Cell Interactive Course
The task was to develop an interactive course that could captivate the bright, bustling minds of junior high students. They're not little kids anymore, nor teenagers in high school. They're in between – a curious, quirky, and interesting cohort for which to create an app.
Process
At first, I asked AI for help to find out what these students like and dislike, but the answers didn't quite hit the mark. So, I went straight to the source—real middle schoolers in our neighborhood!
Observations: I watched what students did after school. Some played sports; others were glued to their phones.
Surveys: I asked their parents to fill out surveys but only got a few back.
Interviews: The best insights came from chatting directly with the kids with parental permission.
Problem Solving
Using tools like Figma and AI generators, I learned new techniques, such as auto layout, which were crucial in developing interactive prototypes.
Interactive Features: The app included flip cards for learning cell organelles, clickable diagrams for cell functions, and a quiz to reinforce learning.
User Testing: Continuous testing was vital. I discovered that our cell explorers got lost due to confusing navigation and dissatisfaction with the color scheme. This feedback prompted iterative redesigns to improve user engagement.
Final Product
The final product featured a mix of educational content and interactive elements designed to make learning about cell biology engaging and memorable. Key features included:
Flip Cards: Comparing cell organelles with elements from Harry Potter.
Interactive Quiz: Using AI to generate questions based on the course material.
User-Centric Design: Constant adjustments to the interface based on direct feedback from the target audience.
Conclusion
The project highlighted the importance of early and continuous user engagement and the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on AI. AI is a great tool that speeds up the design process, and learning how to use it is vital in these times. This project has left me with more experience in Adobe Photoshop, Figma prototyping, and AI generators