I chose to deviate slightly from the original project proposal for many reasons, all of which are explained through the rest of my presentation. To point out a few deviations, some traits were focused on more than others: FUN + SIMPLE + FAMILY. The target audience consisted of family and commuters, and so I also included a focus on safety.
Images found online. Mobile mock-ups found on STRAVA's website.
I started with the intention to stick to the guidelines, but as I examined my competition, I realized that I had strong feelings about the interfaces. STRAVA became Co-Pilot's main rival. STRAVA's interface is much too cluttered for a biking app. Users must know exactly where to look while biking. It suggests a a high learning curve and a decrease in safety. The interface is also rather "unfriendly" and "dominant" (see two-by-two below). In order to create a brand that clearly stood apart from its competitors, I took my own spin on things.
Every design choice I made came through this filter. It is because of this that I was determined that Co-Pilot would be the opposite of STRAVA. It would be simple with a spacious interface and a “friendly” and “submissive” brand.
Moodboards, Logos, and Style Tiles
Red was more dominant than submissive. Without orange, the colors were more reminiscent of a rainy, dreary day rather than one filled with sunshine. Orange needed to be brought back and the colors needed to be softer. A royal purple added a splash of fun color to otherwise dreary, black text. After experimenting with many color choices, I found the right combination:
I am no Graphic Designer, but I did my best to develop an acceptable logo as the assignment was focused on the visual and interactive interface rather than the smaller graphic details:
I added orange back to the color palette after I'd already done my first style tile iterations. The map colors were initially too dark and visually chaotic (viewed with blue navigation in upper right). Removing the outlines and lightening the background helped significantly (viewed with orange navigation in lower right).
Above is the final version of many discarded, critiqued storyboards. While interviewing random people (What do you see? How do you feel about this? Would you use this app?) I found that there was an overwhelming positive response.
Creating Co-Pilot's brand was probably one of the most enjoyable parts of this project. I was at first paralyzed by the sheer number of possibilities, but I slowly developed the vision and it was incredibly rewarding to implement it in every little portion.
