This project is an end-to-end app inspired by a personal passion of mine- jigsaw puzzles. I enjoy having a puzzle out on the table to work on while de-stressing or watching TV. However, puzzles aren’t cheap, and while they are technically reusable, much of the fun comes from the novelty of putting an image together for the first time.
I was fortunate to discover a puzzle swap box in my neighborhood, where people leave and take puzzles freely. This charming community feature gave me inexpensive access to a wide variety of puzzles that I could complete and exchange for new ones. For my capstone project, I wanted to bring this concept to a wider audience by creating an app that allows puzzle enthusiasts to connect and keep the puzzling alive.
My goal is to design an app where puzzle lovers can easily swap puzzles, providing a low-cost, accessible way to always have a new puzzle ready to enjoy.
Role: sole designer and researcher
Tools: Figma, Whimsical, Miro, WIX
Competitor Analysis
To start off, I conducted a competitor analysis and explored what products are already on the market that are similar to the app I want to create. I found a couple websites that had the same function but nothing in any app stores. However, the sites I found were difficult to navigate and visually unappealing. Additionally, these are mostly shipping based sites so local in-person swaps aren't their focus, and most were not free. The extra work of needing to constantly pay and mail puzzles is something I would want to eliminate. The options these sites offer and the structure of each gives me a good foundation to work from to iterate and adjust to my own design.
User Interviews
My next step was to conduct user interviews with the following research goal and objectives.
Research Goal
Understand people’s experiences with jigsaw puzzles and identify barriers that may prevent them from engaging more frequently.so that we can design an app that supports users in their puzzling activities.
Research Objectives
Determine how often people complete a puzzle and what they do with it once finished.
Determine how people procure puzzles (gifted, thifted, buy new, etc.).
Analyze people’s experiences when working on a puzzle and why they like or dislike them.
Understand what challenges, if any, prevent people from engaging with puzzles more.
I created a guide to use during interviews and gathered a participant pool of seven people. Participants ranged from 23 - 29 years old and were interviewed through Zoom in sessions lasting about 15-30 minutes long.
Results
Affinity Map
I synthesized interview responses into an affinity map to identify key themes and user pain points. Frequently mentioned insights were bolded to define core user needs.
Personas
Based on these insights, I developed two personas representing the app’s primary users, each with unique motivations and behaviors.
Brainstorming and Organization
To visualize the information architecture of the app, I created a site map and some user flows.
Site Map
User Flows
Lo-fi Sketches
I created low-fidelity sketches to explore layout and functionality. These early drafts helped structure the app and plan the user interface effectively.
Style Tile
From there, I developed a style tile including typeface, buttons, icons, color schemes, and overall imagery style. I would use this as a reference moving forward when actually building the product.
I later adjusted the heading font and use “Poor Story” instead because the original font lacked readability during screen design.
Logo
Starting with hand-drawn sketches, I designed several logo concepts. While I initially considered a compact, circular version, I ultimately chose a wordmark-style logo that better suited the app’s layout.
Potential name and logo options
Chosen Design
Digital Outlines
Final Full Logo
Mood Board
To establish a cohesive visual direction, I created a mood board featuring inspirational imagery, colors, and UI references.
High-fi Wireframes and Prototype
Using my style tile, I created high fidelity wireframes for the main pages of the app. I focused on the home page, filters, puzzle posts, swap request, upload, and completed collection.
I then began connecting these frames to make a testable prototype. To make it more functional, I created additional screens for form inputs and user interactions.
Usability Testing
I conducted usability tests via Zoom with five participants, ranging from casual puzzlers to enthusiasts. Each session followed a structured guide and was screen recorded for further analysis. I then organized findings into a feedback grid to identify key improvements.
Feedback Grid
Final Iterations
Most revisions focused on improving clarity and navigation across the app.
Home page:
Added an informational banner with a quick summary of the app’s function
Also have a button that would lead to a more detailed explanation of the app’s features if there is any further confusion
Replaced “New Puzzles” with “Recently Added” because the original wording was not clear to users
Puzzle posts/uploads:
Added dimension input for puzzles
Added information icon for “Condition” and “Public/Private”
Describes what the differences between various conditions are
Clarifies what public versus private means
Completed collection:
Added a description input for puzzles
Also made all details optional
Users can choose what information they input for their collection
They can also choose if they want to put the full dates from start to finish
Can put no date, or just start or end if they choose
Swap request:
Added information icon for “Ship”
Explains shipping process
Reflection
This was my second end-to-end app design (after Hobble), and I felt significantly more confident throughout the process. While I followed the same steps and conducted research similarly, I had a much stronger design vision this time. Working on this project helped me further develop my Figma skills, and I incorporated new design techniques that gave the app a more polished and professional feel. I’m especially proud that the app received positive feedback during usability testing, with users expressing genuine interest in using it.
This experience validated my growth as a designer, and I look forward to continuing to refine my skills and take on even more engaging and meaningful projects in the future.