Ombre was designed, developed and released as part of my final year project titled ‘Ombre: A Mobile Application for iOS and Apple Watch with focus on UX/UI Design’
Role Product owner, lead designer and lead developer
Team Solo run project
Process Concept to release
Tools Xcode, Sketch, InVision, Balsamiq
Project duration 9 months
Project Overview
Empower users to feel safe while travelling alone
Explore the design challenges for users who are under stress or in danger
Challenge
Approach
Discovery I undertook extensive research of the problem space including a competitor analysis, user interviews and research into the technologies capabilities and limitations.
Design I used Balsamic to create a wireframe prototype which was tested with users and iterated upon. The apps UI design was created using Sketch and closely followed Apple’s User Interface Design Guidelines.
Development I used Objective C and Xcode to create Ombre. Ombre used Cocoa Pods to implement the navigation structure (LGSemiModalNavController) and custom popup alerts (SCAlertView-ObjectiveC ). It also used location services, push notifications and Watch Connectivity to share data between the iOS app and the Apple Watch
Testing I held formal testing with participants on the application before it was released which included supervised use of the application and questionnaires. It received a score of 83 on the SUS scale.
Image Description: Three images that display the progression of the Ombre home screen. The first is a basic first concept sketch, the second is a low fidelity prototype and the final is the high fidelity design of the screen.
Results
I received 87% in my final year project which outlined the research, design and development for Ombre. Ombre was released on the App Store in August, 2016. I was asked to represent my university in Thailand at a Senior Project Conference held in King Mongkuts University of Technology, Bangkok.
Image description: Three iPhone screens which, from left to right, display the Place, Home and Account screen from Ombre iOS
Image description: Three Apple Watch screens which, from left to right, display the Start journey, checkin and home screens from Ombre watchOS
Image Description: Image displaying Ombre app running on both apple watch and iPhone alongside the text - ‘Ombre makes going on trips easier and safer. Add friends, custom locations and groups to your adventures’
Image Description: Image of the Ombre app running on iPhone and apple watch alongside the text - ‘Ombre uses message to send your exact location to you friends, only when you ask it to. You are in control of your safety’
Image Description: Image of Ombre application running on iPhone and apple watch alongside the text '- ‘With watchOS, you can check in with your friends subtly, without the need to take out your phone’
When I began full time employment in October 2016, my ability to maintain Ombre to a standard that would be responsible for the safety of users was no longer possible. Due to this, Ombre is no longer available on the App Store.
Image Description: Picture of Emily standing in front of a projected slide describing Ombre as part of a talk given at the Senior Project Conference in Bangkok, Thailand