FunFlock
Social
Mobile
Timeline
Feb 2023 - May 2023
About
FunFlock is a social media platform provided by Carol Zhang. Users can create or join interest groups online to conduct more social activities with like-minded participants.
Goals
Help users find more like-minded friends
Meet the social needs of various types of users
Create a more comprehensive & convenient social platform
The Process
Discover
Learning goals
Survey
User interview
Analysis
Target Audience
Personas
Synthesis
Ideation
Concept Design
Sketch UX
Wire-framing
Test
Prototype
Testing Results
Fixed Issue
Design
Style Guide
Hi-fidelity
Final prototype
Target Audience
About
A group of people who, due to a narrow social circle in real life, need to expand their social network. Some of them have recently moved to a new environment, while others face challenges with their personalities, being too introverted to take the first step in socializing.
Goals
Hang out with like-minded partners
Participate in more meaningful social activities
Have some relaxed, enjoyable, and satisfying social experiences
— Learning
Goals
Activity preferences
Q. What kind of social activities do you like?
Q. What is your purpose for participating in activities?
Q. Do you prefer to attend activities or host activities? And why？
Behavior & Frequency
Q. Do you have a regular frequency of attending activities？
Q. Do you care about the number of participants in the activity?
Q. Do you like to go to an activity that is far away but interests you?
Social experience
Q. What the important for you in planning an event?
Q. What is the hardest thing about planning an event?
Q. Have you ever been to an activity in which most of the participants were strangers?
Usage of tools/websites/apps
Q. Do you use any websites/tools/apps to help you plan/host activities?
Q. Are there any improvements you would recommend based on any of the tools you use?
Q. What would a dream planning/hosting tool look like for you?
User Interviews
— User Quotes
“I've searched some basketball events online, but I haven't participated because I feel the quality isn't high, and I can't find players at the same skill level as me.”
When playing Texas Hold'em, I found myself in a game with six strangers. The experience was quite awkward as I wasn't familiar with any of them.”
“I wish to quickly find a tennis partner, but when I post a message on Meetup, I have to wait for others to reply.”
Worried about weird behaviors of strangers, afraid that there is no common topic to chat with, and need to care about other people's feelings.
— The
Synthesis
Survey Responses
Learning & Findings
Assumption 01
People often face the difficulty of carrying out a social activity they are interested in because they cannot find enough participants.
Finding 01
8 of the 13 interviewees mentioned that because they just moved to a new environment or they were too introverted, they could not find partners for social activities because of their narrow social circle.The remaining 5 interviewees answered that they usually have a fixed circle of friends to socialize together, but sometimes when the number of participants is insufficient, they will look for more participants on some social platforms, such as meetup and Facebook, or rely on Friends bring some new friends to join the event.
However, the participants found on the Internet or introduced by others often cause some trouble because they don't know each other well enough.
Assumption 02
People care a lot about the backgrounds of those who attend the same social activity.
Finding 02
People do care about the background of the participants, and it can even greatly affect their willingness to participate in an event. Twelve out of 13 interviewees said they would pay special attention to the background information of the participants. Examples include nationality, gender, personality, and level of skill related to an activity.
People tend to socialize with people who match them better. On one hand, it is conducive to developing more common topics and getting along with each other more easily and happily. On the other hand, it can also reduce insecurity and uncertainty.
What does this mean ？？？
01
Most of the interviewees are unable to find people who can participate in social activities together in real life because of their narrow social circles, whether due to changes in life scenes or their own personalities.
02
When the existing social circle cannot meet their social needs, they need an online platform to help them find more people to participate in activities together, but a big pain point they face is when they are with strangers, they may find it difficult to develop common topics, as well as feeling insecure and uncertain.
03
In order to alleviate the discomfort and worry when socializing with strangers, people tend to socialize with people who are a better match or have similar backgrounds. For example, the same gender/nationality/academic background/the level of a certain skill, etc.
04
Therefore, I will focus on my target group on people with narrow social circles. Through some screening functions, I will help them join interest groups that suit them, find like-minded partners with them, and carry out more social activities together.
Personas
“When I was in LA, I often played board games with my classmates and I hope I can find such a group of friends in SF to do the same things together.”
Age：22
Occupation: Student
Tina is a graduate student who just moved to SF from LA. She likes outdoor activities and sports.
Frustrations
I didn't know many friends in SF, and my social circle was very narrow.
Going to a party with someone I don't know at all feels awkward & insecure.
If possible, I'd like to go to a girls-only social event.
Needs
Broaden the social circle, and enrich the life.
Go to events with more like-minded participants that have a clear theme.
If possible, I'd like to go to a girls-only social event.
Social Medias
The Problem
I AM:
Tina Activity
I AM TRYING TO:
Participate more social activities that interest me.
But I can’t OR I STRUGGLE because:
When I'm socializing with people I don't know at all, I'm awkward and don't know how to communicate with them.
If only I had:
A way to join an interest group first then chat with participants and share thoughts before the activity begins.
The Solution
1st step：
provide users with a diverse range of interest groups, covering various hobbies and interest areas. By joining interest groups that align with their own interests, users can find like-minded friends and engage in social activities together.
2nd step：
Through the online chat room function and posting function, helps users establish more communication opportunities with other members in the interest group, so as to deepen mutual understanding and familiarity.
3rd step：
After gaining a better understanding of the members, users can actively participate in or initiate activities.
Empathy Map
Wireframes
Scenario 01：
Looking for an interest group that suits you.
Scenario 02：
Engaging in more communication with group members.
Join the chat room
Scenario 03：
Engaging in more communication with group members.
View group members’s post
Scenario 04：
Participating in a group activity.
User Testing
Revisions
Enhanced the functionality by replacing the default automatic location retrieval with a customizable map marker feature.
This update allows users to modify their location by placing a marker on the map according to their preference.
Before
After
Before
After
1. Added a Nav Bar at the bottom to optimize the product structure and enhance the user experience.
2. Simplified the functionality options of the Filter Bar and adjusted the priority of page information. The Search Bar has been relocated to a more prominent position, and the less frequently used "Interest Option" section has been removed.
3. Added user avatars to the ”group cards” to enhance the visual experience.
1. Enhanced the visual experience by setting the past events in a carousel format at the top of the page. This change not only adds visual appeal but also simplifies the functionality.
2. Used more card-based designs to integrate and organize information, making the page look cleaner and more organized, and enhancing its readability and comprehensibility.
Before
After
Style Guide
Final Screens
Scenario 01：
Looking for an interest group that suits you.
Scenario 02：
Engaging in more communication with group members.
Join the chat room
Scenario 03：
Engaging in more communication with group members.
View group members’s post
Scenario 04：
Participating in a group activity.
Prototype
Reflection
Through this project, I attempted to use Midjourney to create illustrations that align with the product's tone, enriching my UI design. By employing vibrant and diverse illustrations, I aimed to captivate users' attention and significantly boost page retention rates.
On the other hand, I also attempted to use Midjourney to create some icons. While this approach effectively increased the playfulness of the icons, it led to a decrease in uniformity and coherence, resulting in a lack of consistency and continuity in the overall UI design. In this regard, further adjustments and optimizations will be needed in the later stages.
