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Yelp Redesign by Max Wen

Yelp Redesign by Max Wen

Design Ideas
March 25, 2016
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Yelp is a great product but is offering terrible user experience. Therefore, artist Max Wen and Liyi, Zhu would like to improve the user experience by redesigning the user flow, interface structure, and visual looking. But actually, big company does not take risk.

We want our design is realistic, which is possible to be implemented and meeting the design principles for an industrial product. It might not be super creative. But it must be reasonable. That is the biggest challenge we think. Btw, we are master students of human computer interaction and design program at University of Washington.
-Max Wen

Max Wen

Basically, our design process follows the typical iteration design process. At first, we analyzed the existing product, understanding the function, strength, weakness and purpose of each feature. For example, we found out yelp was actually encouraging user to build a social network through the App. Those principles would be our design guild lines. For the visual part, we analyzed the current trend of food app and define a proper “personality” of the new visual looking, which is simple, modern and friendly. After having those thought, our design proceeded smoothly.
-Max Wen

Max Wen

Actually, before I did the design, I read a lot of books written by renowned architects such as "homogeneous structure and clear constructions" by Mies Van der Rohe, "Interval Order and Distinction Between Things" by Louis I Kahn. Personally, I believe a phone application is just like a building on digital platform. The theories in those architectural books like "structure" and "order" are also applicable in a digital product.
-Max Wen

Max Wen

I took the position of lead visual designer in this project. I think my style of design was carried out in this project very much. Clean, simple and reasonable are the typical words describing my style of interface design. I think if there is no big change if a visual element is took out, that visual element should be took out. May I say Mies is my big inspiration!? I think interface is similar as architecture, it is not merely about experience, it is about structure, system and how to build a right structure solving complex problems.
-Max Wen

Max Wen

Minimal style in user interface design. No redundant visual element. "Nice looking" is not a purpose but a result. The purpose of my design is to build a reasonable structure ( or design guild lines) to which all the visual elements can apply. Exploration. There is no perfect design. Only by challenging herself staying in an "uncomfortable zone"- can a designer step forward. :) Also, touching different design fields can inspire a designer a lot.
-Max Wen

About Max Wen

Max Wen is a passionate and rational designer, artist, programmer and craftsman. User experience, user interface, website, visual identity, illustration, performing arts, hardware design, architecture, are all parts of her design experience. Exploration of the interaction of human beings and objects has never changed in her design process. Stretching her thinking into diverse fields, Max can see over the boundaries of design and discover a holistic solution or question-both crucial to an innovative and sophisticated design. See more of her works on Behance or her website.

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