Week 11 Blog

Designing Within Smaller Constraints

This week, I continued working on the search flow for courses, institutions, and agents in Globaly.io, but shifted focus toward the mobile experience. After working on the desktop version, adapting the same complexity to a smaller screen made me think differently about structure and prioritization.

On mobile, space becomes a real constraint. What felt manageable on desktop suddenly needs to be simplified and reorganized. I had to rethink how filters are displayed, what appears first, and how users can still search and refine results without feeling overwhelmed on a smaller device.

One important thing I realized is that mobile design forces clarity. You can’t rely on space to explain complexity, so every element needs to have a strong reason to exist. This made me more conscious of what truly matters in the search experience and what can be hidden or moved into secondary interactions.

I also started thinking more about interaction patterns like collapsible filters and progressive refinement. Instead of showing everything upfront, the mobile experience needs to guide users step by step while still keeping the process fast and efficient.

Key Learnings & Insights

  • Mobile design requires stronger prioritization than desktop
  • Limited space forces clearer decisions in layout and structure
  • Filters need to be simplified or grouped more carefully on smaller screens
  • Progressive disclosure is even more important in mobile UX
  • Good mobile UX focuses on speed and clarity over completeness.

    • Application in Practice

    This week, I started translating the desktop search flow into a mobile version. I focused on simplifying filter placement, improving hierarchy, and ensuring that users can still refine searches without feeling overloaded on a small screen.

    Reflection

    One challenge this week was removing or simplifying elements that felt useful on desktop but unnecessary on mobile. It was difficult at times to decide what to keep and what to hide, but I realized that mobile design is more about focus than completeness.

    This shift also helped me understand the importance of adaptability in UX design. The same feature needs to behave differently depending on the device, and that’s part of designing a consistent but flexible experience.

    Next Week Goals

    • Continue improving consistency between desktop and mobile experiences.
    • Refine mobile search interactions based on usability and feedback.
    • Get feedback from the senior designer on the mobile flow.
    • After the senior designer’s approval, present the flow for CEO review and prepare the handoff for development.
    • Discuss with the Product Manager which module or feature should be prioritized next.

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