OneVoice journal
A way to record journal entries for Christians to reflect on their prayers and bible readings while connecting with others around the world.
Project Overview
Firm Development Foundation is a non-profit organization with a focus on using technology to unite Christians from all over the world.
From the start, we collaborated directly with their team, including their Engineering Manager and Director. Our primary focus throughout this project was to explore how Christians can capture and enrich their daily spiritual reflections and dreams. At the same time, we also took the opportunity to push the boundaries of their existing branding and identity by creating a brand new logo and design system.
With the client’s vision of creating a platform called 'OneVoice Journal,' we brought their idea to life by designing a user-friendly, engaging, and, most importantly, purposeful platform that encourages self-expression and connection.
Timeline
Nov - Feb 2024
4 months
Design Role
UX Research
UI Design
Graphic Design
Tools used
Figma
Miro
UserTesting.com
Adobe Illustrator
Team
2 Designers
6 Developers
1 Product Manager
1 Engineering Manager
01/ Problem Discovery
Christians don’t have a way to share their spiritual reflections and dreams or connect with others who are experiencing similar journeys.
02/ Initial Design Question
How might we design a platform that allows Christians to document their Bible readings and dreams while connecting with others globally?
03/ The Research
Gathering Information
Analysing Market & Competitions
Day One Journal
Daily Journal
Apple Journal
Oniri
Reflectly
Reflection
Our design team conducted a competitive analysis of top-rated journaling apps, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses in areas such as user interface, features, and user experience. Our research highlighted several opportunities for One Voice Journal, such as incorporating prompt features, tagging, filtering, and text customizability. After the competitive analysis, it was clear that there was still a lack of a platform that allowed Christian users to document their reflections and share them publicly.
User Journey Maps
In developing One Voice Journal, we initially considered user journeys and personas for both religious and non-religious users to ensure inclusivity. However, the team and client decided to focus exclusively on Christian users. The focus on this demographic allowed us to create features and content that align with Christian values, enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.
While One Voice Journal is currently tailored for Christian users, the client recognizes the importance of inclusivity and plan to explore features to accommodate non-religious users in the future.
Story Map
Next, based on the research we had conducted, we began to define the components of the app’s key features using a story map.
04/ Design
Developing the branding was an iterative process that took place over several weeks. We developed the colours, branding, and logos for the OneVoice Journal app.
Lo-Fi Wireframes
After completing the research phase, the design team created low-fidelity wireframes to quickly explore and iterate on design ideas. These wireframes allowed us to test various concepts efficiently before moving on to more detailed designs.
Mid-Fi Wireframes
We then created mid-fidelity wireframes to test various color schemes and assess their effectiveness within the design. This process helped us refine the visual hierarchy and ensure that the color choices supported both usability and the Firm Collective brand.
Styling Problem
The client had some preliminary branding in place, but were open to new ideas. After testing the initial background and text colour pairings provided by the client, we found that 4 of them did not meet accessibility requirements.
Solution
For the new brand colours we suggested, we wanted to stay close to the brand’s existing palette while also evoking spirituality and reflection. We therefore landed on a palette with tints and shades of the brand’s existing colours and added the colour purple.
Logo Exploration
We created over 10 different variations of the logo design for OneVoice Journal, and they selected the one that best aligned with the brand's vision.
Testing Colours
Taking the new colours we had selected, we then began exploring ways of implementing them on a couple of initial wireframes. After presenting the options to the client, we selected a version that used a subtle gradient (based on the OneVoice logo), purple accents, and colourful buttons.
Design System
Before progressing to high-fidelity designs, we first needed to define a design direction. We underwent the branding process described above and created the design system shown below:
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Finally, we moved onto high-fidelity designs utilizing the design system and components we created.
05/ User Testing
Conducted 2 rounds of user testing with a total of 15 participants
In the first round, we focused on testing the text entry, tagging, and search functionalities of the app with 5 participants.
In the second round, we tested the audio features and re-tested the items from our initial round to ensure the changes we made had improved the user experience. The second round included 15 participants and they valuable insights into features they appreciated and the areas that required further enhancement.
Round one - 5 partcipants
Positive Takeaways
- Participants found the app easy and intuitive
- Participants enjoyed the text customizability and appreciated all the extra features like adding journal prompts
To Improve
- Participants found it difficult to change the layout of the journal entries because the icons were difficult to differentiate
Round two - 10 particpants
Positives Takeaways
- Participants noted they were impressed by the advance search functionality
- Participants were pleasantly surprised by the ease of creating a voice entry and by the option to edit the auto-generated transcription
- Overall, participants felt the app was easy and intuitive to navigate
To Improve
- Participants found the audio cropping confusing
06/ Iterations
What improvements did we make?
1. Homepage Layout
Based on the feedback from the first round of user testing, we were able to enhance the icons to change the layout of the journal entries on the homepage.
2. Searching Feature
Below is an example of the changes made to the search functionality across 3 rounds of iteration. Many participants were confused filtering journal entries with the first iteration. We then made searching and filtering tags two separate actions instead of within one dialog.
3. UI Text for Deleting Journal Entry and Recording
The updated UI text for both confirmation dialogs now begins with the most important information. It restates the user’s request and explains which journal entry or audio recording is affected. The latest iterations allow users to better understand the effects of their actions.
4. Dialog for Tagging and Sharing
A dialog that separates tasks into two distinct steps—first editing tags and then sharing—simplifies the user experience by breaking down a complex process into manageable segments. This step-by-step approach reduces cognitive load, allowing users to focus on one task at a time without feeling overwhelmed
07/ Solution
Final Design
Change Layout 💫
Users can change the layout of the homepage to compressed or expanded view.
Tag Entries and Find Specific Entries 📔
Users can add tags to their journal entries and search entries by keywords.
Add and Format Text 📄
Users can enter a title and body text and format the text to change its size, add bold/underline/italics/strikethrough, create a bulleted or numbered list, or add highlight.
Record Audio and Edit Transcription 🎙️
Users can record an audio note and trim any unwanted sections. An auto-generated transcription will be available once the audio note is saved. This transcription can be edited to correct any errors.
Prompts 💬
A blank page can be intimidating. Users can get inspiration for what to write with prompts.
08/ Reflection
Next Steps
Throughout the development process, our team and the client collaborated to brainstorm over 10 key features that could significantly enhance the app's functionality and user experience. Some of these exciting future possibilities include:
- Public Entry Sharing: Enabling users to share their journal entries with others, creating a space for meaningful connections and shared experiences across different locations.
- Bible App Integration: Incorporating the YouVersion Bible API to enable users to seamlessly include scripture in their journals.
- AI Integration: Leveraging AI for features like prompt suggestions, advanced journal entry search, theme detection, and providing related scripture to enrich the user's journaling experience. Below are some exploratory designs we created:
