THE PROBLEM
How might we provide shared experiences through a platform for users to maintain emotional connections in long distance friendships?
In order to see how people were interacting with their friends long distance, we collected 195 survey responses detailing common communication methods, frequency and motivations in maintaining online long distance relationships. After collecting and reviewing this data, our team reached out to interview approximately 20 participants to dive deeper into their goals, needs, pain points and behaviors.
Using Figjam, we created an affinity map which we then distilled into the persona of “The Tech-Savvy Friend.”
From here, each team member branched out to create an experience based on our problem statement and persona. I decided the best way forward was to focus on the pain point that our user doesn’t have the same schedule as their friends, and the need to bond over shared experiences. When thinking about the new platform, I looked at scheduling software like Calendly, Doodle Poll, and Google Calendar to see what features could benefit our users. Additionally, I looked at event sites like Eventbrite and Meetup to gain insight on the ways in which people share group activities.
THE PROCESS
Starting with a user flow, I planned how someone might schedule a time for a group of friends to video chat. This helped me decide what features were key and what was unnecessary/possibly confusing. When designing the layout using wireframes, I continued to refine and simplify this flow to optimize the experience.
The team decided to start by designing for tablets, with the idea that future iterations will include mobile phone and desktops.
All elements of the process was completed using Figma design tools.
THE DESIGN
I developed a style guide that I felt conveyed an environment of togetherness, caring and calm using bright colors and fonts that resemble hand lettering. I wanted the product to convey a sense of spontaneity while still being very organized and intuitive.
I began designing the product utilizing lighter colors for the background and quickly found that the contrast levels were not accessible by using the Stark plugin. I pivoted to a “dark mode” design, and found it a much easier to incorporate my chosen colors without causing eye strain.
VS
REFLECTIONS AND NEXT STEPS
At the start of this project, I was most concerned with creating an application that would make it simpler for people to connect. By going through the Design Thinking Process, I learned that it’s better to focus on the solution to one issue than to try and solve too many problems and overwhelm the design. I also learned that less is more when employing fonts and colors - always choose legibility over aesthetics!
Moving forward, I will be conducting thorough usability tests to determine ease of use and accessibility. My thoughts for additional features such as personal calendar integration and developing for mobile and desktop will go through additional research and testing before being handed off to engineers.