Snapshot

How to Improve the Sharing Experience
This began as a challenge to design an app, or new feature of an existing app, that would improve the experience of communicating and sharing content between people over long distances and multiple timezones.

Thinking Like a User
With some qualitative research, it became clear that people like to share content by group preferences (i.e. close friends, parents, coworkers, etc.) rather than by channel (i.e. text messaging, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.). I decided to design a feature in iOS that would allow users to create custom groups with channel preferences predetermined—giving users the option to share content via groups instead of channels.

Project Type
This was a class project and I performed all of the work.

Timeframe
One week

Discovery

Unexpected Findings
Interviewing people and learning how they use technology to share content revealed some interesting patterns.

Common Sharing Habits of Users

• Everyone I spoke to uses different channels (i.e. Facebook, texting, phone calls, etc.) to communicate different types of content with different social groups

• Different channels are chosen depending on who they intend to share with, and depending on the immediacy of the message or content—some messages require instant feedback while others don't.

• Even when sharing the same information to various groups, the message and channel used must be tailored for the intended recipients.

Design Hypothesis

A New Way to Share
By adding a feature to iOS that allows users to share content, by choosing pre-established and customized social groups created in their mobile device, people could use this time-saving and intuitive feature—in addition to sharing by channel—to connect with friends and family.

Defining the Path
With this feature a user would customize various groups (i.e. close friends, family, parents, etc.), designating which channels to share content through based on how those groups are set up. For example: a user could set up a group of two to three of their closest friends, and then designate which channel(s) to use when sharing content with them—whether it be through texting, Snapchat, Facebook, or any other combination of channels.

Prototype Testing

A Quick Paper Prototype
To test the concept quickly, and with someone other than myself, I sketched out some key wireframes to create a paper prototype and see if the idea had merit.

Moving on to the Mid-Fidelity Prototype
With the feedback I received from the paper prototype, I drew up some mid-fidelity screens to be used for another round of testing. 

The first two screens are nearly identical to the current iOS photo sharing experience—with the exception of the "Share with Group" option. Once in the "Share with Group" environment, testers would be asked to complete the following tasks with the prototype:

• View "Settings" for the group "Mom & Dad".

• Then select the groups "Mom & Dad" and "Close Friends" and then move to the next screen.

• From the final screen, users would be able to add a comment, preview the photo and groups selected, and then select "Share".

Results
Here is what I learned from testing the mid-fidelity prototype:

• Users agreed that this would be a helpful and useful sharing feature of their mobile operating system.

• The flow of the interface seemed to be straightforward, and the users agreed that it was simple to navigate.

• With large hit targets and visual feedback the interface responded well to their input.

• There were some elements that would be helpful do to A/B testing on: where to place the “group edit” button, where to include a brief or quick preview of the contacts included in each group, and possible layout adjustments made on the final screen.

Hi-Fidelity Mockups

Visual Design
To put the finishing touches on this project, I fleshed out some of the key screens with hi-fidelity mockups.

Reflection

What I Learned
Good research means listening for the motivations and reasons people behave a certain way, rather than just taking what they say at face value. Also, there is always room for improvement, a new feature, or a new product. As a UX designer, and a problem solver, I can never assume that something is ever as good as it can get.

Lastly, I believe this solution would make for a very useful iOS feature. Many of us view our social connections in terms of groups (e.g. family, friends, coworkers, etc.), and like to communicate in that way. This feature draws on that natural way of relating to others.

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