLink distinguishes itself by addressing crucial user needs overlooked by current platforms. With its cutting-edge "AI Generation" tool, users gain the ability to have AI craft custom backgrounds, allowing them to express their unique personalities and preferences with a single prompt. Moreover, "RealMotion" introduces a dynamic dimension to profiles, enabling users to share three-second video clips instead of static images, fostering a more genuine connection. By providing a platform where AI reigns, users are liberated from the pressures of constant posting and trying to pick the perfect image. This commitment to genuine creativity revolutionizes online interactions, resulting in more profound and heartfelt relationships in the digital realm.
Brainstorming concept ideas:
- Reflective Journaling: A private space for users to record their thoughts, reflections, and experiences.
- Emotion Tracker: A tool allowing users to track and share their current emotional state, promoting empathy and understanding.
- Creative Showcase: A space for users to display and discuss their creative works, whether it be art, writing, or music.
- Anonymous Venting Space: Allows users to share thoughts or feelings anonymously, providing a cathartic outlet.
- Daily Challenges: Offers users small tasks or prompts to inspire creativity or personal growth.
- Authentic Time Capsules: Users can create and store multimedia memories to be unlocked at a later date.
- Dreamscape Explorer: Allows users to create and share their dreams and aspirations through visual collages and descriptions.
- Daily Mindful Moments: Offers daily prompts for users to practice mindfulness or gratitude.
- Artistic Expression Gallery: A space for users to showcase their TrueLink AI art.
- Gratitude Journal: Users can record daily moments of gratitude to foster a positive outlook.
- TrueTalk Podcasts: Users can record and share short, authentic audio clips on various topics.
- Collaborative Storytelling: A feature where users can collectively create and contribute to unique narratives.
- Life Mosaic Timeline: Users can create a dynamic timeline of their life events, reflections, and aspirations with TrueLink AI generated images.
- Digital Wellness Check-ins: Encourages users to practice self-care and take creative breaks with TrueLink.
- Multi-format Storytelling: Enables users to share their experiences through AI generated images/videos.
VSD Analysis
Reflective Journaling:
Criterion: Stakeholders- Variation in Human Ability
Prompt: How might your app account for and accommodate variation in physical abilities?
Observation: Users with limited vision may find it challenging to use the journaling feature effectively.
Design Response: Implement voice-to-text functionality to accommodate users with limited vision, ensuring they can comfortably journal using speech.
Emotion Tracker:
Criterion: Time - Long-Term Health and Well-Being
Prompt: How might interactions with your app on a daily basis influence health and well-being? Reflect upon 3-5 likely ways in which your app influences health and well-being after years of use
Observation: Users who regularly utilize the Emotion Tracker report an enhanced ability to regulate their moods and respond more effectively to emotional challenges. The Emotion Tracker could empower users to become more aware of their emotional states and provides a platform for self-reflection and growth. The Emotion Tracker could also encourage users to communicate and share their emotional experiences with others, leading to deeper and more empathetic connections with friends and loved ones.
Design Response: Implement a feature that offers personalized insights and suggestions based on the user's tracked emotions, fostering emotional intelligence and well-being.
Creative Showcase:
Criterion: Stakeholders - Changing Hands
Prompt: Imagine a specific challenge an individual might face when wanting to shift ownership. What might make this challenging currently, and what features in your app might make this process smoother?
Observation: If the original creator's information or attribution is tied to showcased content, a change in ownership might lead to a loss of proper credit, potentially causing confusion or disputes regarding authorship.
Design Response: Introduce a feature that allows users to easily transfer ownership of showcased content, ensuring seamless transitions when accounts change hands.
Anonymous Venting Space:
Criterion: Stakeholders- Non-Targeted Use
Prompt: Who might use your app for unplanned or nefarious purposes? In what ways might they do so?
Observation: Some users might misuse this space for cyberbullying or spreading negativity.
Design Response: Implement an AI-driven content moderation system to detect and filter out harmful or inappropriate content, ensuring a safer and more positive environment.
Daily Challenges:
Criterion: Values - Community, Expression, Trust
Prompt: Often systems are intentionally designed to support specific values (e.g., to facilitate community, to protect privacy, or to enhance trust). Deliberate on and then designate three primary values you app ideally would support.
Observation: Daily challenges present a unique opportunity within TrueLink to not only engage users but also to actively foster a sense of community, encourage self-expression, and build trust. By crafting challenges that encourage collaborative efforts, group participation, and mutual support, users are more likely to form deeper connections and feel a stronger sense of belonging within the TrueLink community. Additionally, challenges that allow for various forms of expression, including visual, auditory, and written content, empower users to showcase their unique identities, talents, and perspectives.
Design Response: To leverage the potential of daily challenges in promoting community, expression, and trust, TrueLink should implement a multifaceted approach. Firstly, introduce themed challenges that prompt users to collaborate or work together towards a common goal. This could involve tasks that require input from multiple participants, facilitating meaningful interactions. Secondly, expand the challenge formats to accommodate diverse forms of expression, such as visual art, audio recordings, or written narratives. This not only provides users with a versatile platform for self-expression but also encourages creativity and authenticity. Lastly, integrate a feedback and recognition system where users can acknowledge and appreciate each other's contributions, reinforcing trust and camaraderie within the TrueLink community. This holistic approach to daily challenges not only enhances user engagement but also creates a dynamic and inclusive space where community, expression, and trust flourish.
