The Criticality of UX and UI in Product Development

UX and UI in Product Development

The User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design are crucial phases in any Product Development Process. The UX/UI and Graphic Designers need to have a deep understanding of their target users’ expectations and mindset in order to create an engaging and meaningful User Experience. This combined with a creative and enthusiastic approach, along with research and knowledge about the product and its potential market, is key to designing a successful product.


Let’s break that down into smaller understandable bits:

A System of Visual Design

A system of Visual Design is a key aspect of UX/UI design. Designers must ensure that all elements of the design are well thought out and executed. The Design should be simple and straightforward, avoiding overly complex designs that may lead users to believe that there is a hidden flaw or error being concealed.

 

Designers should also be mindful of the purpose of the design, market perception, and individual preferences, rather than simply following current design trends. It is important for designers to strike a balance between using the right tools and having the right attitude toward solving problems for users.

The Groundwork

At the start of a project, UX/UI designers should have a clear understanding of the objective of the project. They should gather as much information as possible about the project and its components, including the particular campaign, function, product, and message. This will help designers outline the scope of the project and develop a comprehensive understanding of its purpose.

The Approach

Designers must have a Visual Design Approach that is both common and unique, taking inspiration from their everyday experiences and surroundings.

The design should be expressed through

  • visuals,
  • message,
  • tone, and
  • graphics

which are tailored to the target audience.

Designers must also consider the relationship between images and words and whether they work together effectively. For example, the inclusion of captivating words is crucial for a movie poster to attract viewers.

Keep on Practicing

Practice is important for UX/UI designers.

They should constantly be aware of what they see and experience in their daily lives, incorporating these experiences into their designs. This leads to a unique perspective that evolves into a meaningful and impactful product.

A product that is well-designed and convenient to use is highly valued by customers. A unique design that stands out from the rest is often appreciated and can lead to quick success.

Designers should aim to design a product that is exceptional and forces users to engage with it. Offering a free sign-up option is a great way to attract users and gain their trust. Feedback from users is also important for UX/UI designers, providing them with motivation to continuously improve their work. Negative feedback should be absorbed and used as an opportunity for growth and learning.

It's a Wrap

In conclusion, UX/UI designers must stay up-to-date with the latest technology and design trends while also considering the needs of their users. A successful UX designer is able to understand the ideas of their target users and effectively communicate their work. By assisting users in gaining transparency about the product, designers can ensure that expectations are met after the project is completed.

 

Our Designers and Engineers here at Tarams, are at the helm of understanding the needs of our customers more effectively than most service providers. This stems from having dealt with and dealing with clientele across domains and across geographies. Our Product Engineering team along with our exceptional Design Team are always quick on their step in learning and understanding our customers’ needs and always ensure the Product Idea is well executed into a Product Ecosystem.

Product Engineering Team
Tarams Software Technologies Pvt Ltd

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MVPs – The First Step For Launching Your Product

Introduction

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a concept that involves launching a scaled-down version of a product with the most essential features to test its market viability and gather feedback from end users. This allows entrepreneurs to understand the market and customer needs, prioritize features, and fine-tune the product before scaling it to a full launch. MVPs are crucial for the success of a product as they provide a safe environment for testing and analysis, and can help prevent early failure by providing a better understanding of the product’s value and potential. By testing MVPs before launching, entrepreneurs can improve their chances of success by making data-driven decisions based on market analysis and user feedback.

Let us break down the steps of an MVP launch

Step 1: The Groundwork

Before launching any product, it is important to conduct market research to understand the needs and wants of the target customer and to identify any gaps or inadequacies in the current market offerings. This research can help inform important decisions such as pricing, positioning, and messaging for the product. Additionally, it is important to understand the key benefits of the product and the reasons why customers would choose to purchase it over competitors. This knowledge can help inform the development and marketing of the MVP and the final product.

Step 2: Get your Priorities right

Once you start developing the MVP, it is important to prioritize the features based on their importance to the end-user. This means identifying which features are essential for the MVP to be functional and which are nice to have but can be added later. The most critical feature should be the focus, as it is the one that will provide the most value to the user and test the viability of the product in the market. Prioritizing the features in this way ensures that the MVP is a minimal but fully functional version of the final product. It also allows the team to focus on the most important aspects of the product and gather feedback on them before moving on to less critical features.

Step 3: Let’s Talk Design!

User Interface (UI) plays a crucial role in the success of a product. A well-designed UI can make it easy for users to interact with the product and understand its features, while a poorly designed UI can make it difficult for users to use the product and lead to frustration and abandonment. During the MVP stage, it is important to pay attention to the UI design and make sure it is intuitive and user-friendly.

