Overview
TradeX is for younger users age 16-30 interested in growing their savings. The app was designed to have a high-tech aesthetic that was was also approachable. Whether a novice or more advanced trader, users can easily view their holdings, execute trades and research new investments.
Purpose & Context
TradeX was a personal project I built as part of the UI Design course at CareerFoundry to demonstrate my animation skills.
Credits
I was the UI and animation designer for the project.
Project Scale
1 month
Tools Used
Adobe XD, After Effects, Photoshop
Approach
After being given the mid-fidelity UX designs, I did a competitive analysis of the Robinhood, Coinbase and Schwab trading apps to determine features that worked well that could be potenitally implemented into my app. I also defined the core brand values of the app to be approachable, cutting edge and professional to serve the younger audience, as well as the style fundamentals, such as typography and color palette.
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Once the initial research was complete, I began to design the main screens of the app. I used a UI kit to rapidly develop the high-fidelity app screens in Adobe XD so that I could begin implementing the motion design.
Storyboards
After the initial screens were designed, I created storyboards in Adobe XD to determine how to animate the transitions between the app screens, microinteractions and 3D elements. Storyboarding helped to plan the process of animating these elements. They were then shared with potential users for feedback to determine what did and didn't work well, as well as to ensure that the app remained true to the core brand values.
Logo Animation
I then implemented a logo animation to give the app a welcoming, approachable feel.
I also experimented with a text animation in the Order Confirmation page, but ultimately decided it took away from the professionalism of the app and removed it.
Challenges
One challenge I had was designing the 3D cube in the Home Screen for the TSLA holdings information. I found using a rectangle wasn't sufficient to rotate it or use text with. After researching the issue and watching YouTube tutorials, I realized I had to use solids to compose a cube shape and overlay the text on top.
Takeaway
One of the main takeaways I learned during the design of this project is that animation is best implemented subtly. I found by focusing on simple techniques, such as easing and staging, the app still had a strong sense of being high-tech and professional without distracting from its usability.
One of the biggest lessons I learned from this app was the necessity of restraint. It's tempting to add many effects to the animation, especially when learning many of the capabilities of After Effects, but I found I had to often bring to mind the project brief to remain focused. When designing and implementing effects, some animations took the app in a different direction and felt juvenile, so I had to pare them down to only what felt essential.
Final Animation
