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Problem
Event organizers and individuals sometimes use incorrect colors and emojis, leading to misunderstandings without being aware of it.
My Role
I acted as a researcher and a designer for this prooject
Solution & Impact
I designed a website as a tool to help event organizers and individuals quickly find the right colors and emojis, enabling them to communicate more effectively with their audience.
Scope
It took me a total of 6 months in 2024. The first 3 months were ideation and market research to ensure market fit, and the remaining 3 months focused on MVP design.
Deliverables
Market & User Research, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Interface & Visual Design
Team Members
My mentor, David, who has 25 years of UX experience and worked at CVS Health, collaborated with me.
Work Showcase Work Showcase Work Showcase
3 Clicks to Get a Right Color & Emoji
Crafted an intuitive interface with four strategic entry points, empowering users to quickly access the color and emoji information they need with just 3 effortless clicks, all tailored to real-world scenarios.
Find the Perfect Color Instantly
Offering an interactive map and common color options, this tool helps users effortlessly discover the right color they need, saving time and avoiding confusion.
Recommendations by Category
Offering customized color suggestions based on specific categories, this guide helps users easily identify which colors to use or avoid for different purposes, ensuring the right choice every time.
Master Emoji Usage
Help users select the correct emojis based on the areas to accurately convey their intended message, avoiding common misunderstandings.
Get Advice and Votes
Join a vibrant community where users can request suggestions or votes from friends on the best colors and emojis to use, making collaborative decisions easy and fun.
Fun Quiz to Boost Awareness of Color and Emoji Meanings
Take an engaging quiz designed to improve the understanding of the diverse meanings behind colors and emojis, while having fun throughout the learning process.
Quant & Qual Results 🎉
85.83
The System Usability Scale
3.37 - 3.85
Satisfaction Rate
“The website is interesting! I’d love to use it for my digital work.”
A Dancing Youtuber with 100,000 Subscribers
Where did this idea come from?
Last year's NEU graduation ceremony, where the main building displayed "Congratulations,
graduates!" in black text on a white background. However, in Chinese and Indian culture, black and white are usually used for funerals...
Problem (Opportunity) Identified
People from different cultures interpret certain colors and emojis differently, leading to digital content, events, and products often conveying incorrect visual messages to target audiences.
Literature Reviews
I began researching literature and discovered that colors (though research on emojis is limited) evoke varied emotional and interpretative effects across cultures and even within regions of the same country.
Market Research
Conveying accurate meanings seems crucial for people in this era of digital media globalization. But does it have a good market fit?
- SWOT
I researched several similar websites and created a SWOT analysis to help me find my competitive strengths and inform strategic decisions.
- Conclusion
Compared to competitors, my idea has competitive strengths which offers higher user engagement through interactive quizzes and a searchable database for colors and symbols. It adds value by emphasizing the cultural significance of symbols, especially emojis, which play a key role in daily communication.
Target User’s Interviews
After interviewing 8 participants, I found something really interesting. All of them do not notice that colors can have different meanings in different cultures. Sometimes even misuse them without realizing it. However, colors indeed hold high priority and importance for these target users.
Great! 🎉 My concept is both feasible and well-aligned with market needs.
I researched online and asked people from the U.S., China and India about the meaning behind these color and emojis, trying to build my own database.
Research on the meanings of 14 colors across 22 countries
Research on the meanings of 18 emojis across the U.S., China and India
Sitemap
Lo-fidelity Wireframe
For the first version, I envisioned the homepage as a gateway where people can explore the rich tapestry of color and emoji meanings across cultures. Two key destinations are the color search and emoji search pages. Other pages, like articles, community, and login, offer more pathways to connect, learn, and share.
Usability Test
I conducted 5 usability tests with over 20 target users in this project.
I crafted a mix of qualitative and quantitative questions, set the metrics, and analyzed the feedback to uncover patterns. This iterative process allowed me to shape the wireframes into high-fidelity prototypes aligning with users’ real needs and mental models.
- Main Insights
1. The average time it took to find a color was 58 seconds. For emojis, it was 45 seconds. Far too long.
2. Users shared their frustrations, saying, 'It’s hard to find the info on the homepage, and I’m unsure where to start.'
Next step: Help users find the information they need within 10 seconds.
Hi-fidelity Prototype & Iterations
If you're wondering why I moved to high-fidelity designs so quickly, it was only due to the tight timeline. I eliminated the original homepage and shifted the focus directly to searching for colors or emojis, as the main purpose of the website is to serve as a tool for efficient searches.
- Different Layouts & Design Based on User Mental Model
I experimented with different layouts to find the one that made tasks more efficient. I redesigned the homepage into 4 different tasks, taking into account how users handle the task. Additionally, I made the color buttons more intuitive, making it easier for users to quickly find the colors they need.
Key Real Scenario 1 - based on color
Design Solution 1
Key Real Scenario 2 - based on categories
Design Solution 2
Key Real Scenario 3 - based on locations
Design Solution 3
Key Real Scenario 4 - based on emojis
Design Solution 4
What did I learn and what's next?
Designing great features means going beyond just meeting user needs—we have to dive deep into real-world scenarios and how users deal with the problem. I learned this the hard way when I built a feature without considering how people would use it in practice. That was a big miss!
On top of that, talking to UX experts is a game changer. We always talk about putting users first, but sometimes those experts have the instinct to solve the real, underlying issues—not just the surface stuff. Learning from them pushes me to grow, both for the users and for my own professional success!
Next up, I’m bringing this project to life! I’ve already joined IDEA, Northeastern University’s venture accelerator, to kick things off! There’s a lot to dive into—discussing details, collecting data, and building my own database. My mission is clear: I’m constantly refining the design to bridge cultural gaps and ensure people use the proper colors and emojis to their global audience.
This is just the beginning. 😃
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