Meda

An imagined experience of personal data ownership and exchange through a utopian lens where users can decide which of their data is sold or kept private.

Project Name

Meda

Team

Revi Riabinski

Project Type

UX/UI, Logo & Brand Identity, Mobile App Design

Role

Art Direction, Brand Identity, UX/UI, UI Copy, Mockups

Project Overview

Personal data meets ownership and ethical transfer of information

Nowadays data is the new “oil industry” generating revenues of over $1 trillion annually. We interact with data in almost every aspect of our lives from daily social interactions to financial activities, yet we rarely possess true ownership of it.

My Role/Responsibilities

Logo & identity, app design, UX process, Mockups

Challenge

To design an innovative solution which allows users to interact and have control over their data.

Solution

The idea of Meda was formed through exploring various current solutions to personal data management platforms. This led to to imagining a product which would take place in an alternate future where the average person has the power to decide what happens with their data while at the same time benefitting from it.

Research & Planning

Gaining insight & deeper understanding

Primary research consisted of gathering information from various university students and post graduates. It was identified that many are worried about big data gathering information. Privacy concern is bigger than ever. Rapid advancement in technology and data privacy regulation is a challenging issue to solve. When using technology platforms there is a constant worry of personal and sensitive information which could be breached. Additionally, not knowing how the information is used and who it's sold to is a worry-some factor.

Additionally, a competitive analysis was performed comparing other platforms with similar services or goals.
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Full Process Here

UI Brand System

A distinct branding and UI system was created which is translated across the application and can also easily be applied to brand-related designs and marketing.

Screen Iteration - Evolution

Over the course of the design process, several iterations and refinements were made to the design with the goal of creating an optimized user interface for a smooth and easy user experience.

This included changes surrounding information hierarchy, colour usage and UI layout.

Flow Chart

The flowchart allows us to analyze the various paths and steps a user must take to complete an action. By looking at this, we could optimize and refine UI to allow for a better experience.

Experience 1 - Onboarding

The onboarding phase is a crucial a first-time-user's experience. During this segment, users are greeted and briefed, prompted to add basic details, select the apps in which they want to add, and lastly accept terms and conditions.

This process is intended to have as minimum friction as possible in order to get the user started on the app.

Experience 2 - Exchange

The exchange process allows users to access and decide which stored information they want to sell, at what rate its being bought at, and by which company.

Defining the Consumer

By defining and creating user personas the team was able to design a product that met the concerns and expectations of target users.

User Persona - 1

Name: Aayla Smithers
Age: 20 years old
Location: Miami, Florida

Persona Profile

Aayla is a 22 year old university student, majoring in computer science. She has a busy life coordinating hackathon events, while working 15 hours a week as a retail store manager. She is extroverted at school and on social media. She is worried big data is taking advantage of her personal data. She constantly researches ways of protecting her data, and thinks its unfair that she needs to work endless hours, while big data is stealing her personal information and profiting off of it.

Pain Points
  • Not being aware of what exactly social apps are tracking
  • Having to worry about big data using her data in ways she doesn't want
Motivations
  • To focus more on her studies than social media
Goals
  • A fast, reliable app that educates her on data app consumption
  • A breakdown and choice of what data is being sold

User Persona - 2

Name: Donald Hopkins
Age: 42 years old
Location: Toronto, Canada

Persona Profile

Donald is a 42 year old single father to an energetic toddler. He has a very busy schedule, taking care of his baby every other week, and working full time as a janitor the weeks he has off. His personal data was recently leaked. Donald hopes if his data is given away, he could earn money from it ethically, instead of it being sold by big tech, or hackers. He is worried he is not tech savy enough to understand.

Pain Points
  • Tired of getting his data leaked from websites and services he uses
  • He feels like he is old and hopeless, and technological advancements scare him
Pain Points
  • Relieving stress from wondering how tech companies are using his personal information for financial gain
Goals
  • A product that is simple to use, without the need to stay on top of technological advancements
  • An app that he can make extra money off of

Marketplace Home

App Experience Walkthrough

Final Thoughts

Opening our minds to solutions beyond what we know now

This project has allowed me to explore ideas which extend beyond what we know today and what is possible. This design process has also paved a new way of thinking for me; that the solutions which one creates should not only be useful but also responsible. Taking a current issue and reimagining it through a theoretical lens opens new ideas and possibilities. This is usually due to the constraints of current processes and business models.

The future is bright as long as we shine towards that path.

Interested in working together? Get in touch today.

Please reach out if you would like to learn more about my projects, process, services, or schedule a meeting.