The figma embed tends to work best on laptops & desktops. Optimizations have been made to still be functional on mobile, but it may not be the best experience.
Summary
This case study follows my journey through research, ideation, prototyping, user testing, and final UI design. It is the documentation of a semester-long (16-week) mobile app UX design project where I learned to employ new research methods, design tools, and implement a content strategy. The goal was to propose a solution to the increasingly important societal problem of isolation within adolescents and young professionals.
Problem Statement
People are feeling more isolated than ever, and mental health is quickly becoming a major concern within highly technology-centric societies. Finding activities and events feels too difficult, and overwhelmingly people simply aren’t bothering anymore. Restaurants have seen a decline in foot traffic due to price increases, and a survey from Pew Research indicates that over 30% of those surveyed were less interested in “Large gatherings, going out, [and] socializing.”
Events, activities, and destinations are everywhere, yet it always feels like a chore to try anything new. Hearing about a new place or activity is completely happenstance, advertisements aren’t always reputable, and this ultimately leads to people choosing easier options for entertainment like TV shows or “a night in.” The goal of Afterwork is simple, it answers the question “What can I be doing (near me) right now?”
Research & Audience
The problem is clear, and its implications are far-reaching. Depression and mental health have been verifiably linked to conditions of isolation and loneliness (Rosenberg, Jaime), which could be on the rise due to a decrease in public socialization by younger generations, with the most impacted demographic being ages 15-29 (Rosenberg, Jaime). In addition to the high correlation between isolation and mental health risk, studies from both Deloitte and the Pew Research Center found that “going out” has decreased over time (Sharpe, Maddie & Spencer). Ages 15-29 showed the largest decline in analog entertainment, with an overall decline as digital and in-home entertainment sources (such as TV, gaming, and social media) have captured a larger market share (Westcott, Kevin et. al.). All of this is likely contributing to the rise in depression and suicide evident in the United States (Rosenberg, Jaime) (NIMH).
Looking at some of the current options for finding events can be helpful in identifying areas for improvement. Primarily, people go to apps and websites to solve their problems, such as to purchase new clothing, find information, or be saved from boredom. In this case, users are trying to answer the question, “What can I do right now?” Current apps fall short, they may allow users to schedule events, invite people, and create groups, but they do nothing for the vast majority of users looking for instant gratification.
Another key observation is that apps like Eventbrite, IRL, and meetup attempt to be self- contained, where all of the events or groups that the app shows are created within the platform. While this approach has been successful for other types of media such as social content and video, I believe an approach more similar to Google’s web search engine will be more effective by avoiding the need for a “critical mass” of users and the associated user-generated content. Google’s success lies in its ability to efficiently organize, rank, and deliver results for web content. This app aims to solve essentially the same problem as Google, but for events rather than articles and web pages.
Platform Choice?
While an app may seem ironic given that the aim is to reduce the usage of digital spaces and get people outside their homes, there are several good reasons, as well as precedents that point to the potential. First and foremost, you must meet users where they are, and increasingly that space is the internet. Furthermore, recent apps such as BeReal point towards a growing realization of the consequences associated with traditional social media.
Scope & Constraints
I focused my energy on research and conceptual development for this project. I wanted to find a genuine need within our world and conceptualize what the ideal solution would look like. I started with research and identified areas of opportunity and then moved to journey mapping. There was not enough time or resources for backend development within my constraints, but eventually I would like to re-visit what I’ve started, as this project reflects a very achievable solution to a very real problem.
For this project, I developed the content and conducted testing. However, I do cite research from all of the linked sources (end of document). Some images were used royalty-free from unsplash, and icons were used with permission from Remix Icon.
Ideation – The Brand
Choosing a name and theme was important to appealing to the target audience and making the app feel professional and polished. This decision was rooted in research and word association charts. Names are massively important to any company’s success, and there are a few known approaches: alphabetical, such as Apple and Alphabet, shortened, such as Grindr, or tinder, descriptive, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube, and catchy, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. I analyzed the common themes in these names (and others) and determined that a name beginning with letters a-g, 2-3 syllables, and relatively descriptive would have a high chance of success.
Ideation – User Journey
Translating the ultimate goal into individual steps was a matter of mapping user journeys and overcoming common obstacles to make accomplishing goals as easy as possible for the user. Some of the journeys that were identified were: searching for events, creating events, and marking off events. Revolving around these core pieces are smaller obstacles, such as inviting people to new events, making decisions on which events to attend, and finding people to attend events with. The diagram below illustrates these journeys and obstacles.
Design System
A system for building the app was implemented, and created to be adjustable. Each piece of every screen is a component that has a master component to make mass edits faster and easier. Having editable components allowed for rapid style changes without loads of remapping and copy/pasting. The flexibility also allows for quick changes during special events or holidays. This iteration resulted in a UI that stays out of the way and lets users get to what they need as quickly as possible without overloading information.
Usability Testing and Feedback
Four users participated in a test designed to gather ideas as well as find areas to improve the user journey. Five specific tasks were created, and questions were designed to be open and allow for thoughtful feedback. The tasks were, 1: mark an event as complete, 2: update email information under profile, 3: Remove a (pre-defined) event from the calendar, 4: create a new event, search for and add an event to the calendar. Each of these tasks was created to target the user flows outlined above, including finding events, creating events, and feeling productive. Notes were taken on areas of confusion, completed tasks, incomplete tasks, and user recommendations.
Adjustments Based on Usability Testing
The information collected from testing was crucial in shaping the prototype. Finding areas where users struggled helped to determine what to change. For example the search screen was an area with which many users struggled. The feedback provided helped solve the navigation issue, and also improve functionality. The profile section was also expanded upon due to the feedback provided, both to make the app more navigable as well as to add functionality which would allow users to view each-others’ upcoming events.
Collecting usage information in addition to written feedback allowed the user testing to be more informative than a survey, and the questions and tasks provided insight into the user’s mental model and thought process. This allowed me to re-create the navigation in a way that more naturally fit with the user’s mental model. The next step would be to utilize animations to subtly indicate space and provide the user with another context clue about their position within a specific journey.