Webapp
Role: UI/UX HTML/CSS/Java

My young kids have been loving hearing jokes recently, so I decided to build a website/webapp that parents or uncles or babysitters can use to quickly access a library of jokes. There are plenty of joke sites or apps in existence, but I haven't found one that was a pleasure to use, with easy navigation, clear filters, and a modern design.

There is no shortage of jokes on the internet, but the websites and apps I’ve found are either not user friendly, or are aesthetically lacking.  I chatted with some other dad friends about where they source their jokes and riddles, and no one had any suggestions that they really liked.  I decided to build one!
‍

Jokesss is based on a simple premise, display one joke at a time in the most straightforward way possible.

Because the website is so simple, I sketched out a prototype by hand and jumped straight into a HI-FI mockup using Figma. This was then tested on three users to gain insight in how they would use the app and if there were any pain points or feedback that would need to be iterated upon. The main point of feedback was the filter button. Most users had no idea what it was and didn’t try to access it without prompting. The one user that did use it independently commented that it seemed slightly clunky.

I incorporated the feedback I received, and then began building the website in a code compiler. Writing the code was a major driver for me to pursue this project - to refresh my (limited) skills as a “developer.” It was slow going, but I learned (and re-learned) a lot.

After much trial and error, I put the website out into the real world, and asked my friends and family to take a peek. The feedback so far has been great, with a few friends getting some laughs from their kids around the dinner table. Just what I set out to do.

I received three main suggested improvements:

1. Toggle categories one at a time
2. Adjust the color scheme (prompted by some questions from me)
3. Ensure the back button on your browser works to go back to previous joke

The next iteration of the Jokesss website would be to provide a user login (beyond my technical ability to code) so that a user could like and save their favorite jokes. Additionally, the joke order could be influenced by the amount of likes each joke has received; currently the jokes are generated randomly. I also this website would function just as well or better as an app, however I don't currently have that skillset. For now, enjoy the current version of Jokesss!