EtherOS

My classmates and I were challenged to create a mobile operating system that was distinctive, cohesive, and user oriented.  We needed to create an operating system that was centered around a clear and defined set of design principles.

My team and I decided to design an operating system that focused on reducing visual clutter, containing only the essential elements for ease of use and functionality. Our vision for this operating system was UX that was simple, streamlined, and minimal, and UI that was clean, elegant, and felt lighter than air, hence the name, Ether.

Here's our process.

To narrow down our target user group, we conducted some research to define the areas of opportunity surrounding a minimalist smartphone operating system. One of the constraints of this challenge is that we weren’t able to conduct thorough research through user interviews. Instead, we decided to analyze available studies to determine relevant the user values.

“Users had a strong preference for a limited function phone” (Smith-Jackson et al., 2003)

“Elegance achieves maximum effect through minimum means” (May, 2010)

“Minimalism with removing unnecessary aspects and Gestalt together with organizing visual elements lead to the reduction of audiences' confusion and a more extensive range of them can make a more effective interaction to website.” (Sani and Shokooh, 2016)

Then, we designed the homescreen and basic applications of EtherOS. Here are some of the wireframes and short explanations for the UX of each native app.