Redesigning sticky notes desktop app
old
New
Role: UX Designer
Tools: Figma, Google forms, Miro
Timeline: March 2023 - June 2023
Skills: UI Design, Visual Design
Problem Statement
The Sticky Notes desktop app is intended for quick note-taking, but it fails to scale, lacks structure, and frustrates users with limited customization, poor search, and hidden features.
Users juggling multiple notes struggle to organise, find, and secure their data, creating unnecessary cognitive load.
Goals & Objectives
Improve information organisation for heavy users.
Reduce friction in finding and managing notes.
Increase customization and accessibility options.
Research Phase
a. Heuristic Evaluation & UX Audit
Key issues:
No hierarchy or tagging
Limited note colors and font control
Weak search function
No onboarding
b. User Research
Method: Open-ended online survey & 1:1 interviews
Participants: 5 users (mix of casual and heavy Sticky Notes users)
Key Insights:
"I can’t find old notes without scrolling forever."
"I don’t know if my notes are backed up."
"Three colors isn’t enough - I use notes to prioritise."
"I need a way to group notes by project."
Define
Primary Pain Points:
Lack of structure -> messy and hard to navigate after 3 folders
Poor search and discovery -> consumes time
Low customisation -> cannot adapt to personal workflows
Ideation
Used Crazy 8s and Affinity Mapping to generate ideas.
Solution Ideas
Tag & folder system
Search filters & note preview
Customisable themes and fonts
Dashboard view of all notes
Design Phase
a. Wireframes
Dashboard view with grouped notes
Left sidebar for tags/folders
Search bar
Color-coded priority labels
b. High-Fidelity Mockups
Old UI: plain, single-note popups, no overview
New UI: organised workspace, modern look, easy navigation
Before
After
Usability Testing
Method: Remote moderated testing with 5 participants
Tasks Tested:
Find a specific note from 3 weeks ago
Create a note and group it under a tag
Change theme for better readability
Results:
100% could find notes faster (avg search time dropped from 30s to 8s)
4/5 said they’d trust the app more with visible backup status
All participants liked the dashboard view
Impact
Improved task completion time by 73% in tests
Boosted user satisfaction with customisation features
Reflection
This project allowed me practice design process and develop my creativity. I was able to identify pain points, balance minimal UI with added features and explore other features.
Thank you