Hue

Removing bias and ensuring honesty in product reviews

Role

Founding UX/UI Designer

Duration

September - December 2022

Tools

Figma
ExpoGo
Maze
Notion

Team

Madisyn G. (Product Manager)
Tyler S. (Developer)
Misha K. (Developer)
Colin H. (Mentor)

Overview

In 2022, I led the UX/UI design for Hue, a short-form video product review app developed at USC’s startup incubator, Lavalab. Over three weeks, I worked closely with one product manager and two developers to bring Hue from concept to reality.

Defining the Problem

48% of customer reviews are sponsored.
‍
This makes it challenging for consumers to find honest feedback. With the rise of social media, distinguishing genuine reviews from sponsored content has become increasingly difficult.

This led us to ask:

How might we restore trust and customization in product reviews?

Product Preview

DASHBOARD

Thumbnail reviews for accessible searching

Review icons on video thumbnails provide quick insights into product quality
Aids users in efficient decision-making
Promotes informed choices

Rewards

Removing Follow/Following Feature

Curbs follower accumulation
Fosters an unbiased space
Encourages authentic reviews and unfiltered user opinions

Movie Journey

Upvote or downvote comments

Users can vote on a comment’s usefulness
Encourages diverse perspectives and deeper insights
Aligns with Hue's emphasis on authenticity

01 / How did we get here?

The power of short-form video

95%

of customers read online reviews before purchasing

33%

of US internet users aged 18-34 spend over 25 minutes searching for reviews.

Project Goals: Eliminating the bias in reviews

Eliminate bias in reviews

Increase trust

Enhance personalization

Heighten discovery

By focusing on these goals, we aimed to capture user trust and facilitate personalized product discovery.

02 / Understanding our users and market

Survey

To understand our target users, I conducted a Google Form survey with seven responses, revealing key user pain points and opportunities for Hue.

Key insights included:

80%

use short-form video apps to discover new products and make purchases

users were less trusting of sponsored reviews

49%

of customers need visual content (images, videos) to make purchases

Our rivalries

We conducted platform research on key review apps to identify gaps for expansion. I analyzed pros and cons, establishing Hue’s unique value proposition:

Prioritize authentic, unsponsored reviews
Remove the follow feature
Minimize popularity counts
Emphasize transparent product ratings for unbiased discovery

03 / The Drawing Board

Initial Sketches

I focused on three main design principles:

Personalized content
Emphasis on review videos and discovery
Ease of navigation

I then collaborated with my product manager and developers to draft ideas for Hue's features and assess interaction design feasibility.

Wireframing

Hue’s wireframes went through multiple iterations and usability tests to ensure ease of navigation and digestibility of reviews. Numerous discussions with developers addressed what could be designed within our short timeframe.

Validating our design decisions

Using Maze, I created tasks for users to test a functioning prototype of Hue after high-fidelity designs were completed. After 6 responses, the key insights were:

Minimizing the search

1 out of 5 users used the full-width search on the Home screen
Replaced it with a Search icon in the upper right corner
Emphasized the personalized home feed while maintaining search accessibility

Intuitive Video Swiping

We tested users’ ability to swipe up to view new videos.

4 out of 5 users completed this task successfully
Indicated intuitive navigation similar to apps like TikTok and Instagram

Design Challenges

Iteration was key as we faced several design challenges. My team and I explored multiple solutions to enhance Hue based on mentor feedback:

1. Emphasize Hue’s unique features

Hue's initial designs were too similar to competitors, with unclear incentives for user engagement. We introduced unique branding elements:

4:3 video format
Vibrant colors
Enhanced Profile screen with easy-access buttons for purchases, rewards, and past reviews.

2. Creating a visual hierarchy

Early drafts of the Product page were cluttered. Based on user survey feedback and competitor analysis, we redesigned the Product screen with a top-down visual hierarchy to improve readability and user experience.

3. Clarify benefits

Mentor feedback highlighted that Hue’s benefits were not clear enough. Thus, we updated the Profile screen to feature clear CTA buttons for:

Adding purchases
Checking rewards
Accessing past purchases

Design System

As the sole product designer, I developed a comprehensive design system for Hue, including:

Typography hierarchy
Color palette
Icons and components

Final Screens

Over three weeks, I designed and iterated on 20+ screens for Hue, addressing various edge cases. This project expanded my design thinking and ensured an inclusive and user-friendly experience for all users.

Hue