HOUR OFF
Carson Talty
I am an aspiring UX/UI designer with a passion for accessible design and mobile interfaces. Through my work, I hope to build designs that are carefully curated with a genuine understanding for the users and their wants/needs. In a quickly evolving industry, I hope to make an impact through design ethics and humane design that serves people best.
Hour Off
Hour Off is a conceptual iPhone application designed to combat excessive smartphone usage among adolescents and young people. Through extensive research and planning, this app also serves to raise awareness to the psychological dangers of social media and its subtle, yet powerful manipulation tactics.
Partly inspired by Netlfix’s The Social Dilemma, this project highlights an emerging ethics issue in the design world. Our time is often so consumed by our smartphones, yet we see this as normal and a standard part of our everyday lives. The truth is that apps, particularly social media platforms, are designed to consume as much of people’s time as possible. And they do a great job. My app and corresponding case study serves as a potential stepping stone for a real solution by sharing my findings to raise awareness to the subject.
There are four main goals for the app:
Make people aware of their habits
Educate people about screen-time and social media tactics
Encourage people to focus on what matters in their lives
Incentivize people to take breaks from their devices
The app is in no way designed to tell people to delete social media and stay off their phones. Rather, it’s centered in productivity and focuses on building better habits.
My Process
Initially, I did a lot of research so I could truly define the problem at hand, which I could then use to delve into the specifics. Once I had a grasp of the issue(s) I was able to figure out how I wanted my app to function, what central message it should tell, and what purposes it would theoretically serve. Early in this process I looked at apps that might be similar to what I wanted to achieve to see what they were doing wrong. None of these apps even consisted of a true educational component that raises awareness about the problems I wanted to bring light to. I quickly realized that my app would not mirror any of these platforms and I should take a completely different route. Based on a design that is not flashy, I wanted my app to act more as a simple tool rather than a time-eating “look at me” platform. These thoughts allowed me to have a clear vision of a potential design once I sat down to start the wire-framing process.
The app was designed fully in Adobe XD, as I was able to create a functional and interactive prototype that could be shareable. With the use of the auto-animate feature I was able to create smooth and efficient transitions with various scroll bars. One of my main challenges was staying on course with a simplistic design and not being flashy with the intention of producing a “wow factor”. Regardless, I aimed for a clean design that maximizes user efficiency and gets to the point.
LINK TO FULL PROJECT: https://carsontalty.myportfolio.com/hour-off-designing-for-excessive-smartphone-usage
Take a look at my final prototype below: