Technology-Based Projects
This section features a Community Design Project and a corresponding Usability Test Report, both of which illustrate my ability to produce professional-grade artifacts using Figma and employ other digital tools to facilitate remote usability testing. These samples, paired with the development of this website portfolio, attest to my skill in learning new technologies to produce visually cohesive and effective assets that adhere to the principles of design and documentation.
Introduction
The following documents—a comprehensive Community Design Project and a corresponding Usability Test Report—were the culmination of my work in ENG 5313: Document Design. Dr. Robblee designed this assignment to challenge our ability to apply design principles to a real-world scenario: creating a cohesive suite of branded materials for a professional organization and then testing those artifacts for effectiveness. For this project, I chose to work with the B&M Group, a real estate team that required a more sophisticated and unified visual identity to better serve their clientele and expand their professional network.
I chose to work with B&M Group to help my sister (one of the owners) establish a brand identity that is supported by quality documents that can easily be reused. In the real estate industry, documents like referral forms and marketing materials are not only administrative, they are also rhetorical tools that establish credibility and trust. I recognized that the B&M Group’s existing materials lacked a unified “visual vocabulary,” which could lead to a perceived lack of professionalism or experience. My goal was to leverage Figma to create evergreen designs that employed consistent typography, color schemes, and layouts that appeal to the user while reinforcing the affiliation with RE/MAX.
My design choices were grounded in the design theories of Robin Williams’s CRAP principles (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity) and Gestalt principles of visual perception. I used Figma to implement these theories across four deliverables—a B&M Group logo, branded folder, informational flyer, and referral forms—reinforcing the brand identity. The accompanying Usability Test Report was an important way to check for alignment between the application of design theory and the user’s reality. By conducting moderated testing on the referral form with five professional realtors, I gathered quantitative and qualitative data to determine if my design choices were successful.
The version of the designs in this portfolio underwent significant revision since their first iterations. Originally, my focus was primarily on the aesthetic redesign of the logo and documents. Based on my continued learning and the results of the usability test, I made significant changes to each design. In addition to aesthetic improvements, I created both printable and fillable PDF versions of the referral form, and I created two versions of the informational flyer, one of which can be repurposed for different areas.
By combining design work with user feedback, this project grew from an assignment into something that actually helped my sister’s business grow. This process taught me the value of iterative work paired with user testing.