Rethinking app navigation in the african landscape

Research & Discovery

Before we could start work on the new nav project, I had to understand who our users are. At this stage, very little UX research had been done on our users. 

I started with a round of prototype tests to see where our users were getting stuck. 

The biggest learning from the prototype tests was that users did not understand anything hidden behind an icon-only button - case in point the Drawer Menu icon - this was basically a black hole for our users. 

Some survey outcomes for getting to know our users.

I then proceeded to map out our current IA to visibly identify where I could spot clear problem areas in the navigation after reviewing the outcome of the prototypes. 

I explored some initial layouts for how to solve some problems found during our prototype testing and how we could potentially tackle the "More" menu.

A New Color System 

My first objective was to ensure that our brand colors as dictated by the CI were being adhered to in the new app so we needed to go "back to basics" to outline the exact colors as well as usage ratios and do's & don'ts.

From there I then created a palette that works alongside the core primary palette to represent each vertical. This was an important new feature in our redesign to help guide the user to understand the multidimensionality of the app. It also introduced a much more colorful/vibrant expression of the app to fit our target market more effectively. 

UI Designs

With the UI design work, it was important to not completely redesign the app from the ground up for the first phase. We started with global elements and components that would make a significant visual impact but could be implemented in a quarter. 

We started with the vertical color coding and making sure the bottom nav system is strong visually & functionally.

A roaring success

We've seen increased engagement on almost every vertical to date, most notable our Music & Games verticals - a momentous achievement for our team.