The Rand App

Showcase, 2019 (Nov-Dec)

Introduction‍

Rand introduces Paul Rand, a famous modernist designer, to new audiences. In addition to a brief introduction to his life and design philosophies, the prototype includes 4 case studies emblematic of his oeuvre. You can view the full case study at the link below.

ROLES

content design

info arch

ui design

Tools

figma

illustrator

photoshop

Links

A GIF of the Rand prototype inside an iPhone X frame. This GIF cycles through the onboarding screens.

Problems

  • Create a “by way of example" to show undergraduate students in a design class one way to develop a rationale for connecting prototyping skills and design decisions.
  • Create a mobile app prototype for the estate of Paul Rand (hypothetical client) that introduces Paul Rand to younger audiences.

Solutions

  • Evoked Rand's design philosophy of “The Beautiful and The Useful" by crafting an aesthetically similar experience between the website paulrand.design↗︎ and the app.
  • Created a use value for the app by designing it as a funnel toward the more in-depth experience of the website.
  • Designed an introductory experience through the use of overviews as quick engagement to pique curiosity.
  • Offered interested users select in-depth examples of Rand's work to nudge them toward more engagement with the Rand ouvre.
An image of the Rand prototype inside an iPhone X frame. This image is of the IBM logo case study.An image of the Rand prototype inside an iPhone X frame. This image is of the El Producto case study.An image of the Rand prototype inside an iPhone X frame. This image is of the Direction Magazine case study.

lessons learned

  • This was my first attempt at using Figma after primarily using Axure. Many small errors were made that helped me learn Figma!
  • Although used sparingly to organize bits of text, groups were utilized in specific instances and groups don't have much of a function↗︎ in Figma.
  • Due to the simple nature of Rand's design, relatively few components used. Components are a central feature of Figma and should be used in any project with reusable elements.
  • While I did lay out content using grids and columns, I didn't design on a relative 8-point grid↗︎. Using some type of standardized spatial system helps with decision fatigue and creates more orderly designs which assist in the handoff from design to development.