Jordan Kulhawik
JRNY color refinement header

How might we design a dashboard for Transparent Path?

Transparent Path is a Seattle-based company that focuses on tracking shipments in the food supply chain by combining IoT sensors with Blockchain technology. Their product can track the location, temperature, and humidity of shipments all over the globe. I worked on a team of three alongside a project manager and a researcher to build a shipments dashboard focused on helping chocolatiers track their shipments and be notified of issues such as melting or delays.

Overview

JRNY home screen with callouts of changes needed

Initial Assessment

We reviewed the colors in the JRNY app and where they were used. Some – like the legibility of the primary buttons (issue 3) – immediately stood out as issues, while others took a while to discover.

  1. Light blue was designated as an action color, and needed to be used consistently.
  2. Lack of consistency for the main text color. Sometimes it was pure white, and sometimes off-white.
  3. Not enough contrast between the text and background of the primary buttons.
  4. Using red for the selected tab on the main navigation bar seemed like an error.
  5. (Not pictured) Some colors were not used in the app, and needed to be removed.
JRNY home screen with callouts of color updates

Improvements Made

We decided on a simpler color scheme to quiet the overall experience and  highlight the most important elements; the workouts.

  1. White is now used to highlight the selected tab, while light blue is reserved for active elements.
  2. The main text color is now white to maximize the contrast and simplify the experience.
  3. The primary button now has more contrast (11.72 to 1) and passes WCAG standards.
  4. The main navigation bar uses white as its highlight color. Red is now reserved for errors only.
JRNY home screen before color changesJRNY home screen with updated colors

Before & after

Above, you can see the same screen before and after the color update. Although this affects the entire JRNY app, focusing on one screen allows us to easily compare the differences. Notice where your eye naturally goes, and which elements call out for attention rather than highlighting an active state.

Wrap up & execution

Through this project, Edyta and I were able to simplify the use of colors throughout the JRNY app, and set specific rules where those colors should be used. We also set up a color library in Figma to make it easier for designers to use (example shown here).

This improved readability in the app, and made it easier for our users to navigate. Simplifying the colors also allowed us to highlight the workout content rather than the navigation, and more aesthetically pleasing in general.

We worked with developers and project managers to implement these updates one step at a time, focusing on the most important aspects first. The updated colors are available in the current version of the JRNY app, available in the App Store or Google Play Store.

Highlights