Pinder
Project Context
Personal Project
Fall 2023
My Roles
User Research, User Testing, Wire framing, Prototyping, Analysis, UI Design, Design System
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Current Situation
Planning is a hassle
People often fail to meet up not because of disinterest, but due to a lengthy planning process. Missed communications and low participation are among the subtle issues that result in meet-ups never taking place.
The Challenge
Make planning efficient
The goal was to reduce scheduling hassles and confusion happening while planning as those made the planning process longer.
My Role
As a solo project, I was responsible for the research phase, including user interviews, usability testing, and affinity mapping. I also handled the design phase, which involved building user flows, design systems, wireframing, and prototyping.
The Process
Research
Qualitative Interview
Competitive Analysis
Empathy Mapping
Persona Creation
Journey Mapping
Ideation
Brain Storming
Affinity Mapping
Design
Iterations
User Flow
Usability Tests
Design Systems
Prototyping
Explorations
Getting Started
I conducted qualitative interviews with four participants to identify what complicates or delays planning and what causes stress.
In the interviews, I found that group chats and shared calendars are common tools for planning. Additionally, I revealed some shared insights. Below are the key insights I uncovered:
Constant scrolling to find information
Participants were frustrated with having to scroll through many messages to find important information like dates.
Information and conversations not separated
Especially when there is a lot of information, the lack of separation means having to sift through each item, which is time-consuming.
Needs an organizer
When there are many people, an organizer is needed to coordinate opinions. Without one, most are unaware of progress, leading to cancelations or delays.
Delving into the Issues
What’s the current system missing?
I conducted a competitive analysis of apps like Google Calendars, Instagram Chat, Notion, and TimeTree to identify why current systems fail to address user issues.
The results showed that while these apps perform their basic functions, they do not provide easy access to information or effectively assist users in planning. Understanding what was missing in the current system allowed me to reframe the problem.
The current system displays information but doesn't assist in planning.
Reframing the Problem
The absence of planning features, reliance on chat, and the absence of clear separation between everyday chat and planning content in chat bubbles extended the planning process, as it took time to distinguish and verify details.
This prompted the question of how I might construct an intuitive information structure and deliver direct assistance. My response was to develop a chat app tailored for planning purposes.
Fixed Challenges
How can I develop an intuitive information structure and offer direct assistance?
Starting the journey
After identifying the challenge, I divided it into two specific challenges that guided my focus throughout the design process:
How can I make a useful assistant system?
How can I make it as effortless as possible?
Identifying Problems
In the beginning, I created personas, empathy maps, and journey maps to identify specific interactions that irritated users, were time-consuming, or when users needed help.
The Key Insights
Time Adjustments Are Complex
Adjusting the time is more challenging than setting a date. Users need to manually narrow down the times when everyone is available, and this process should be minimized.
Simplify Response Tracking
The process of individually checking if everyone has responded and agreed should be minimized.
Streamline Notification Types
Some people disable group chat notifications due to excessive messages. It's crucial to differentiate between general and planning-related alerts.
Shaping Solutions
After realizing what needed improvement, I brainstormed with two colleagues and then conducted affinity mapping to identify features that could help address these issues.
The Key Solutions
Poll systems on location, time, and text would heko fasten the decision process.
Help users stay real-time updated without having to ask other people.
Facilitate shared schedules in-app for instant plan creation reducing time.
Keep everybody on board with notifications specifically for planning.
Challenge 01: Make it Effortless
Reducing the Flow
Research showed that time-consuming tasks like choosing a time are key moments when users consider canceling plans. I introduced methods to minimize these hassles and reduce user effort.
Making Better Filters
To reduce unnecessary interactions, I enabled users to quickly find available friends at any preferred time using filters, simplifying the search for the right person.
From Pages to Sheets
Initially, I designed a separate page for filters, but later integrated it into a sheet to keep everything on one page. This change was made to enhance convenience, eliminating the need for users to navigate to different pages.
From Sheets to Dropdowns
Initially, clicking a category on the sheet revealed subcategories, but I later switched to displaying all subcategories at once in a dropdown menu to reduce cumbersome actions.
Real Time Update
The info section that displays planning information in real-time was also moved from a separate page to Sheets. Later, considering accessibility, I redesigned the interface to be more intuitive by using strokes and organizing categories instead of relying solely on single color indicators.
Considering Display Options
During user testing of the calendar page, I explored the best way to display schedules. This led to a paper prototype for A/B testing, comparing "busy days" with "available days."
After A/B testing, the results were mixed. Upon review, I chose to show "busy days" for its clear visibility of available slots. This approach was especially effective when coordinating among multiple people, as marking "available days" was less clear.
Marking busy days
Marking available days
Challenge 02: Provide Assistant
Polls for Faster Discussion
Inside the poll feature, the schedule and location polls underwent many changes. This process included addressing issues missed in the low and mid-fidelity stages through feedback.
Learning Importance of Familarity
Initial Design
A new poll design customized to the app
Usability Testing
Took time to understand and was confused
Final Design
Pivoting to the poll style users are used too
New design, Less Interactions
During the low-fidelity phase, locations were listed in a text format. Realizing that allowing people to see locations directly on a map would enable quicker decisions without the hassle of searching, I switched to displaying locations on a map.
Initial Design
Text-format list people are used to
Users would have to copy addresses and search them in other map apps.
Final Design
Pivoting to the poll style users are used too
From iOS to Android
Cross-Platform Design Exploration
Keeping in mind that iOS and Android have different guidelines, I designed according to each system's guidelines, focusing on a few screens to showcase the differences.
Date Pickers
I tailored details from date/time interfaces to switch shapes/layouts to highlight differences between iOS and Android, following their specific guidelines.
iOS
Android
Use of Sheets
For iOS, I used a sheet for schedule polls. For Android, due to guidelines where changes need keyboard input and aren't instantly saved, I selected a full-screen dialog.
iOS
Android
Navigation bars & FAB
I adjusted the appearance of navigation bars and Floating Action Buttons (FABs) to align with platform-specific guidelines. Android FABs feature distinct elevation, whereas iOS FABs maintain a flat design.
iOS
Android
Use of Snackbars
For iOS, I enabled short process updates, while for Android, I used snackbar for similar notifications.
iOS
Android
Introducing the Solution
System focused on planning
Pinder simplifies planning by allowing you to share schedules and chat without overlooking any steps in the process, ensuring a quick and straightforward approach.
Next Steps
If I had more time, I would like to build a community system for student groups. For example, I'd create communities for each university where students can share clubs and activities with each other. This would make extracurricular activities more accessible to students and enhance communication among them. Introducing a student verification system would also create a trustworthy environment.