Keep in mind that the design process is evolving, and the MVP should be considered as a starting point. Once the MVP is launched and feedback is gathered from users, the design can be fine-tuned and improved based on that feedback. This allows the team to iteratively improve the product and increase its chances of success in the market.

Step 4: GO GO GO!

After designing the MVP, there are several steps that can be taken to launch it:

  1. Test the MVP: Before launching, it’s important to test the MVP internally and with a small group of users to ensure that it is functional and user-friendly. This can help identify any bugs or usability issues that need to be addressed.
  2. Build a landing page: Create a landing page for your MVP that provides information about the product, its features, and how to sign up or purchase it. This can help generate interest and build a mailing list of early adopters before launch.
  3. Get feedback: Reach out to potential users, customers, and industry experts to gather feedback on the MVP. This can help identify areas for improvement and validate your assumptions about the product.
  4. Get the word out: Use social media, email marketing, PR, and other channels to promote the MVP and build buzz around its launch.
  5. Launch: Once you’ve tested, refined, and promoted the MVP, it’s time to launch it to the public. This can be done through an official launch event or by making it available for purchase or sign-up on the landing page.
  6. Monitor and iterate: After launch, it’s important to monitor the MVP’s performance and gather feedback from users. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make updates to the MVP.

Conclusion

It is important to keep in mind that an MVP is not a one-time event, it’s a journey of learning, testing, and iteration. So, it’s important to keep monitoring and gathering feedback from the users, even after the MVP is launched.

We here at Tarams have been at the helm of launching various MVPs over the past two decades. We have been a successful, process-oriented, and result-based organization that ensures its clients the best of service.

Our Data Science and Product Engineering teams populated by technology enthusiasts, designers, developers, and entrepreneurs form the core of our USP in securing and assisting the goals and visions of enterprises and startups alike.

Product Engineering Team
Tarams Software Technologies Pvt Ltd

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How Mobile APPs Play a Game-changing Role in Education Industry

Smartphones are getting ubiquitous and there is a surge of Educational Applications for Android, iOS, and Windows Devices. These Apps focus on student academic learning needs while utilizing smart gizmos like tablets and smartphones for classroom learning and school activities. Students are finding this trend helpful and undoubtedly are drawn towards using a smart gadget for everything. On the other hand, the educational apps can be the perfect way to motivate students and help them focus on quality learning.

According to a Pearson Student Mobile Device Report, the use of tablets made students perform better in their academics and 79% of the polled students also agree that tablets make learning more fun. Access to information is crucial and thanks to these apps, which are integrated on their tablets and smartphones, it is easily available.

These mobile applications have brought tremendous changes in the education industry, as most of the EdTechs, institutions, and educators are adopting mobility as their primary Digital Transformation strategy. Let us have a quick tour to how Mobility Technology can help reshape the Education Industry.

Portability

Smartphones are our constant companions today. We are all connected through various apps that have reduced the distances of our physical world tremendously. Students too are hooked onto smartphones constantly, whether to chat, play games, or watch a video on the move.

Maneuvering this addiction towards a healthy habit, educational apps are on the rise. They do not limit the classroom to walls and they move with you wherever you choose to go. This freedom of portability is a major advantage in the learning process and many students are reaping the benefits of this mode of learning.

Round the Clock Availability

Educational Apps have another glaring advantage over traditional teaching establishments. Unlike institutes & schools, the apps are active round the clock. Even when limiting ourselves to a time-bound learning, apps help us with relaxed & performance-based learning.

Educational Apps have another glaring advantage over traditional teaching establishments. Unlike institutes & schools, the apps are active round the clock. Even when limiting ourselves to a time-bound learning, apps help us with relaxed & performance-based learning.

Time-bound learning is not impactful, as students get distracted easily and are unable to focus consistently for long hours. Thus, educational apps are the best for this issue, as they are available 24/7, and the students can learn as per their convenience.

Interactive Learning

The gadgets of today, with the Educational Apps and other features, are fast becoming a staple feature in every student’s life. Reading reference books and visiting the library are slowly diminishing in importance. These gadgets and helping students learn in an efficient manner. Unlike traditional teaching techniques and methodologies, Interaction with the apps is designed to suit students of all skill levels and cater to a variety of teaching methods, such as webinars, video tutorials, and even educational games.

This interaction helps students fight monotony and urge them to visualize what they learn.

Effectively Utilizing Leisure

Learning on educational apps, is one of the smartest choices for capitalizing leisure productively. The student’s leisure time can be used to learn something new with the help of entertaining tools, like games and puzzles.

One need not feel the burden of sitting through classrooms/classes to learn, when they can use the leisure time in an efficient and constructive way.

