Introduction

● A text-only app that serves as the user’s most reliable messenger by removing unnecessary features.
● Name comes from the combination of "sanitize" and "talk".
● Text-based alternative to face-to-face conversation, relying solely on language (text) for information exchange.
● Eliminates common communication app features like audio, online calling, and file transferring.
● Features point-to-point messaging, "burn after read" functionality, and a monochrome interface designed with the golden ratio.
● Prioritizes simplicity and privacy.

Academic Project
Duration: 3 months
My role: UI/UX Designer, UX Researcher
Tools: Justinmind, Adobe Photoshop

Background

● Technology challenges traditional morals.
● Ethics evolve over time.
● Secrets, though not harmful, need protection.
● Technology complicates privacy.
● Designed minimalist app for utmost privacy, especially for sensitive digital communication.

Pain Points

Research Method: In-person interview; Questionaire
Interviewee Amount: 40

● Many feel insecure discussing private matters on standard apps.
● Concerns about message leaks are widespread.
● This concern affects people across various professions.
● Features in popular chat apps are often unnecessary for those prioritizing face-to-face communication.
● Versatile functions in most chat apps, while suitable for casual conversation, confuse those seeking efficient and secure message delivery.

Point-To-Point Messaging & Intentional Inconvenience

● Information communicated via SaniTalk leaves no trace except in the user’s mind.
● Messages between users exist only on their respective devices for a set time determined by users.
● No record is kept on the server or in the app backend; texts disappear once the time limit is reached.
● Usernames of other users are not displayed in chat rooms, guiding users to double-check their partner's serial number and username before entering the chat.
● This feature ensures users send important messages to the correct recipient.

Burn After Read & Screenshot Reminder

● Every text is permanently deleted after reading to prevent leaks.
● SaniTalk alerts users when the other party takes a screenshot.
● Users can set message display duration in the "TEXT VANISHING TIME" section of settings.
● For example, if a user sets a 20-second vanishing time and sends a message, the recipient has 20 seconds to read it.
● If the time is too short, users must communicate to set a longer time, minimizing the risk of message capture by other devices.

Be Personal

● SaniTalk allows users to set their own security questions for a personalized experience.
● This feature sets it apart from apps with fixed security questions, which may not suit all users' needs and are easily forgotten.
● Customized questions make it easier for users to retrieve passwords or accounts.
● SaniTalk offers LIGHTS ON mode for brighter environments (e.g., daytime) and LIGHTS OFF mode for darker settings (e.g., nighttime in bed or in a taxi).

Color Palette, Icons, Fonts

● Two color modes: LIGHTS ON and LIGHTS OFF.
● Slight variation in color palettes between modes.
● Colors in LIGHTS OFF mode are slightly darker for visual harmony.
● Minimal icons in SaniTalk; most page links are text-based.
● Only three icons: "incoming text message", "searching contact", and "SaniTalk homepage".
● Font: Avenir, a clean and smooth geometric sans serif.
● Three variations of Avenir used in the app: Avenir Medium, Avenir Book, and Avenir Light, for consistent yet visually appealing design.

Aesthetics: Golden Ratio & Empty Rooms

● The interface backgrounds resemble empty or ambiguous spaces.
● The middle image serves as the texting room.
● Swiping right leads to the My Account page, displaying the right corner of an empty room; swiping left leads to the Contact List, showing the left corner of an empty room.
● Design concept: Swiping right moves the page right, indicating the user moving left. This motion simulates the user passing through the wall of the texting room to reach the destination, with the corner immediately on the right.
● Simplicity and sophistication define SaniTalk’s aesthetic, with sophistication hidden in details.
● Background images are monochrome and adhere to the golden ratio, with room corners at the golden angle (approximately 137.5°).
● Empty rooms with Morandi colors serve as quiet and safe spaces for texting.

All Pages