THE BUDDY APP
The BUDDY is an app matching people going to the same events or activities
Project
Last summer when my neighbor wanted to see her favorite band play in Berlin, she didn't have anyone to go with to the event. She frantically asked her friends and started looking on Facebook for people going to the same event. She met a wonderful group of women with whom she enjoyed the event with and felt safe. When she spoke with them, they shared the same anxiety that she had regarding events and activities. I knew I had to design an app to address this gap.
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Goal
Create an MVP for a friend-matching app
Problem
How I approached it:
Understand the Problem
Reseach
Prototype
(Test
Improve)
Repeat
Role
UX Writer and Researcher
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Challenges
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What features to include for an MVP
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Other well-known apps in the market
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Including features like chat within the app and create events and activities option
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Working alone means reducing the scope of the app
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Process
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Ideation
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Research (Google Forms, reading reviews)
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Design (wireframes, mockup)
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Writing
Research
Competitive Analysis: I used the internet for research and found there were other apps out there like Friender, Bumble BFF, Meetup, etc. But they have the added pressure of connections and maintaining friendships. With BUDDY, you find a like-minded individual to hang out with at events without the pressure. And if you hit it off, it's a bonus.
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User Survey:
I sent out a survey and received this feedback.
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Are you looking to expand your social circle?​
100% of respondents answered Yes.
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What kind of people would you like to meet?
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Similar interests and living nearby.
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Would you be interested in a friend-matching app
for events and activities?
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100% said yes.
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Features that'd like on the app?
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+ In-app messaging
+ Filter
+ Ability to create events/ groups
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Some of the questions from the survey
Pie chart: user interest in friend-making app
Pie chart: user interest in expanding social circle
Chart of features users want to see on the app
Based on these eye-opening findings, I designed an MVP with these features: The onboarding page was designed in a way to give more info to new users, so they could decide whether they would like to join this app.
Onboarding
I added the skip button so that users can go directly to the login screen
Number of screens so users know how many informational screens are remaining
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To give more info and make it easy for registered users to sign in and to encourage new users to create an account.
Form and Microcopy
For returning users or those that have accidentally logged out
Will take users to a screen where they have the option to log in via Gmail, Facebook, etc.
Examples of special characters
Success
Filter
Empty State
Empty state utilized to help user complete the action
Event Creation
Hint text to make it easier for users. Field is cleared on focus and restored when left blank
Dialog
Clear actionable copy written as a question to make the user know the action can't be undone
In-app Messenger
Error
The message makes it clear what kind of an error it is. The body copy tells the user where it needs to go to fix the problem and the button takes the user there
Buttons appear twice on the top and bottom for accessibility and click through rates
Push notifications
Benefits stated in the headlines with more information in the body copy
Outcome and Learnings
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1. Designed a friend-matching app
2. It's an ongoing process and there's always room for improvement throughout the design process
3. Given more time and resources I would add more features to the app e.g., a map to locate buddies in your area
4. Users were interested in an app like this. However, most users were not keen to pay to use an app like this