Duration: 2 weeks - 2021
Role: Product Designer
People have difficulties organizing a time to meet up with friends in both casual and formal contexts due to individual time constraints and scattered availability. Forgather is a tool inspired by products like Google Calendar in UX aspects. I crafted an easily navigable interface, that ensures accessibility for everyone.
People need an easy way to organize planning for get-togethers and events.
The Problem arises from scattered free time across each individual throughout the week. Forgather takes on this challenge by pinpointing shared availability and identifying common availability within the group's weekly schedule.
Following a clean design journey for this project, I created important questions to guide my progress for a goal-directed design. This was the first move in noting down what I thought about users and the product.
Who will be using the product?
What other products or apps are currently in competition within this market?
What essential features should be included in the product?
How can I design a product that is easily accessible to a majority of people?
I used affinity mapping to figure out not just the overall idea of the product but also to decide the path for Forgather. This initial affinity mapping was super useful in laying a solid foundation for the design process.
In this part, let's dive into users' typical behaviors and the trends I discovered through observing users, conducting interviews, and competitive analysis.
I used an interview to understand how event planning affects people in terms of convenience and to identify their role in the planning process.
Do you usually take on the role of organizing friend or group gatherings?
How frequently do you do you find yourself either invited to or planning meetups with others?
What App, if any, do you currently use for organizing small events or gatherings?
Which device do you usually use for planning meetups: Phone, Tablet, or Laptop/Desktop?
Can you share some of the difficulties you face when attempting to plan a gathering?
68% of participants mentioned that they typically take on the main role of organizing gatherings.
Google Calendars and GroupMe stood out as top choices for coordinating social gatherings.
The majority of participants express experiencing difficulties during the waiting time for responses from friends or peers.
Participants gather with friends, peers, or family an average of 3 - 4 times each month.
Over 80% of participants indicated that they mainly rely on their smartphones and tablets for organizing gatherings, favoring these devices over desktop usage.
Here are some strategies I planned to leverage to maximize the app's effectiveness.
Focus on prioritizing the mobile-first design, and Tablet as a secondary device.
Create a transparent, step-by-step, and easy-to-follow process for event organization.
Integrate fresh and user-friendly UI elements to maintain a sense of familiarity for users.
Establish a clear information hierarchy to facilitate both event planning and user input for participants.
Typically, following a goal-directed design approach, I focus on uncovering user goals before diving into significant design work. In this section, I introduce two key personas crucial for crafting a user-friendly experience.
Sara
Persona #1
Age: 22
Occupation:
Studying art at University
Goals:
-Schedule meetups for art projects with classmates.
-Easily communicate and share ideas with the group.
Values:
-Appreciates a platform that promotes artistic collaboration and expression.
-Simplicity and user-friendly interfaces.
Challenges:
-Juggling a busy university schedule with varied class timings.
-Navigating through complex and time-consuming planning
Motivations:
-Collaborate on creative projects
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
John
Persona #2
Age: 41
Occupation:
Real Estate Broker
Goals:
-Organize meetups with colleagues and clients.
-professional networking opportunities and discussions.
Values:
-tools that enhance productivity and efficiency.
-Appreciates platforms that prioritize security and privacy.
Challenges:
-Balancing work and social commitments
-Finding time to plan and organize meetups with busy real estate schedule.
Motivations:
-Building professional relationships
-Building trust with clients
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Uncovering solutions with the User Journey Map. Validating scenarios, and navigating user journeys allow me to start the wireframing stage immediately, accelerating my design process.
Planning An Event
Sara Launches Forgather on her phone
She chooses a photo related to her event
Sara names her event
and adds a note
Sara Selects her desired
date and time
She fills out her availability before confirming
Sara gives the event URL to her friends And later she check their availability in Event Page
Participating In An Event
Sara receives an invitation URL from her classmate
She Launches Forgather Application on her phone
Sara fills out her availability according to dates of event in the time table
Sara tabs the submit button to confirm her availability
To gain deeper insights into crafting the foundational experience for the Forgather app, I crafted a user journey. This enabled me to prioritize the user's experience and needs. The approach also facilitated clear communication of entry and exit points, enhancing understanding of the next steps in the process.
planning
User Settings
Start
Create Event
Name
Select Date(s)
Availability
Event Summary
Invite Settings
Group Availability
Participating
Taps on Invite URL
Event Summary
Availability
Group Availability
I guided multiple participants through the High-fidelity prototype of the app to gain deeper insights into their interaction styles. Each participant was tasked with a simple yet revealing mission: creating an event. While not the most challenging assignment, my focus was on understanding their thought process during the event creation, providing valuable insights into user engagement.
What aspects of the app did you find challenging or frustrating during your experience?
Do you see yourself using this app in your routine? Would you recommend this app to your friends or family?
In what scenarios or situations do you think you would find Forgather most beneficial in your event planning activities?
Can you highlight any unique features or aspects that stood out positively, or any areas where you feel it differs from other event planning tools you may have used?
Can you suggest any modifications or enhancements that you believe would make Forgather even more user-friendly and enjoyable to use?