This week, our class focused on understanding the importance of showcasing daily UI projects and design work, whether current or past, and how they can help strengthen our portfolios and creative identity. We also took part in a class critique for our current smartwatch app project, which I found really helpful and inspiring, especially seeing how others approached their ideas and designs. In between our lecture, we had the opportunity to make a placement company, Slice. Kyle also introduced our next project, providing an exciting overview of what’s ahead. We had a surprise opportunity to hear from Slice, who spoke about placement opportunities and industry experience, which was really insightful.
This week, we had a critique for our first project, designing a smartwatch application. We were tasked with presenting our current stage of work, whether that was screens, mock-ups, or general development progress. I decided to put together the presentation shown below, which at first I was unsure about. While I felt it looked aesthetically pleasing, I didn’t think my screens were quite up to the standard I wanted yet. However, I did create a brand and logo design that helped support my overall brand identity, including the colour choices and the purpose of the app. I also added a touch of flair to my presentation background by incorporating a tread pattern inspired by tyre marks, which I felt tied in nicely with my brand’s theme and looked far better than using a plain background.
During our class critique, I felt that my presentation went much better than I had anticipated. I was initially unsure about how to present my idea, but overall, it turned out to be a positive experience. Although I didn’t receive as much feedback from my peers as I would’ve liked, I did get really constructive and encouraging feedback from Kyle. He highlighted how well I had presented my work, which I was unsure about since I didn’t want to overdo it and hadn’t completed as many screens as I would have liked. He mentioned that my colour palette and typeface worked really well together, and that the overall layout felt simple, clear, and easy to navigate. One key point of feedback was that my app icon could use further development, as it felt a little basic and rushed, a point with which I agreed. It was helpful to receive some suggestions on how I could improve it visually. Kyle also suggested removing unnecessary features like a settings option, as it took up space and added complexity that wasn’t needed for a smartwatch app. Overall, I found the critique really valuable. It gave me confidence in the strengths of my project while also providing clear areas to refine and improve as I continue developing my smartwatch design.
After our critique session, we were introduced to our next project, which focuses on the **2030 **Agenda for Sustainable Development. Adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, this agenda provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for both people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an urgent global call to action to address challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental protection. Our objective for this project is to explore the SDGs in depth, from the micro packets of information within each goal to the broader global context they contribute to. The project requires us to design a branded home for our version of the SDG, including at least five SDGs aimed at either a 10-year-old audience or adults, and produce a style guide and visual grammar to accompany the brand. The final delivery platform will be a prototype built in Figma. I found the brief to be quite informative but also a little heavy with information at first, meaning I had to reread and take some time to fully understand the task. However, the more I began to grasp it, the more creative and exciting it seemed, a project that offers lots of room for exploration, design thinking, and storytelling through visual design.
To begin our new project, Kyle got us to take part in a class activity known as the Sailboat & ThemeSort Workshop. This exercise helped us start thinking about the Sustainable Development Goals in a more structured and creative way. We each selected a category from the SDGs and then broke it down into key areas, including how it could benefit users, the potential learning outcomes, ways we could support users within those specific areas, and what actions or design decisions would need to be taken. I decided to focus on Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and Goal 14: Life Below Water, as I felt that Goal 10 resonated with me personally and would be an SDG I could connect with more deeply from a design perspective. Goal 14, on the other hand, caught my interest as a way to challenge myself creatively and explore how I could design for a topic I didn’t have much prior knowledge about. For each goal, I broke them down into areas such as user stories, understanding the impact they could have, and how I could communicate and teach these ideas effectively through design. I found the task to be very intuitive and engaging, encouraging me to think outside the box and identify new ways to approach this project. Towards the end of the exercise, Kyle invited us all to come up to the board and match our ideas and thoughts together, which was a great way to see how our interpretations of the SDGs connected as a group.
An additional opportunity we had during this week’s class was a visit from a potential placement company, Slice, a pizza-based platform that focuses on connecting local pizzerias with customers through modern technology and UX-driven design. The session was led by three members of their team: Rick Monroe, Emma Hamilton, and Jasmin Winiarski, who gave us an insightful overview of what Slice does, how the company operates, and the role UX design plays in their process of supporting pizzerias both locally and globally. Emma, in particular, shared her experience as a new designer at Slice, walking us through some of the projects she’s involved in, such as the Owners Portal, a platform accessible via web and app that allows shop owners to manage performance, gain insights, and promote their business more effectively. It was fascinating to see how UX principles are applied within the food industry to enhance user experience and business functionality. We also had the chance to enjoy some pizza with the team afterwards and ask questions based on what we had learned, which made the experience even more engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction and found it surprisingly inspiring. It definitely sparked my interest in applying for a potential placement with Slice in the future.
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This week was really engaging and informative, starting with our smartwatch critique. I wasn’t very confident about my app idea going in, but after receiving positive and constructive feedback, I feel much more motivated to continue developing and finalising my project, Pathway. Beginning our new project based on the Sustainable Development Goals was also enjoyable, though I initially found the brief a bit long and complex. Once I started brainstorming, it became more interesting, and I now have a few ideas I’d like to develop further. To finish the week, I really enjoyed the placement talk from Slice. The company seemed fun, engaging, and inspiring, and it’s definitely opened my interest in exploring similar UX design opportunities for my upcoming placement.
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