I've always relied on Notes to jot things down, whether I’m on my iPhone or Mac. But
over time, I noticed a few things that just didn’t feel as smooth or efficient as they
could
be.
That’s what got me thinking about how the app could be improved, and it led
me
to
dig
deeper into redesigning it with a better experience in mind.
User Flows
Functional Prototypes
Competitive Benchmarking
Wireframing
Interaction Design
2023 Winter / 5 weeks:
2 week research;
1 week prototype & design;
2 week
testing;
Based on identifying specific moments where users face obstacles in their note-taking process. Through this analysis, I highlighted key areas that impede productivity.
Pain Point 1
After the user launches the app, the flow pushes them toward text input, without presenting an obvious option to record audio.
Pain Point 2
In the note taking, users might assume they can sketch or highlight on top of the text paragraphs, but it can not.
Pain Point 3
The current flow ends with saving and organizing the note, but there’s no clear indicator of when different sections of the note were created or edited.
The competitive analysis helps ensure that my redesign isn't just solving problems in isolation but is also positioning Notes competitively in the broader market.
Working closely with two other designers and one developer, we collectively identified and prioritized the most critical goals and business metrics for the redesign. Through team discussions, we ensured that our choices aligned with both user needs and business objectives. Together, we focused on how to measure the efficiency improvements, user engagement, and technical scalability of the product.
Voice-to-Text / Dictation
Now you can easily convert recordings into text. Capture your thoughts on the go and
refine them later with just a tap.
Pain Killer for Audio
limitation
Enhanced Sketch
Adding a new sketch is now smarter. Areas where you can't draw turn gray, while hints
show where you can. This makes sketching more intuitive and your notes more
organized.
Pain Killer for sketch confuse.
Time stamps
Swipe right on any note to reveal time stamps. Keep track of when your notes were
created
or updated, giving you better context and organization.
Pain Killer for no
time record
After completing the "Why Redesign" phase, where I identified core pain points and inefficiencies in the current app, it became essential to deeply understand user behavior and expectations. So for the Data Synthesis phase, I selected these 3 methodologies that ensure our design strategy were grounded in user behavior and needs.
Methodologies 1
helped to empathize with key user groups, ensuring we designed with specific needs in mind.
Methodologies 2
allowed us to visualize how users interact with Notes over time, mapping out critical touchpoints where we could improve workflow and reduce friction.
Methodologies 3
was chosen to refine how users naturally categorize features and actions. This ensures that the interface and note organization align with user expectations..
Goals
1. See if the voice-to-text/dictation feature accurately transcribes speech in
different
environments.
2.Assess if Smart Sketching enhances the drawing experience and note
organization.
Guidance
1. Users tested voice-to-text in various settings with different accents, then
reviewed
and corrected the transcriptions.
2.Users created sketches with and without Smart Sketching to compare usability.
3.Try to find the when the notes were take.
