Cosmos
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The Brief

Design a digital product to explain elements from the periodic table for young people.

Inspiration + Research

To begin this project, I started by researching into the periodic table, as well as looking at existing apps and games relating to the periodic table.

I looked into a number of online games, including ChernyKh's Periodic Table Game, and The Periodic Table on Funbrain. I wrote down what I liked about each game, as well as what I would change if I could. I paid close attention to the way these existing games were designed with the user in mind, and how they used tools and elements to make the app easier for the user to navigate and interact with.

Ideation + User Personas

I began the development of my app with idea generation, during which I created mind-maps, lists and sketches to convey my ideas, and eventually was able to use those to create one, final idea which was strongest - this was an app designed for children which allowed them to travel through space and find elements.

In order to get into a mindset appropriate for this app, I created a series of user personas for children. I deduced what they each required most in a game application, as well as how different conditions and illnesses would affect their ability to play the game.

Wireframing

After mapping out my app, and figuring out how many pages I needed and what needed to be on them, I began sketching out different wireframe designs onto paper. The variety of the many different designs then helped me to see what worked and what didn't on each page, which then allowed me to create a final design of each page, composed of all the best elements I had come up with.

I was also able to work through a series of names, by writing down all the words I could come up with that related to space. Eventually, I landed on the name Cosmos - simple, easy to understand and say, and rememberable.

Branding

The next step in my project allowed me to move to digital design, during which my next task create a definitive branding style for the app, by laying out my colour scheme, as well as designing and creating the app's icon. I wanted the app to be consistent in its use of colours, and purple conveys an air of mystery similar to space, so the purple/pink colour scheme just made sense.

From this point on, I used the app Figma for the design process of my mock-ups and prototyping.

Illustrations

Along with branding, I also needed a set of illustrations for my app - the elements. These would be picked up by the user along the span of their journey. I wanted the whole app to feel consistent, which is why I created my own set of illustrations instead of using photographs as the elements.

I then created a set of screens for when the user finds an element, as well as an info page on each element.

Prototyping

The final step in my design process prototyping, during which I used Figma. This was my first time prototyping, and so I was diving into completely new territory. Most surprisingly to me, I found that I enjoyed this part of the project, and found the challenge and puzzle of prototyping to be exhilarating. It was fun and new, and I can't wait to explore more prototyping as my career in UX flourishes.

Takeaway

As one of my first attempts at prototyping, I was able to create a functioning app tailored towards children. Given more time, I would have been able to create a much more intricate and rewarding game. I like how original my idea was, and especially love the design of the app's elements.