Background
Synology is a leading provider of network-attached storage (NAS) solutions, offering a wide range of devices for data management, backup, and sharing. Their products cater to both home users and businesses, providing scalable storage solutions with advanced features such as data protection, file synchronisation, and remote access.
We designed a next-generation photo management tool to enhance user experience and add value to Synology’s NAS ecosystem. This tool allows users to personalise and categorise their photos smartly, ensuring reliability and user-friendly interfaces.
research
To better understand users’ behaviour related to photos, we conducted user interviews. We found that people use smartphones for photos but rely on cables for manual backups, which is time-consuming. They want to easily share meaningful photos while maintaining privacy. Collecting photos from multiple devices is inconvenient. Photos are organised by date and event on PCs, with backups happening infrequently. Selecting the best photos from many similar ones is tedious. Dropbox’s restore feature is appreciated for recovering lost photos.
We also examined the latest photo management services from leading competitors, comparing their signature features and main screen UI structures with our service. This analysis guided us in enhancing our new photo management tool from both UI and UX perspectives. We found timeline, automatic categorisation, and social sharing are fundamental features.
Design goals and brainstorming
Based on user interviews, we identified the following design goals:
Ensure Data Recovery: Provide robust backup and restore features to safeguard against data loss, similar to Dropbox’s restore functionality.
Simplify Photo Backup: Develop a wireless backup solution to eliminate the need for manual cable connections.
Facilitate Easy Sharing: Create features that allow users to easily share meaningful photos while maintaining their privacy.
Streamline Photo Collection: Design a system that simplifies collecting photos from multiple devices and users.
Enhance Photo Organisation: Implement intuitive organisation tools that automatically categorise photos by date, location, and event.
Improve Photo Selection: Introduce smart algorithms to help users quickly select the best photos from similar shots.
Wireframes
After finalising key features, we focused on refining user flows and interactions for an enhanced experience. Numerous UX flows and wireframes were created iteratively. We used these wireframes and prototypes to collaborate with developers on design concepts, while they explored applicable technologies for our app. Below is a glimpse of the wireframes.
User testing
After releasing the beta version, we recruited 4 internal employees from different departments for user testing. Initially, we categorised what we aimed to learn by features. We then outlined scenarios and tasks for participants, including standard steps for each task to gauge alignment with our design. Throughout the testing, we recorded the entire process for project stakeholders to review in video format.
Testing Results & Solutions:
- Unclear button styling and confusing wording. -> Improve button clarity by framing text and revising wording.
- Unable to rename in an empty album. -> Automatically focus on album name creation after creating an empty album.
- Photos do not appear after uploading to a new album. -> Automatically refresh the album and display when no photos exist.
- Users are unaware they can click the upload queue icon to reveal the panel. -> Use animations and indicators (like a red dot) on the upload queue icon to notify users of ongoing and completed tasks.
- Misunderstanding of the close button on notifications. -> Display a “Refresh” button in the toast notification after upload completion.
- Unclear feedback when adding photos to an album. -> Show the “Add to Album” option in the upload queue panel after tasks are complete, followed by a confirmation toast upon completion.
- Users attempt to hover or right-click on albums for actions. -> Display additional options (rename, delete, etc.) in an action menu when hovering over albums.
- Users attempt to click the logo to return to the initial page. -> Include a link back to the initial page via the logo.
Mobile app
Our mobile app design for photo management emphasises simplicity and ease of use, ensuring intuitive navigation and user-friendly interfaces optimised for smaller screens. With a focus on seamless interaction, it offers efficient tools for organising and sharing photos, enhancing user experience on the go.
Web app
Our web app design for photo management combines a clean, modern interface with robust functionality, providing a versatile platform for managing and accessing photos from any device. Featuring responsive design principles and scalable architecture, it ensures a seamless experience across desktops and tablets, empowering users with intuitive tools for organising, sharing, and enjoying their photo collections.
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