Challenge: While Discord offers a status feature, it lacks a system for sharing personal notes with others. This limits opportunities for users to write thoughts, share ideas, or initiate discussions, which could enhance collaboration and engagement within communities. 

Task: To design and implement a note-sharing system on Discord that allows users to write, share, and reply to notes. This feature will focus on seamless interaction, fostering more meaningful conversations and providing a space for idea-sharing across communities. 

In my research plan, my main research questions are:

• How do users currently utilize text channels or direct messages for sharing personal notes or updates?

• What challenges do they face with these methods? 

• What types of collaborative note-taking and interaction features (e.g., comments, replies, tagging) do users find most helpful? 

I conducted interviews with five participants who all use Discord daily to gather insights into their daily interactions, communication habits, and overall experiences using Discord. 

• Participants emphasized the need for a quick and easy process when creating and sharing notes. 

• They highlighted the importance of being able to reply to and comment on notes. They shared that having this feature would encourage more interaction with other users.

• They also expressed a desire for real-time notifications when others interact with their notes, emphasizing the importance of staying updated on responses.

To improve this prototype further, I conducted two user testing sessions, which led me to these main revisions:

• This project reinforced the importance of empathy in user-centered design. By understanding user frustrations with current note-sharing methods, I was able to create a more intuitive solution that aligns with their needs. 
• Simplifying the note-sharing process demonstrated that clear, straightforward design choices can significantly improve user experience without compromising functionality. 
• Incorporating dynamic states like hover and click animations highlighted the value of interactive feedback, which enhances user engagement and satisfaction.