As usual, I keep changing my design challenges. I just can’t help myself. This one incorporates the ideas from my GMail settings post. I actually think every new designer who is interested in B2B products should give this one a try. It makes a good portfolio piece one way or the other.

Effort estimate: 1-2 days

Prompt

Redesign a GMail Settings UI. You may choose the Filters and Blocked Addresses UI tab and/or the General UI tab.

These interfaces are very old and can be improved in many different ways. The General tab is long and hard to find specific features. The Filters and Blocked Addresses UI is hard to manage, especially if you have many filters. You may change the entire thing, including navigation, size, layout, and interface.

Requirements

1. Must be in Figma
2. Frames must be 1333×750 (Desktop)
3. Name your layers
4. Use the latest Material Design 3 patterns and Figma library

What will make it great?

• Demonstrate proficient/advanced use of Figma including components, instance swap, auto layout, prototyping
• Reasonable desktop interpretation of the Material design specification
• Interactivity in the prototype
• Most importantly, a clear usability improvement from the original beyond just the style

NOT requirements:

• A formal case study
• In depth research

Note: I think case studies are still a dumb thing to make designers do. You can do them, but I don’t think it is the main point.

What was wrong with the v6 challenge?

1. People were designing the same thing over and over again, poorly
2. It was too complicated
3. It was taking too long

A good design challenge doesn’t take too long, but demonstrates one’s abilities and allows for true differentiation.

Old Design Challenges

• UX Candidate Design Challenge – v1
• UX Candidate Design Challenge – v2
• UX Candidate Design Challenge – v3
• UX Candidate Design Challenge – v4
• UX Candidate Design Challenge – v5
• UX Candidate Design Challenge – v6

What’s your favorite so far? Are they getting any better?