THE PROJECT
I challenged myself to create an app that would enable municipal governments and organizations to assign tasks to individuals and teams. The individuals to whom tasks have been assigned can then communicate their progress.
USER FLOWS
I identified two views I'd need to design. The admins assign and track tasks, while the people to whom tasks have been assigned would have their own view. I mapped out user flows for these two roles.
SKETCHING
I wanted the intro screen to be simple and intuitive. I started by sketching two potential directions: one with segmented controls for the list and map views, the other with the filter, map and search bar along with edit and an icon for creating a new task. Both had their virtues, but they felt a bit heavy.
WIREFRAMING
I decided that there probably wasn't a compelling use case for bringing all tasks into edit mode. By stripping this functionality out, I was able to simplify things. I arrived at another couple viable designs - one with a navigation bar containing icons, and another with a search bar, and labels for the map and filter functionality. My working assumption is that the more explicit labels will win out in testing, since there is less cognitive overhead for the user than trying to interpret icons.
The map view is important since admins would probably want to be able to assign multiple tasks in the same vicinity to the same person.
Allowing the admin to filter tasks lets them see tasks grouped by type, as well as status and who they have been assigned to. They can also quickly see which tasks are due to be completed soon.
The admin view of a task details screen. The admin can specify the type of task, due date, assign it to someone, and drop a map pin. Both the admin and assignee can add notes, photos and videos to present a clearer picture of the task. The user has a similar view, but cannot delete the task.
The person details screen allows the admin to quickly contact them, and to view tasks that have been assigned to them.
NEXT STEPS
Next, I'll create a prototype to validate the designs with users. Once any modifcations are made to the design, I'll do the visual design to provide a final level of polish.