Get Individualized Learning

A teacher plays a remarkable role in building a student’s career, however the teacher can’t give individualized attention to every student. A teacher can typically address 10-20 students effectively in a session. And it is a tough ordeal to ensure that each and every student is engaged in the session.

In an educational app, the student gets all the focus they need. The time they engage with the app is all their own.

Track Performance

Tracking the performance or progress of a student, is essential for the students and the concerned educators. Having a legitimate plan and tracking methodology will only benefit the student by indicating the next steps in the learning process.

The inbuilt analytics show the details of the learning hours, the topics covered, the status of the current topic, etc., This detailed analytics at such a granular level is essential for proper guidance and the education apps are leading by example here.

Instant Personalized Updates

The Educational app is designed to send personalized messages, updates, etc., based on the student’s choices. It can also update on upcoming campus events, customized lessons, pending lessons, etc.

Online Study Material

Educational Apps on Mobile/Tablets offers students the opportunity to access thousands of reference and educational material online. This is possible owing to the digitalisation effort by numerous institutes and organizations.

This is a welcome change to many students who do not have access to good quality libraries or the economic freedom to own expensive books and study materials. Physical storage too is diminished and the geographic location of any student is immaterial

Mobility in Education through the advent of educational applications, has more benefits to offer than those that have been listed above. A quiet revolution is in the making, with students and educators alike, gradually drifting towards an industry that is foraying into a paperless and well networked sector. Today, the world of education is more than a passive activity; educational apps are making phenomenally active improvements and thrives to change the face of education sector.

Undoubtedly, educational apps solve critical problems in the education management systems across the globe but many clients, educational institutions and concerned students have a common issue despite owning cutting-edge educational apps.

Considering the capability of a connected smartphone or a tablet, handing students such powerful unmonitored, unmanaged and unprotected devices is a major concern for EdTechs and Institutions. Students were found to be indulged more in tampering educational app settings, playing games, using social media apps, online stores which are potential distractions from the intended learning.

Such scenarios result in problems due to misuse of these devices. Efficient use of educational apps, must ensure and avoid the download of malware and illegal or inappropriate content on their devices. Such misuse of technology is a concern and EdTechs and institutes alike must address the issue

This is where the actual potential of mobility can be harnessed.

An obvious solution to avoid distractions and ensure focused learning is by restricting students to only prescribed learning applications and content. This can be done with advanced mobility solutions. It helps the learners to remain focused by:

Blacklisting irrelevant websites and apps

Blacklisting includes prohibiting students from all unwanted applications and URLs such as games, social networking sites and more. This feature prevents misuse of study time for non-productive purposes. It restricts the students to tamper with the device settings and secures the preconfigured settings required to run the educational apps smoothly.

Network and Geo-Fencing

Through network fencing, schools can apply policies to the student’s devices when they enter the school’s Wi-Fi network. The policies could comprise of allowing whitelisted apps to open in the device. Geo-fencing features allow schools and institutions to monitor the student device and prevent unnecessary use of data and alert the admin when a device crosses the school boundary without authorization.

Remote Access to the device

This mobility feature allows the EdTech client or Institute to remotely control and access student’s device to update additional device information, file sharing, message broadcasting or troubleshooting for any error.

Mobility solutions incorporate robust features to make the student’s handheld safer for academic learning and help the schools and institutions to get the most out of their pedagogy.

If you are an EdTech, an institute, a parent or an educator, it’s not only important to have a robust educational app that caters to an innovative learning experience but to create a platform that meant for dedicated and prescribed learning, this is where you unveil the real success in the learning industry.

At Tarams, we leverage our big data with deep analytics capabilities to develop interactive educational mobility solutions. With proficiency in developing custom educational mobile app solutions, we deliver cutting-edge learning experience to the student that creates a brand identity in your target market.

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Augmented Reality in Education – The next BIG thing?

Hollywood pioneered the use of Augmented Reality (AR) way before it gained popularity in the Digital front. From Sci-Fi fantasies to Dinosaurs, everything was given a fresh breath of life thanks to the advancements in AR. Over time the gaming industry sniffed an opportunity and their advent into AR, gained tremendous interest across most Tech Industries. Companies clamoured over one another and App developers went into a frenzy designing and developing AR aspects towards delivering a whole new user-experience level.

Mobility is a classic example where AR is trying hard to augment our lives for the better

Undoubtedly Augmented Reality is the next wave in the digital world and it has been gaining momentum over the last two decades. Its emergence has been inspiring and every industry today is busy exploring their advantages in AR. The effect of AR in our lives will only increase and every industry will incorporate it within their environs to touch new heights of success.

AR in Education

The Marketing and Entertainment industries were the forebearer to drive the revolution in bringing AR to our homes. Having said that, the Education Industry will surely follow suit to harvest the plethora of advantages AR has to offer. The global landscape of the Education Industry Sector is braced for the inevitable change that is waiting to happen owing to AR’s surging popularity. According to statistics, AR adoption curve for education is on the rise and expected to touch $8 Billion in market size by 2021.

