fast track
What it is: A mobile app to help busy writers stay on track to complete a project
My Role(s): Development, Research, UX Design, UI Design
Deliverables: Site map, user flows, personas, design sketches, wireframes, high-fidelity prototype and screen mockups
Project Duration: August 2022-September 2022 (Course project | Capstone)
the challenge
Who needs this?
It's every writer's Everest, a seemingly impossible feat. A vast, white expanse waiting to be conquered. The blank page. Drafting is arguably the most taxing part of the writing process; finishing an entire novel feels insurmountable.
Writers are encouraged to make first drafts sloppy, to just get the ideas on the page and then refine them later. This is harder than it sounds. As writers, we sometimes have an unrealistic expectation that words just flow onto the page, flawlessly illustrating our vision. When we sit down to write and there's no mythical flow of brilliance from our fingertips, and the cursor is blinking at us expectantly, it's easy to get discouraged and throw in the towel. By breaking large projects down into managable chunks, Fast Track empowers writers to get words on the page--no matter how awful--and complete a manuscript within a realistic timeframe set at their own set pace.
tl;dr
Writers have trouble staying motivated and writing consistently, resulting in unfinished projects
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process
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overview of my process
- Quantitative and qualitative user research (user survey and user interviews)
- Competitive analysis
- Defined the problem and audience with user stories and personas
- Developed user flows, sketches, wireframes and prototypes
- Style and branding
- Cognitive walk-through/task analysis usability testing
- Delivered high-fidelity prototype and mockups
research & findings
What helps writers?
- As a writer, I want to be able to update my word count on my home screen, so that I can quickly view my writing progress
- As a writer, I want to see a visual representation of my progress, so that I can motivate myself to finish my project.
- As a writer, I want to review my daily productivity for each of my projects, so that I can easily track my writing habits.
key survey findings
- 50% of users find the biggest benefit to tracking their word count is that it keeps them on target for deadlines
- 50% of users find the biggest obstacle to completing a project is lack of motivation
- 50% of users find the biggest motivator to completing a project is a visual indicator of their progress
- 83% of users said they would like to improve their drafting process by writing more consistently

Style & branding

The Look
- Professional, neutral color scheme of blues and grays
- Websafe font (Inter)
- Minimalist logo
- Light primary colors to keep the focus on The Work⢠(not distracting)
- ADA and WCAG compliant
the solution
Making goal attainment visual provides motivation for reaching abstract goals just as with physical destinations, according to a study conducted by Virginia Tech.

Home screen
Returning users get a snapshot of current projects, with the option to update the project. The activity feed below (suggested by multiple users during testing) provides updates from fellow writers on their progress for accountability and inspiration.

update screen
The user inputs the amount of words they wrote on their project. There is a section to provide optional notes about the writing session, future revision ideas, or general insight on the user's process.

project details screen
The project details screen provides a breakdown of the writer's goals, project inspo, and a circle graph depicting their progress. It's from this screen that users can view their daily stats for that individual project.

daily stats screen
A daily breakdown of the user's writing updates to give them a more detailed view of their output on a day-to-day basis.
Additional Features
These screens were not in my project scope, but after running a usability test with a writers' group in town, 70% of users indicated they wanted more elements that allowed for social interaction with other writers. In response to this, I designed the activity feed on the home screen, where I still had space that I wanted to fill. The app in general is uniform, so I wanted the profile screen to be personalized for the user with customized header images, project information, and genre tags. This screen also shows any Fast Track writing communities the user has joined. Profiles and individual projects can be public or private.


the final draft
- Users completed the user flow without any assistance
- User flow tasks: update word count, view project details, and check daily stats
- Prioritizes updating word count quickly
- Visual validation through the circle graph
- Typographical and visual hierarchy guides the user's eye down the page
conclusion
The easier a goal is to see, the closer it seems.
- Rajesh Bagchi, assistant professor of marketing in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech
Progress photos on a weight loss journey. Money in a mason jar. A map of all the steps we took in a day. We respond to visual indicators of our progress towards long-term goals. Word count and timeline are all set by the user: complete your first draft in three months or a year, writing daily or just a few times a week. It's all up to you. Fast Track puts your projects into perspective, so that you can always see how far you've come. And, come on, who doesn't get that sweet little rush of dopamine when they see a graph or a chart fill up with their progress?
Six months is going to go by whether you're writing or not. Wouldn't you like to have a completed first draft in that time? Fast Track is here to help you get out of your head, embrace the suck and write like hell.
Six months is going to go by whether you're writing or not. Wouldn't you like to have a completed first draft in that time? Fast Track is here to help you get out of your head, embrace the suck and write like hell.
