Gongbu Study App ⏰

Gongbu, which means “study” in Korean, is a study app designed to increase students’ productivity and motivation. The app provides two study timers: a Pomodoro timer with a 45-minute work session and a 5-minute break, an all-time timer that stops when the user wants to stop, and a calendar for users to plan their study sessions.

Gongbu Study App Homescreen

Students declining attention span and lack of motivation

In the day and age where social media and short-form content are increasingly declining people’s attention spans, Gongbu’s goal is to decrease distractions while motivating students.

Role

UX Designer

Tools

Figma, Photoshop

Timeline

July 2023-September 2023

app's pomodoro timer
app's all-time timer
app's to do list

Pomodoro timer

  • Provides a 45-minute timer and 5-minute break

  • Allows users to pause and continue a session

  • Provides average study time at the final end

All-Time time

  • Provides an unlimited timer

  • Allows users to pause and continue a session

  • Provides average study time at the final end

Calendar

  • Allows users to choose day on the calender

  • integrated to-do list

  • Menu to quickly access timers and homepage

Usability Testing

I created a low-fidelity prototype using Figma and had students from high school to college, test out the app through given tasks and give their feedback and critiques on it.

Issue 1

All participants felt that the non-working timer function in the prototype was disorienting and confusing.

Solution 1

Implementing a short-timer in the prototype

Iterated a short component in Figma that counts down for 3 seconds so users get the general idea of how the timer functions should work without confusion. This is iterated throughout all study timers.

Issue 2

2/3 participants emphasized their confusion with the app's calendar function. They did not know how to put in events or tasks and found the layout to be confusing.

Solution 2

Simplifying the calendar function

The layout and the function allowing users to create tasks or events can confuse users. I simplified the calendar function to just a to-do list but added a menu at the bottom to allow users to go straight into a study session or go home if they liked. This way the general goal of the calendar function (to allow users to plan their study sessions) is met without confusion.

Issue 3

1/3 participant emphasized their difficulty with reading the font.

Solution 3

Change the font to a larger font size and add logos

To make the app more accessible to everyone, especially those with low vision. I increased the font size and incorporated logos related to the three functions to make them more understandable.

Using the feedback from the usability testing, I created a high-fidelity prototype that includes the solutions to the problems found in the low-fidelity prototype.

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Learnings

Through the usability testing process, I learned that not all users want an app to have a lot of functions, but rather a simple one that they can easily navigate.