Not a social media app but a social tool
This project started with a simple frustration. Most major social media platforms are designed to capture attention through distraction and entertainment, while very little time is placed on creating meaningful memories between users.
Contributions
Concept development: Facilitate workshops, analyse current norms and formulate scope
Design system: Hygienic approach to better collaboration
Prototyping and testing: Functional prototype for usability testing and collecting user reactions
User stories: To structure backlog and explore the gab left in the user journey of conventional SoMe
About the project
We asked ourselves: What is the most important part of the user journey when using social media? The answer had many layers, but the most impactful moment is when we agree to meet and do something together.
From this insight, the focus sharpened on 'all the things we want to do someday'. Because that’s what we live for: shared experiences with friends and all the things we would like to do together. This led us to envision a platform with a single purpose: making it pleasurable for friends to organize. Every feature added should reduced friction in organizing plans.
We explored questions like: What makes it hard to take initiative? Who makes invitations? What if the invitation process was opened up and inclusive? What social barriers prevent people from reaching out. What would happen if we removed them? These questions shaped the foundation of the concept, which revolves around two simple flows: an invitation for “Someday” and an invitation for “Today.”
User stories
Alongside a working prototype and style guide, we defined a condensed backlog of user stories that helped us explore our design decisions:
As a user, I want to create an invitation without knowing the exact date or activity so I can take initiative.
As an inviter, I want to know which dates people are available so I can choose the best one.
As a group member, I want to log ideas of what to do someday so that anyone can take initiative.
As a friend, I want to invite people spontaneously without the social pressure of a yes/no answer.
As an invitee, I want to express that I appreciate the invitation, even if I can’t attend.
As an inviter, I want to easily add people to a group so I can see who’s coming.
As an inviter/invitee, I want to suggest more dates to increase the chances of making plans happen.
As a user, I want to sync planned dates with my calendar so I don’t miss anything.
As an inviter, I want to add images and text to personalize the invitation.
As a user, I want to easily invite new people to an existing plan so I can include others spontaneously.
As a user, I want to share invitations via SMS or email to include people outside social media.
