The revised idea came about when thinking about how collaboration is a very big part of design, whether it is collaborating with clients to understand and create their vision or collaborating with other creatives on bigger projects.
I wanted to focus on the type of collaboration that fostered creation between different types of creatives in a more streamlined and efficient way.
Instead of a social media style app, where the user can find and connect with users, the functionality will be changed to only being able to add users to one’s team.
This is due to feasability, and what I wanted the app to focus on most, what would add the most value to users. Being able to connect and add creatives based on posts and profiles would be useful, however creating an all in one app would be dfficult in the time available.
Instead of focusing on the app as the primary device, the main device will now be desktop with the app being the companion. This is because when considering where the target user will be and what functions they aim to carry out with the app, I realised that ease of use would increase if the main functions could be carried out on desktop, and the on-the-go functions could be carried out on the app, such as quickly reviewing changes, replying to a message from your team or checking the team’s calendar.
Value vs Feasability Graph
When researching UI and UX trends, I wanted to focus on what would genuinely benefit my audience and their workflow, rather than just following what's popular for the sake of it. A clear trend I found was the move towards clean, minimal interfaces with fewer distractions. This makes sense for creatives who are already juggling a lot and so they don’t need a busy layout making things more complicated. Another big shift is toward customisability, allowing users to tailor their workspace to suit how they like to work. This influenced my decision to include flexible layout features within coLAB, so users can make it feel more personal and functional.
I also looked at recent innovations like companion apps and how they’ve changed how people manage tasks. Many platforms now focus on "companion-first" experiences, where mobile isn't expected to do everything, but instead supports quick, focused actions. This backed up my decision to make desktop the main space for collaboration and project work, and use the app for on-the-go communication, updates, and calendar checks. It felt more realistic for how creatives actually work, doing the heavy lifting at their desks, and managing the lighter stuff when they're moving between meetings or clients.
When looking at apps similar to coLAB, I noticed a few common patterns that helped shape how I wanted to position my own. A lot of creative tools like Slack, Trello, and Notion try to do everything in one place. While that might sound good in theory, it often ends up feeling bloated or too general, especially for creatives who just want to get in, get their work done, and stay focused. This helped confirm my decision to strip things back and keep coLAB focused specifically on creative teamwork, without unnecessary extras.
Another trend I picked up on was how these platforms are starting to look and feel more visual. Tools like Milanote, FigJam, Miro and Canva have taken off because they use mood boards, canvases and interactive elements that speak to visual thinkers. This really reinforced the idea that coLAB should use a clean and visual layout that actually suits the way creatives process information.
More apps are also putting effort into making teamwork feel more human such as team spaces, light personalisation and smoother communication. I knew I didn’t want coLAB to feel corporate or overly formal, so these trends pushed me to focus more on user-friendly interactions, a welcoming interface and features that support genuine collaboration between real people, not just project checklists.
Canva
Figjam
Miro
Milanote
I wanted to add a widget that looked like a whiteboard, where users can quickly note stuff down or use for ideation while on call or collaborating. To inspire that widget I will be looking at Figjams whiteboard look, and Miro’s tools.
Miro tools
Figjam