GT iOS Club - SmartyPants
A Collaborative Study Group App
My Role
Lead Designer
Timeline
Aug - Nov 2024
Description
SmartyPants is an iOS app created as part of Georgia Tech’s iOS Club. The app connects students by helping them form study groups for specific classes based on their preferences, such as course, study style, availability, and location.
User Personas
Target Audience
SmartyPants is designed for college students looking to form or join study groups based on shared schedules, study styles, and course requirements. Common challenges among these students include coordinating group availability, finding compatible study partners, and maintaining communication within groups. These insights shaped the app’s key features, such as group recommendations, customizable filters, and in-app messaging.
User Stories
How Users Can Utilize SmartyPants
User stories allowed us to focus on specific, relatable scenarios that students encounter, such as finding a group with a matching schedule or setting up a new group for last-minute exam prep. These stories served as a bridge between abstract design goals and tangible app features, ensuring that every functionality—like customizable filters and group recommendations—directly addressed the challenges students face in their daily academic lives.
Design Process
From Concept to Creation
Feedback was the most crucial integral part of the design process, one that took place after each design iteration.
Due to the limited scope of the project, all testing and iteration were conducted within our team, allowing us to refine the app based on internal feedback while recognizing the need for future user testing to validate our designs further.
Design Iterations
Sketch → Low-Fi → Hi-Fi
Home Page
Based on feedback from the first sketch, I prioritized a more comprehensive and flexible view, enabling users to easily access all their active groups and navigate upcoming events more seamlessly.
Design Iterations
Sketch → Low-Fi → Hi-Fi
Messaging
Solution & Impact
A Smarter Way to Study Together
SmartyPants provides a streamlined platform for students like Alex, who struggle with finding compatible study partners, managing time, and coordinating group communications. Drawing from user needs and scenarios, the app includes:
👥 Offers tailored group recommendations based on user inputs.
🔎 Options to narrow down groups by location, meeting times, and learning styles, giving users flexibility and control.
💬 Includes in-app messaging that eliminates the need to juggle multiple apps.