Studio Brief 2 - Research 2

After looking into the design elements of political parties and the designs created by the public in response, investigating the styles used in apps was the next step. By looking at different apps that were about politics, gaming or multiple choice questions, it would be possible to understand a way to design an interface for a similar audience. In this case, the audience would be people aged between 18 and 25. Therefore, by looking at apps that attract this audience, it would be easier to gauge a particular design style and flow to the app.

The first app that was looked at was 'CommonsVote', which provides the audience with information on different political parties running in the 2017 election and the MPs for them.

The first loading screen is similar in design to the manifestos that were previously viewed, including a full bleed colour background of the app and the logo. It also includes the logo for House of Commons, making the viewer aware that the information is from an official source.

The first interactive page of the app shows the different votes that are currently being decided in parliament, the date they were published and the amount of votes for each. 

The option to click on these votes then takes the viewer to a different page where the votes are presented in a pie chart. Another option allows the viewer to further find out which MPs voted in favour and who did not, sorting them in to either 'by name' or 'by party'.

The next section of the app was the 'members', which shows different members of parliament, their political party, constituency and what votes they had engaged with. 

One option for the page was to click the star icon, shifting the politician into the 'favourites' section. This was ideal for the viewer as they could then find their favourite politicians in one area, upon returning to the app.

The last section of the app was the 'About' section, explaining the uses for the app, where the information is coming from and what the votes entail. By adding a section such as this the viewer can understand the reason for the interactions of the app, as well as how to navigate it. Overall the app was very simple and didn't overcomplicate any of its features, making it easy to navigate and understand. Through the use of small icons, the viewer could choose from just three simple sections that provided information that was brief and easy to read. This type of layout may be something to consider when designing the user interface.

The second app that was explored was the 'Quiz of Knowledge' app, which provided the viewer with multiple topics to choose from, including art, history and music.

The first page of the app was similar to the first app as it showed a simple design layout for different sections. This app allowed for viewers to find other games of a similar type and look at the scores. In terms of the design, this app was more informal to the viewer as it used colourful options and more playful imagery, which shows the app was created with all audiences in mind. 

By showing the categories with images in the background the audience gets a brief idea of what the questions will entail. 

The questions for the app were separated into four options, which allow the viewer enough time to answer with a timer.