Aniforum mobile app case study

Overview

Aniforum is a mobile app case study that I created to destigmatize the stereotype of anime/manga fans.

The app aims to welcome more people into the anime/manga community by facilitating open conversations and connections, reflecting the growing popularity of the genre.

Role

UX Designer/Researcher
User Research, Interaction, Visual Design, Brand Design, Prototyping & Testing, Product Marketing

Initial Design: June 2021 - August 2021
Redesign: November 2023 - February 2024

The Problem

Because there is such a boom in popularity of various animes and manga, there are no resources to provide accurate recommendations while also providing an introduction for new watchers.

My main goal for the app was to address these current problems:
How might we...
...close the gap between people who want to converse about various anime/manga related topics?
My solution
An app that provides access to discussions and game options to broaden the fanbase.

Understanding the audience

I conducted in-depth user research to uncover users' needs, behaviors, and pain points, ensuring the product was aligned with their real-world experiences. This insight informed my design decisions, leading to a more intuitive and user-centered product that effectively addressed the needs of the target audience.
Discussion:
Device Usage
Games 🎮

Personas

In order to make sure we had a viable MVP for our given timeline, we used the post-its containing the desired features to first get a general flow of the app to see which features and pages needed to be prioritized.
Bailey, 21
Bailey is secretly a Twitch streamer who loves video games and recently discovered her love for anime. She wants to find new games to play.
"I want to show off my gaming skills about the new shows I have been watching"
Sarah, 19
Sarah is a professional yapper who loves sharing her opinion with everyone. She wants to start watching anime but is a little scared.
"I hear so many people talking about anime, I want to also!"
Jiho, 23
Jiho is an avid anime watcher who has seen all the classic animes and more. He wants to find new animes based on his current list.
"I've been so bored rewatching the same shows, I need something NEW!"

Inspiration and Ideation

The idea for this project originated in June 2021 as one of my first Figma endeavors. This case study represents a redesign and rebranding of the original concept, incorporating comprehensive user research, brand design, and enhanced UX/UI features. My goal with this redesign was to demonstrate my growth as a designer and refine the initial idea.

Below is the original design I created while learning Figma...

Competitive Analysis

In the current market, the primary competitor is MyAnimeList. This popular website functions as a comprehensive database and social networking platform for anime and manga enthusiasts.
This upcoming mobile app aims to outshine competitors like MyAnimeList (MAL) by delivering a simpler, more intuitive user experience and by also introducing a gaming feature. Our main goal is  to foster a tighter-knit community through innovative social features.

User Journeys

In order to make sure the app was able  help all different types of user find a new anime recommendation, I created multiple user journey maps for the user personas to demonstrate the different ways users could end up to finding a new suggestion.
Bailey, 21
As a user, I want to be able to play different trivia games in relation to topics I am interested in and also find new anime recommendations along the way.
Sarah, 19
As a user, I want to be able to talk with others about shows/manga that I recently watched/read in order to understand topics better.
Jiho, 23
As a user, I want to be able to have very personalized anime recommendations, so I can find new shows to watch that I haven't seen before.

Sketches

From the original design, I began cleaning up the design and incorporating the newly created pages to include the new game feature.

Adjustments

From the original design, I began cleaning up the design and incorporating the newly created pages to include the new game feature.
Explore Page
I added a section to the images where the title would be easy to read. I changed from having a plus sign to three dots to minimize the clutter on each image.
Game Page
For the layout, I wanted to not have so much of the header be taken up by the topic, and also included a more defined group-play game where the members are able to be viewed in-game. I also opted for a multiple choice answering system to encourage participation.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

From the original design, I began cleaning up the design and incorporating the newly created pages to include the new game feature.

Theme Conceptualization

As part of the user research, I asked about color scheming and almost unanimously, the darker theme won. When designing the high fidelity frames from the low fidelity, I tried to keep a minimalistic and dark theme throughout, allowing the anime/manga's art to stand out.

High Fidelity Wireframes

Explore Page
The displaying of different categories opened a variety of options. I played around with adding a stroke around each, and in the end decided to go for a more modern approach where they are touching and there are no strokes.
Profile Page
The displaying of different categories opened a variety of options. I played around with adding a stroke around each, and in the end decided to go for a more modern approach where they are touching and there are no strokes.
Forum Page
When designing the Forum Page, I realized I had to show examples of when there were longer posts, making some of the containers larger than the other. I wanted to keep the same spacings aside from the content.
Post Page
The displaying of different categories opened a variety of options. I played around with adding a stroke around each, and in the end decided to go for a more modern approach where they are touching and there are no strokes.
Anime Information Pages
For the information pages, I wanted to make sure that all the pages were able to display different content while remaining similar enough to feel cohesive throughout all of them while serving different purposes.
Game Pages
For the game page, I ended up removing the top rectangle encapsulating the leaderboard to remove it as a distraction. I also included a game page where the user would be able to see their current rankings on topics they follow or play.

Final Frames

For the app, I created a dark theme where I utilized the white strokes to highlight features. The app is meant to be less colorful to encourage the users eyeline to be drawn to the anime/manga art.

Final Frames

Emma Kim
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