emerge
designing a mobile events app for people with social anxiety
Dates: Mar - Apr 2023
My Role: Solo UX/UI Designer & Researcher
Tools: Figma, Miro
Awards: Featured on The Best Event & Entertainment App Designs by DesignRush
Problem
A startup company recently launched a product with the goal of helping users join activities in-person.
The business team found that only 20% of attendees showed up to the events they signed up for.
As the sole UX Designer, I had two goals:
Determine what feature(s) to add so that the # of attendees who commit to going matches the # of actual attendees
Encourage users who have social anxiety to step out and make new friends
Solution
I conducted end-to-end research, design, and testing of new UX and UI features to address the project goals, resulting in 4 new features and new visual/brand elements:
a rewards system for using the app
an attendee matching system
check-in incentives
option to view/filter by social anxiety-relevant details
Final Design
Emerge incentivizes you to explore the events that enrich your life
Complete the onboarding survey to get recommendations for events, rewards and attendee matches
Search & filter by event details relevant for social anxiety
Get matched with other attendees and use tips to break the ice
Get rewarded for getting out there — earn points for using the app to unlock rewards
For extra motivation, get friendly reminders (and rewards) for checking-in with your match and showing up to the event!
Process
PROJECT PLANNING
I created a project plan to structure my activities across the 90 project hours
Discover | LANDSCAPE REVIEW & COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Competitor analysis found that although social anxiety is more relevant (post-Covid), no event apps tackle it
Key Findings
Existing competitors do not combine features for social anxiety and social events
Users may not be getting effective communication about upcoming events
Users might need an incentive to attend (these must be cost-effective for the business)
Discover | INTERVIEWS
Users agree: existing apps don’t cater well to people with social anxiety
I conducted 5 in-depth remote interviews with individuals who self-identified as experiencing stress, anxiety or discomfort when socializing with others.
Key Research Q’s:
What is the typical process for people with social anxiety to find and attend social events?
What pain points do people face?
What kinds of current solutions exist to manage social anxiety?
What support do people want?
Initial takeaways:
Many people who are seeking new events are often new to a place and starting over in multiple domains: professional, personal, cultural
Interest in the topic of the event is the main driver for attending live events
There are currently no competitor event apps that target people with social anxiety
“I will check if I know anyone who’s going. I definitely will not go alone if I don’t know anyone there.”
— Participant 1
“I have to mentally prepare myself for social interaction. A lot of anxiety comes from wondering about the atmosphere, what clothing to wear, who will be there, will I fit in.”
— Participant 2
“I prefer dimly-lit environments without much stimulation, where you can just exist together…no pressure to actually engage.”
— Participant 3
Define | AFFINITY MAPPING
More clarity upfront = less stress for attendees
Top Insights
Platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup sometimes feel impersonal because of the need for “small talk” or pressure to buy products being sold by organizers
Individuals don’t like showing up alone to events where they don’t know anyone else
Individuals need clarity on event details (e.g., vibe, attendees, socializing level) and want the option to prepare or opt out
Define | PERSONA & JOURNEY MAP
Socially anxious users like Meg care most about being able to prepare mentally for social events
Develop | IDEATION
HMW incentivize people who experience social anxiety to feel more excited and less stressed about joining the events they sign up for?
1) search by event vibe & social level
users can automatically view and filter events by relevant socializing details
2) event attendee matching
users can get matched with another attendee to attend an event with
3) event & connect reminders
users are reminded to (re)connect with others so they have social accountability
Develop | USER FLOWS & INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
I decided to emphasize incentives in the user experience by creating a “Rewards” section that would allow the user to track, view and use their rewards.
The prioritized user flows and IA focused on the search and “buddy” features
Design | WIREFRAMING & TESTING
After conducting 5 remote usability tests on potential users, I realized the “match” system wasn’t sufficient to incentivize social accountability.
As a result, I decided to design a new feature: a rewards system that would use points, milestones and prizes to incentivize users to engage with the app.