AR as a technology is constantly disrupting the learning methodologies and has made it more engaging and transformational. Today, 71% of the U.S. population in the age group of 16 – 24 years use smartphones and most (if not all) of them are using them to connect on social media, gaming, shopping and other virtual activities. That is a huge population segment waiting to be converted to a customer base.

The overwhelming growth potential of AR in education is quite evident. Digital and Lively information about any topic makes complex information easier to understand. This in turn decreases your learning curve and improves your productivity.

Let us explore how AR can empower educators and learners.

Showcasing the Impossible: realizing the “Aha” moment

Imagine a live volcano or the surface of the moon or even a frazzled Tyrannosaurus Rex right in front of you, in YOUR CLASSROOM! This incredible experience is possible today with the advent of AR

The greatest aspect of this technology is that you can give today’s students an “aha” moment that earlier was not possible by mere explanations and talking. There are plenty of examples of AR content that fulfil this criterion. Have a look at the AR apps in the following video to understand how learning has been made more interactive.

Expeditions AR - Bringing the world into the classroom

Taking a step back: Why AR?

We’ve established that AR is hot right now and it is being touted for tremendous growth and utilization across industries. However, taking a step back; is it necessary? Is it really helping people, in this case; students? Why can a student not understand and experience the topics through regular technology in their current mobility device? After all, our current mobility devices like smart mobile phones and tablets are highly capable and efficient in scaling models, basic 360° rotations and manipulations.

The answer is Perspective and Interaction.

A situation or topic or object can be viewed in multiple perspectives and having the power to physically view ALL the sides is a great advantage. Humans are interactive creatures and it has always been a proven method of learning, be it toddlers or adults.

Well-designed augmented reality models will empower the learners to view models, similar to their natural settings. Enhanced perspective with closer sensitization results in a better learning curve. This allows students to have an interactive and practical based learning with AR models they can examine the models with more precision and accuracy.

Augmented Reality Education Solar System on CARpet

Boost Engagement Levels

Students have different learning curves. Some learn or understand a topic far quicker than the others and some are more relaxed in their approach to grasp the essence of a topic.

Interactive and Active Engagement is the need of the hour to boost the learning curves and AR has come a long way in achieving that. Augmented reality is rapidly penetrating student’s lives and the convergence of AR with the learning landscape scenarios results in learners engaging with content that is highly relevant to their pedagogy and in line with how they use the digital media content.

For Example: AR developers have made learning chemistry more interactive and fun with a holographic periodic table.

AR is unique, where students can perceive tests and exercises as part of the story and they can learn and understand better. It allows students to learn visually which is immensely interactive and emotionally engaging.

AR developers talk about creating “lively” content in AR and it is possible to bring “learning” to life, empowering students to engage with virtual content which has a great deal of freedom from mere text, images or video content.

Recently, a start-up is developing an advanced learning platform that allows you to visualize the human body holographic & 3D format as shown below.

Stimulate the Senses

Well-planned AR platforms will not be static with just a 3d model, but rather enriched with touch controls and 3D sound effects which has a multi-sensory impact on the learning of a student. Institutes can bring animals into the classroom which are lifelike and make real sounds. Moreover, the narrative and touchscreen controls can easily control the screen information overlays.

Curiscope Virtuali-Tee: Bring Learning to Life with this Augmented Reality T-Shirt

Cost Effectiveness

Physical 3D Models and Shapes, being currently used in many Schools and Institutions come with a heavy price tag. They are bulky and also involve logistics expenses. Moreover they also come with high maintenance criterion.

In this context AR can be a lifesaver! It helps you deploy 3D shapes using the AR platform. We are not promoting the replacement of the legacy physical models but an upgradation with the inclusion of AR models with meagre investment can open new doors for great pedagogies.

Furthermore, in subjects like history, it becomes near impossible to bring real models to class. This is where AR can help in letting your students have strong sensitization to the real world lifelike models and monuments.

Final Verdict

It is not a fallacy that learners who are more motivated and engaged always grasp a subject faster and learn better.Their focus on the learning process is improved as educators grab the attention of their students and keeps them engaged and glued to the learning content using AR.

AR in education possess a huge upside for all learners and educators. Furthermore, students get platforms to visualize complex concepts of various topics and opportunities to gain practical skills by interacting and manipulating content.

If you are an EdTech or an educational institute, then it’s high time you jump on the bandwagon to embrace AR and create transformational content that not only caters to a differentiated learning experience but can radically improve your learner retention and and help you get the most out of your learning and development investments.

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