Social Sprout
The ultimate adventure app where your friendships grow as you explore your new world!
View prototype
Industry
Social Networking
Mobile App
Timeline
09/2024-11/2024
~20-per week
Role
UX Designer
UX Research
Competitive Analysis
UX Design
Affinity Mapping
User Flow
Wire Framing
Prototyping
Usability Testing
About
This startup has launched a product to help people make friends through in-person activities. However, social anxiety can hinder new connections, and only 20% of RSVP’d users actually attend events. The company seeks features to improve commitment and increase event attendance.
Business Goal
Increase the percentage of RSVP’d users who attend events by improving engagement and reducing drop-off.
Target Audience
32-55 years old
Use phones and desktop applications equally
Recently relocated to a new city
Solution
To increase event attendance and support users with social anxiety, I honed in on these features:
Gamification
Community Interaction
Research to Understand: Where Does the Intimidation Come From?
The target audience includes young professionals, students, and newcomers who crave social interactions in unfamiliar environments. They seek meaningful connections but often feel intimidated by the traditional event landscape. I conducted secondary research to understand why users may feel intimidated with making new connections.
Qualitative Data
Introversion & Low Trust
Personality traits such as being introverted can make socializing feel draining and uncomfortable, leading individuals to avoid new interactions.
Social Anxiety & Fear of Rejection
Fear of rejection or judgment, especially in social anxiety, makes forming friendships daunting. Young adults often struggle to start or maintain connections due to self-consciousness.
Social Dynamics
In adulthood, friendships require effort, unlike the organic bonds of school. Career, personal life, and relationships often take priority, leaving little room for new connections.
Life Circumstances
Limited time, cultural differences, or disabilities can hinder socializing. Moving to a new area may also lead to isolation.
Affinity Mapping
What are users feeling?
Anxious
Scared
Lonely
Shy
Wanting to explore new city
Motivated
Current state of knowledge
Instagram/Tiktok of new events happening in the city
Looked into Meetup hobby/activity groups
Facebook groups for hobbies
Googling events happening
How are they doing it now?
New connections through work
BumbleBFF
Going to free events happening in city via social media
What is their motivation?
Wanting to make new friends
Having someone to do a hobby with
Exploring new city
Trying out new restaurants/coffee shops
Don’t want to eat alone
Defining Features: Identifying Key Features for Meaningful Connections
Gamification, community engagement, event discovery, and visual accessibility each play a crucial role in enhancing Social Sprout’s impact, making it an engaging and effective platform for users looking to expand their social circles.
Gamification:
Social Sprout makes socializing rewarding with interactive features like planting a seed when showing interest in an event and harvesting connections after attending. Badges and progress tracking encourage users to step out of their comfort zones and engage more.
Community Engagement:
By fostering connections through group chats and shared experiences, the app helps users feel supported and motivated. This reduces the anxiety of meeting new people and builds a sense of belonging.
Event Discovery:
Curated local events tailored to users’ interests simplify the search for social opportunities. This ensures users find activities that align with their hobbies and encourages them to explore new experiences.
Visual Accessibility:
An intuitive, visually accessible interface ensures all users can navigate with ease. Clear layouts enhance usability for a diverse audience.
Key Features
Gamification
User Status: Tracks progress and fosters a sense of accomplishment.
Weekly Goals: Self-paced challenges to gradually build confidence.
Awards & Badges: Recognize consistent participation, visually reinforcing engagement and encouraging interaction.
Community Engagement
Visible Guest List: Enhances event transparency and trust.
Comment Section & Messaging: Provides space for users to engage and connect.
Groups & Communities: Foster a sense of belonging, easing anxiety and making networking more comfortable.
Event Discovery
Seamless Exploration: Users can easily find events based on location, date, group, or interests, reducing friction in the search process.
Visual Accessibility
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Creates an inclusive experience for all users by ensuring it passes WCAG
Designing Screens: Creating Low Fidelity Wire Frames
After defining key features, I designed low-fidelity wireframes that mapped out essential user flows and interactions. These wireframes incorporated all key features, allowing me to test functionality and seamlessly integrate feedback into high-fidelity designs.
Low Fidelity Wire Frames
Usability Testing on Low Fidelity Prototype: Testing to Gauge Concept
After creating the low fidelity screens, I kicked off the first round of usability testing with three participants - The goal was to see how well the initial concepts resonated. I initially had 5 participants scheduled however, two of them had cancelled and there wasn't enough time to recruit more participants.
Testing #1 - Task 1
"Find an Arts & Crafts event to attend and RSVP to the event"
Testing #1 - Task 2
"You have just attended the Arts & Crafts event and now need to confirm your attendance. How would you go about that on the app?"
Refining the Experience Through User Feedback: Iterating after Usability Testing
Taking the feedback from the testing, I reiterated the event screen for clearer hierarchy and readability.
Before
The different in font and color in the event title was portrayed as unorganized by participants.
After
Event title, date, and location have a more defined hierarchy, guiding the viewer's eye and making key details easier to grasp.
A consistent use of fonts, sizes, and colors to group related information enhances cohesion and improves readability.
Before
After
Iterations and Learnings: Testing a High Fidelity Prototype with Extra Recruitments
For the second round of testing, I invited seven new participants to validate the updates, anticipating potential cancellations based on the first round. I successfully conducted tests with five participants.
Testing #2 - Task 1
"You're planning a craft day with a friend and you're interested in making soap. Purchase 2 tickets for the both of you through the app."
High Fidelity Wire Frames of Task 1
Dashboard
Review & Choose Payment
Explore
Payment Information
Contact Information
Join Event
Ticket Information
Review & Pay
QR Code
Testing #2 - Task 2
"Fast forward to your craft day, it's time to harvest your seed! You're at the event and need to show your QR code. Please locate your QR code to be scanned."
Completion Rate
Improvements
Desire to access the QR from the home page
More prominent button to access QR
Polishing the Experience: Implementing User Insights to Refine Social Sprout
To further improve the product, I implemented the minor details that participants had pointed out.
Before
Accessing the QR code from home page
After
Replaced heart icon with QR icon for quick access on the home page.
Before
More prominent button for QR code after confirmation
After
Created sticky button to appear, in addition to the QR code button appearing at top right
Measuring Impact: Increased Engagement and Reduced Drop-Off Rates
Using the data gathered from testing, I decided to ask participants post-test questions to gauge their motivation, engagement, and perceived accessibility. This approach helped validate the business goals of improving engagement and reducing drop-off rates.
"How motivated do you feel to attend events compared to before?" (Scale: 1-Not Likely → 5-Very Likely)
100% of testers felt more motivated to attend events due to rewards and progress visualizations.
87% of testers described Social Sprout as less intimidating in direct comparison to other apps.
"How does Social Sprout compare to other social apps you've used? "
"Did anything make it feel easier or more approachable?
75% of testers appreciated the ease of finding relevant events, eliminating the need for extra searching.
Embracing Challenges: Lessons from the Project
Navigating unexpected obstacles is a crucial part of any project. Below, I discovered two key challenges I faced and the valuable lessons I learned from each. It challenged my ability to be adaptable and to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth.
Participant Cancellations and Adaptability
The cancellation of two participants was frustrating, but I adapted by focusing on valuable insights from the users who were able to stay committed instead of delaying progress.
Time Management and Decision-Making
Rather than recruiting more users, I moved forward with existing data, realizing progress comes from working with what’s available.