Wireframe testing found that users needed stronger incentives to attend events
Key Issues & Fixes:
Issue 1: Save me the search
Many users didn’t first go to the search bar to find an event and wanted to get to the search results in fewer clicks.
Solution: Reduced the number of taps needed to reach the results, and included visible recommended results at the start.
Issue 2: What’s a “buddy”?
Users didn’t fully understand what the “buddy” feature entailed.
Solution: Clarified language by replacing “buddy” with “another attendee” and provided an option for users to skip/opt out of the matching in case they weren’t amenable to it.
Additions to Further Incentivize Users
Addition 1: Rewards system
I created a rewards system with points to encourage users to boost their own accountability for attending an event (inviting friends, getting matched with another attendee, checking in, etc.)
Addition 2: Event check-in
To ensure that users showed up at the events they signed up for, I added a check-in flow that would incentivize users to check-in at the event by earning points.
Design | BRANDING & STYLE GUIDE
I developed a style guide with brand elements to convey the solution’s mission and inform the high-fidelity designs
Brand Name: Emerge
Mission: Help people get out and explore events that enrich their lives, and make genuine connections along the way
Brand Attributes: empathetic, upbeat, supportive, genuine, personal
Style Guide:
Design | HI-FIDELITY SCREENS
Initial high-fidelity screens showcased Emerge’s supportive, upbeat personality
Flow 1: Sign up and complete onboarding survey
Flow 2: Find and register for an event
Flow 3: Get matched with another attendee and start chatting
Flow 4: View and redeem rewards
Design | USABILITY TESTING
Two rounds of usability testing removed any remaining unnecessary details
Issue 1: Hard to scan
One user misinterpreted key information (group name) in the event cards
Solution: Added stronger visual hierarchy to the card through bolding the title and replacing text with icons where relevant
Issue 2: Skip, please!
60% users in the first usability test wanted the option to skip the onboarding survey or save it for later
Solution: Provided an option to skip the onboarding at the start (and included a points incentive to complete the survey later)
Issue 3: Explain the rules
Users didn’t fully understand the rewards system and wanted a faster redemption option
Solution: Simplified the rewards redemption process by cutting out unnecessary screens, adding a section on “How to Earn”, and updating the descriptions to better explain the rewards process
Issue 4: Clarify the match process
40% of users expressed a desire to know how they were being matched and felt the jump to a message chat with a match was too sudden
Solution: Updated language on the “matching” screen to explain how the match was being made, and included a couple of confirmation screens to transition to a chat with the match
Issue 5: Validate my location
20% of users mentioned that they wanted some validation of their current location when checking into an event
Solution: Included a live map showing the user’s current location and provided visual cues for check-in status
Final Interactive Prototype
Some Big Takeaways:
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In follow-up testing interviews, I heard contradictory views on elements like including an event “Agenda”. In these cases, I would need to conduct more A/B testing or focus groups to validate the perception of this terminology.
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I later added a feature for the Rewards system because I saw other examples of it, and considered it to be more useful for the user experience. Ideally, I would have seen these examples earlier so I could include them in my competitor analysis. However, I believe this is part of the natural process of discovery and constant iteration.
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One user was confused because the layout of the DM screen was different from what she was used to. While an app can be unique and a user can learn to adapt, this learning curve also can be the thing that breaks their experience. It’s crucial for all icons/elements to be as clear as possible.
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This project (especially the addition of the Rewards system feature) was a good reminder that UX designers need to work with developers to determine this prioritization to avoid adding too many features.
Next Steps (if I had more time):
1) Test usability with A/B tests & heat maps
Test interface elements that had some contradictory responses from previous test participants (e.g., inclusion of “Agenda”) to get more data on
2) Iterate on the content and interactions
Based on A/B test results, the content and UI elements need to be refined so that they are intuitive for a larger group of users
3) Consider low-effort additions
Afterwards, the team can consider addressing additional features to support the user experience (e.g., providing post-event feedback)