/Design Process

The design process for LeetCard follows a lean ux approach. I began by researching whether people who use Leetcode would like to use a flashcard app to help them study. This help me quickly evaluate the idea and decide whether to move forward with the project.

Think

I conducted a competitive analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing LeetCode study tools. This helped me understand the market landscape and identify opportunities for improvement. I found that users were crafting their own solutions by combining different available services, or build their own tools, rather than having direct competitors. I identified the key components users were utilizing. I then synthesized the most effective features from these services to create a cohesive user experience for our product.

Make

To keep the MVP simple, I focused on the core features that would provide the most value to users. The original plan was to include only the Study Plan and All Cards, however, as the project progressed, the developer decided a Profile page is critical for the MVP. This addition ensures users can securely save their data, mitigating concerns about content loss and enhancing the overall platform experience.

Design System

This design system was built from the ground up without relying on pre-existing UI kits or libraries, ensuring a unique and tailored visual identity for the project. It was developed to maintain future consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all components and platforms. By providing clear guidelines and reusable elements, this system enables seamless collaboration and helps the product evolve without compromising on quality or coherence.

Mock-up

With the MVP in mind, I created prototypes to visualize the app's layout and functionality. With minor navication changes, I decided to utalize a bottom navigation bar to provide a more intuitive user experience. This design choice was made to ensure users could easily navigate between Study Plan and All Cards in case they wanted to switch between the two frequently when organizing their study plans.

Check

We decided to launch the app without conducting user testing, opting instead to rely on monitoring user usage data for insights to drive improvements. While traditional user testing offers valuable feedback, we believed that releasing the product to the market swiftly would provide us with real-world usage data and a more comprehensive understanding of user behaviors and preferences. By closely analyzing user interactions and feedback post-launch, we are committed to iteratively refining the app to enhance its usability and functionality, ensuring a user-centric experience.

On the day of our iOS version launch, our developer took to Reddit to share news about our product, and the response was overwhelmingly positive, garnering over 300 upvotes within a single day. Many users requested an Android version, which is still a work in progress. Additionally, interest in a web version confirmed alignment with our future plans.