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The Dope Initiative started as a portfolio project for a UX/UI bootcamp. Since then it has become a passion project where I applied skills and processes that I have learned through my career.
This is an updated case study from my initial portfolio project. You can view that original case study here.
Mobile IOS
UX/UI Designer
As a creative person of color, it was a challenge to connect with like minded individuals. Where can I find others like me who I can share stories and aspirations to collaborate on meaningful projects that celebrate my individuality and our collective identity? This need inspired the creation of the Dope Initiative – a platform dedicated to bringing creative people of color together, enabling exploration and discovery to form meaningful relationships and create impactful work.
As the sole UX/UI designer, I conducted comprehensive research, developed strategies, and designed a mobile app that enabled users to search for and connect with others.
My research began with an analysis of industry trends and standards. I also conducted user interviews. The data collected provided me with valuable insights to develop user personas, tasks, and workflows.
Using my insights, I created prototypes for user testing to refine design and submit for development.
The initial project lacked a design system, so for the updated version, I adopted the Material Design System to ensure ease of use and scalability. I developed a fresh and bright color palette along with sleek typography. Additionally, I designed screens for both like and dark modes to enhance user experience across different settings.
For this project, I revisited old interview notes and prioritization maps to strategize ways to incorporate feedback into the updated version. By reviewing previous data, I made revisions to previous user flows and implemented new features.
Leveraging my knowledge from real-world projects, I updated the UI to be inline with industry standards. I focused on ensuring the design was development ready by doing internal QAs and user testing to validate my designs.
In order to demonstrate new seamless flows and interactions I updated the prototypes. This included effectively redesigning the home screen with valid search criteria and a robust search field, enabling users to easily find other users.
I improved the bookmarking feature, allowing users to bookmark and remove projects as needed. Additionally, I implemented several “nice to have” features from my original prioritization list, enhancing overall interactive and engaging user experience.
Reflecting on my initial project, I’ve recognized significant growth as my skills as a UX/UI designer. What I initially considered a solid project has been assessed allowing me to identify my weaknesses to find ways of improvement.
In my next steps, I plan to reconnect with the individuals who initially tested the project to get their feedback on the update versions. I also plan to incorporate additional features that are implemented in similar applications.