Dreamscape Explorer
Criterion: Pervasivness - Diverse Geographies
Prompt: Enumerate 2-3 diverse geographies. For each geographic setting, consider ways in which your app has or could be adapted to better fit that environment.
Observation: TrueLink's Dreamscape Explorer feature, which allows users to create and share their dreams and aspirations through visual collages and descriptions, may have varying levels of relevance and resonance in different geographic settings. Cultural interpretations of dreams and aspirations may differ significantly, potentially influencing the way users engage with this feature based on their geographical location.
Japan:
Observation: Japanese culture highly values politeness, respect, and harmony. Users in Japan may prefer communication platforms that facilitate courteous and considerate interactions.
Design Response: Integrate features that encourage respectful and courteous communication, such as predefined polite responses or expressions. Provide localized content and prompts that align with Japanese cultural norms, fostering a more comfortable and culturally appropriate user experience.
India:
Observation: India is a diverse country with multiple languages and cultural traditions. Users may appreciate platforms that offer multilingual support and content diversity.
Design Response: Implement multilingual support to accommodate users who speak various Indian languages. Allow users to customize their language preferences for a more personalized experience. Curate content and challenges that resonate with the rich tapestry of Indian cultures and traditions.
United States:
Observation: The U.S. is a culturally diverse nation with a strong emphasis on individualism and freedom of expression. Users may value platforms that allow for unique self-presentation and freedom of speech.
Design Response: Prioritize features that enable individualized self-expression, such as customizable profiles, themes, and multimedia content. Implement content moderation policies that balance free expression with responsible platform use, ensuring a respectful and inclusive environment for all users.
Authentic Time Capsule:
Criterion: Time - Long Term Health and Wellbeing
Prompt: How might interactions with your app on a daily basis influence health and well-being?
Observations:
Limited Engagement: Some users may find it challenging to remember to engage with their time capsules, resulting in underutilization of this feature.
Loss of Interest: Over time, users may lose interest in their older time capsules, potentially leading to a decline in the feature's popularity.
Design Responses: Reminders and Notifications: Implement a reminder system that prompts users to revisit and engage with their time capsules. This can be tailored to the user's preference, allowing them to set their own reminder frequency.
Revisiting and Reviving: Introduce a "Time Capsule Revisit" feature that randomly surfaces one of the user's older capsules, sparking nostalgic moments and rekindling interest.
Artistic Expression Gallery:
Criterion: Values- Value Tensions
Prompt: How do users experience the influence of a system on their values? Might the use of your app have any positive or negative effects on values that are important to you? Are there particular features that are aligned (or unaligned) with your values? Why, or how so?
Observation: A surge in user-generated content could potentially lead to an overwhelming gallery experience, making it difficult for users to discover and appreciate individual pieces.
Design Response: Introduce curated showcases or featured sections within the gallery, highlighting exceptional or noteworthy works to provide users with a more focused and curated viewing experience.
Life Mosaic Timeline
Criterion: Values - Value Tensions
Observation: Users may have reservations about sharing personal life events and reflections on a public platform, potentially leading to hesitancy in using this feature.
Design Response: Provide users with granular control over the visibility of their timeline, allowing them to selectively share moments or keep certain events private.
Concepts
Photo/Video
Purpose: Enables users to share visual moments and experiences with their network.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can capture photos/videos from their device, add captions or descriptions, and haven an option to retake the photo/video.
Post
Purpose: Allows users to share with friends what they're doing in the moment via photo/video
Operational Principle (OP): After posting, user will then be able to see all of their friends posts, otherwise they cant see their friends' posts.
Profile
Purpose: Represents an individual's digital identity, showcasing their information, posts, and activity.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can customize their profile with a profile picture, cover photo, bio, and other personal information. They can also view and manage their posts, friends, and activity history.
FriendList
Purpose: Allows users to manage and organize their connections on the platform.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can send or accept friend requests, categorize friends into lists (e.g., close friends, acquaintances), and control the visibility of their content based on friend groups.
Memories
Purpose: Acts as a digital memory repository for users to revisit and reflect on past moments.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can save posts, photos, and videos to their Memories section, organize them by date or theme, and revisit them at any time.
Reaction
Purpose: Provides users with a range of emotive responses to content, allowing for quick expressions of sentiment.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can react to posts with a selection of emoticons (e.g., like, love, haha, wow, sad, angry) to convey their immediate feelings.
Comment
Purpose: Facilitates discussions and interactions around posts and content.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can leave comments on posts, reply to existing comments, mention other users, and engage in conversations within the comment section.
Settings
Purpose: Empowers users to customize their app experience, privacy, and account preferences.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can access a settings menu where they can adjust privacy settings, notification preferences, language settings, and other account-related configurations.
Feed
Purpose: Presents a curated stream of content from the user's network, ensuring they stay updated with relevant posts.
Operational Principle (OP): Users see a chronological curated feed of posts from their friends.
ImageGenerator
Purpose: Allows users to create personalized AI-generated images for the photo they take.
Operational Principle (OP): Users can access the AI Image Generator tool, input preferences or prompts, and receive unique generated backgrounds for their newly-taken photo.
User
Purpose: Represents an individual registered within the platform, allowing them to engage with the application's features and content.
Operational Principle (OP): Users create an account with unique credentials, providing access to features like posting, interacting with content, connecting with others, and personalizing their profile. They have control over their account settings, privacy preferences, and content visibility.
Dependence Diagram
Sketching Concept UIs
