Digital Media

I personally really like mobile YouTube. I utilize the application a lot more than I use the website on my computer because I like the navigation technicalities of the mobile app. It is very easy for me to get to new videos of my favorite gamers to my favorite updates on new innovations. I can easily explore new videos with one click and it will narrow it's search based on publishers I've never seen before but post similar content as the one's I'm subscribed to. I have an inbox folder that updates me on the push notifications that occurred (audit log). The layout of the scrolling theme is not bland. In other words, YouTube added stories and ads to interest and grasp the user's attention to keep wanting to scroll or explore new things. Aside from the layout, the format of it is also enticing. The font and graphics they use are very clean and simple (making it very easy to read).

I think the Quizlet app uses  a good form of mobile design. It is easy to use and has many ways to help a person navigate. The website is good but the app basically has the same feel and likeness in comparison. It is a great help when needing to study while away from a computer.

An app I think does mobile design well is ESPN. The mobile app is customized to what sports news you want to see. For an example, I have set it to NBA news, but ESPN also displays top headlines as well. The app colors make the words readable and the app is very simple to use 

I think the app Life360 does mobile design well because can bring your family or friends closer with intelligent features that are designed to protect and also connect you with the people who matter most to you.

Reddit has one of my favorite mobile layouts. You can choose a dark or light theme a lot of the tabs are accessible from the front page. The images that are posted fit the mobile screen and you can watch videos. I think that they have a really good thing going with the design of usability and aesthetics.  

The HouseParty app is a video chat app used by teenagers, my mother, and her boss. It is a simple, easy to use interface. The app has a lock chat feature, that allows the user to keep people from entering the chat, otherwise anyone can join a chat with their friends. It has games such as trivia and heads up. 

I am a huge fan of the Pinterest app. I am probably on there more than tik tok. I think the design of the app works because it is so organized. It really helps users find their saved pins because you have the chance to categorize those pins.

Strava introduces a way for the user to have a combined experience with friends by uploading their workout, ex: distance, where they ran, the time they did It in. It introduces a type of friendly challenge for others to beat friends times or random users who previously completed the same routes that you plan to do.

I believe that Uber has a good mobile interface. Upon opening the app, a map appears with a prompt to enter the location you want to be taken to. There is no fooling around, you are able to open the app and request a ride quickly. The app uses the colors white, which represents innocence, purity, and new beginnings, while black represents luxury, sophistication, strength, and confidence. 

I think an app that has a good mobile design is Venmo. I am not sure if many people have visited Venmo on a desktop or laptop but the experience to me feels much different. The mobile app seems simplified and also makes it easy to pay and get payments quickly since most people don't carry around their laptops.  The menu button at the top left has some features that you might not use every time in the app but could be useful and are still easy to find. The most used payment button at the top right is very easy to search or scan someone else's phone for easy transactions that take less than 30 seconds. The apps colors are light blue and white with black/grey text making it very easy to read. Also the transfer of money from the app into your bank account is as simple as 2 clicks. Also for people who may not be great with technology there is a physical card that you can get. 

I believe PoshMark is an  app that is easy to use and similar to an online thrifting site. I love how you can put in your sizes and those are the first things that show when you start shopping for your desired brand. It is like an organized closet. One thing I believe can be better is if it had an "open" shopping outlet instead of clicking each brand.

I am like addicted to Pinterest on my phone. Right when you open the app it brings you to your "For You" page with images and things that go with what interests you have selected on your profile. At the top there is only 3 tabs, "For You," "Today" and "Following." At the bottom, it has a Pinterest button which just bring you back to the "For You" page, a search button, a notification button and your profile button. The app is beyond simple to use, little kids and old people would have no problem going through the app. On your profile, it separates it by boards and pins making it very easy to manage where you have placed things.

I believe Spotify has a great mobile design. It allows the user to download/like specific music, artists, and albums while creating and/or downloading specific playlists. The app is also self-aware and suggests similar artists/music to the user that they might enjoy. Spotify is also very easy to navigate as it only has a home, search, and library page. 

I think Co-Star has a wonderful mobile design. It's direct, easy to follow, and concise. I love the organization and the hierarchy of information. However, they are still developing the app. I've noticed that certain features pop up and then disappear, and it can be confusing for users. One specific example of this/an improvement that can be made is the saved function. There is no save button anywhere on the app, yet on everyone's profile's there is a saved tab, where you can "tap the save button on any horoscope and come back here to read it later." I'm still looking for the save button. 

The Pinterest mobile app has an interface that is aesthetically pleasing and straightforward, opening with only 4 buttons superimposed on a full-screen home feed. This appeals to the target audience for Pinterest, which is all ages 12+, but a heavy portion are older adults. The home feed learns what the user want to see based on activity and is effective at doing so in my experience. If you like a post, with a few clicks you can create a new "Board" (which is just a photo album with links). Pinterest's most innovative and effective feature is its "Pin it" feature button which allows you to create a Pinterest post of an image on any website and save it to a board. This can be done on the mobile app using the "Share..." feature and clicking "Pin it," without leaving that page. My mom, an interior designer, uses this app for client meetings and when on-site without access to her computer. She and her clients add to a shared private board to create the desired look. The app is effective and efficient on the user side making it easy, enjoyable, and practical, which in turn supports Pinterest's objective of capturing users' attention and increasing activity. 

So yeah.  Been using Zoom for one of the classes.  I like the mobile design for the Zoom app.  It is quite easy to use.  At the top of the app are all of my options with the appropriate images for them.  "New Meeting," "Join," "Schedule," and "Share Screen."  At the bottom of the app are the typical options seen in just about every app.  The simplicity of the design and the overall layout of the Zoom app is pleasing to the eye.  I do think the color of the words for the options at the bottom of the page could be a darker color than the grey it is now.

I think that doist's app Todoist exemplifies mobile design quite well.  It does a good job of stimulating productivity, meanwhile maintaining enough simplicity to avoid becoming overcrowded or distracting.  This is a design I work with on multiple occasions throughout the day and I've not once questioned the effectiveness of the design.  In addition to the general layout and presentation, Todoist also allows you to change its color scheme and manipulate several cosmetic aspects of the app.  I believe this design choice is rooted in the idea that this app works for you, and not the other way around.  If a certain color is distracting or unattractive, giving the user the option to modify the look and feel of their app really helps in the user adoption process.  I have no real critiques for this design, as I feel it works very well for the product.