How can we support individuals with social anxiety in stepping out of their comfort zones to build meaningful connections?
Friends are our companions through life's challenges and our partners in personal growth. However, relocating to a new city or town can bring about fear and social anxiety, making it difficult to form new friendships.
Overview
For this project, I was responsible for conducting User Research, creating Information Architecture, performing Heuristic Analysis, developing Wireframes and Prototypes, conducting Usability Testing, and designing the User Interface. Additionally, I created a brand logo, established a design system, and developed the overall brand identity.
Duration
June '24 - July '24
8 Weeks
Tools Used
Figma,
Miro,
Adobe Illustrator,
Adobe Photoshop,
Microsoft Office
Working Model
Individual Contributor
Project Type
Capstone Project
On average, 20% of people who say they’re going end up attending events.
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What’s Holding Users Back
Imagine moving to a bustling new city with endless opportunities but feeling isolated and unsure of where to begin making connections. This is the reality for many newcomers who, despite RSVPing to events, struggle to take the next step and attend. The gap between intent and action often amplifies feelings of loneliness and disconnection, leaving individuals longing for meaningful social and professional networks.
The Answer to the Challenge
Socius reimagines the journey of building connections in unfamiliar cities, transforming event discovery and attendance into a seamless, engaging experience. Here's how Socius makes it possible:
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Intuitive, User-Centric Design:
A thoughtfully crafted interface that simplifies the process of finding, RSVPing, and attending events—reducing barriers for users to take action. -
Integrated AI Chatbot:
Your personal guide to the platform, offering tailored event suggestions based on preferences and providing real-time support to ease navigation. -
Pre-Event Networking:
Socius bridges the gap between RSVPing and attending by fostering pre-event interactions. Users can connect with other attendees beforehand, creating a sense of belonging and shared anticipation.
Event Discovery, RSVP & Split Payment
Pre-Event Networking
Researching Social Dynamics
Research Objectives
Understand the reasons behind the low conversion rate from RSVP to actual event attendance.
Evaluate the impact of incentives on event attendance rates.
Explore user motivations and barriers to attending events after RSVP’ing.
Analyze demographic variations in event attendance behavior to tailor the app’s offerings to different user groups.
Support users in managing social anxiety and fostering connections with others at events.
Audiences
The user base consists of individuals aged 32 to 55, with an equal split between men and women. These users utilize both phone and desktop applications equally, reflecting a balanced approach to technology use. They belong to the middle class and have recently relocated to a new city, seeking ways to build new social and professional connections in their new environment.
Steering the Breakthroughs
Interview Insights
Relocating to a new area was initially challenging due to isolation and social anxiety, but participating in local clubs and events helped me further build connections.
I feel that an event should fulfill its promised purpose, and for me the post-RSVP attending factors include past experiences with the crowd, familiarity with the hosts, and opportunities to meet new people.
I look forward to attending local events such as food festivals, cultural events, & music concerts post-relocation. While considering event details, I prioritize timing, location, and post event planned activities. Having someone known tagging along would be beneficial.
Network Builder
BIO
Arjun is an entrepreneur based in New Delhi, India, with a B.Tech in Civil Engineering, running a successful construction firm. Living with his wife, he balances professional ambitions with personal commitments. A proactive networker, Arjun frequently attends industry events and conferences to stay updated with the latest trends and forge new connections. He thrives on meeting new people, believing that interactions at these events are crucial for professional growth. In his free time, Arjun enjoys playing squash and traveling with his wife, both activities. Passionate about community development, he mentors young entrepreneurs and volunteers with local NGOs focused on education and skill development.
Arjun Singh
Entrepreneur
Age - 33 years
Location - New Delhi, India
Education - B.Tech Civil Engineering
Family Status - Lives with Wife
Before attending the event if I could get an opportunity to network I would be happy to know what people I can connect with more so if the events are specifically career oriented.
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GOALS
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Arjun aims to connect with industry leaders, potential clients, and partners to grow his business.
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He seeks out well-organized events that promise valuable insights and networking opportunities, avoiding random or unfamiliar gatherings.
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He strives to maintain a healthy balance between his professional responsibilities and personal life.
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Arjun is dedicated to mentoring young entrepreneurs, sharing his knowledge and experience to help them succeed.
PAIN POINTS
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Arjun finds it difficult to interact with new people due to differences in backgrounds and initial social awkwardness.
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Sometimes events do not deliver on their promised purpose, leading to wasted time and disappointment.
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Not having the opportunity to connect with attendees beforehand makes him uneasy.
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Poor communication from event organizers, such as lack of reminders or insufficient event details, frustrates Arjun.
MOTIVATIONS
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Arjun is driven by the potential for new business opportunities and career advancement through networking.
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He is motivated by the chance to learn new skills and gain insights from industry experts.
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The desire to contribute to his community and mentor others fuels his participation in various events.
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Attending well-organized events that meet his expectations and provide value motivates him to continue participating.
TRAITS
Shopping Preferences
Online
Offline
NEEDS
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Arjun needs timely and clear communication from event organizers, including detailed event information and reminders.
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He requires platforms or tools that allow him to connect with other attendees before the event.
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He needs events that are tailored to his interests and professional needs, ensuring they are worth his time and effort.
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Access to reviews and feedback from past events helps him decide which events to attend.
Developing a Collective
Task Flows
Browsing Events
RSVPing to an Event
Networking with other attendees
Chatting with other Attendees
Heuristic Evaluation
A competitive analysis was conducted for Meetup, Eventbrite & Facebook to explore how these platforms similar to Socius that facilitate events, RSVP practices and new connections for their users. This evaluation focused on assessing existing features, identifying successful strategies, and pinpointing areas for improvement, ultimately uncovering opportunities for innovative enhancements within the app.
A link to the complete analysis can be accessed here.
Low Fidelity Prototypes
With a focus on the task flows and potential impact of the personas, the idea was transformed into low fidelity prototypes.
Event Discovery & RSVP
Onboarding & Home Screen
Pre Event Networking
Guerrilla Testing
Conducting a Moderated user testing with 4 participants, the following tasks were assigned -
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Navigating from Onboarding Screen to Home Screen.
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Exploring the Home Screen & Navigating to Events Page.
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Exploring Events & RSVPing for the events.
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Networking with possible attendees and building new connections.
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Interacting with the in-app AI Chatbot.
Results & Validations
Task Completion Rate
75%
Average Difficulty Rating - 1(least) to 5(most)
1.75
Average No. of Errors
04
the users also said -
“This app has something that people would look forward to and the app is more collaborative. The overall features provided by the app are very interesting as compared to a regular event booking app where one simply books an event and pays. The app has everything a user wants under one roof.”
“The overall app experience is great and I would love to use something like this when I move to newer places. It definitely helps one meet new people and attend events simultaneously.”
Style Guide
The mobile application's design system features lively colors and incorporates the Montserrat and Roboto font, accompanied by a varied array of components. These components, including buttons, icons, and bars, ensure a unified and fluid user interface.
Color Selection
The dynamic blue and energetic pink create an engaging and friendly atmosphere, while the cheerful yellow adds a touch of warmth. Complemented by the calming deep blue, clean white, and neutral tones of light gray and dark gray, the design ensures readability and comfort, fostering a welcoming environment for users to connect and engage.
Primary Colors
#5386E4
#FF3366
#1C3144
Secondary Colors
#FFC300
#B30000
Neutral Colors
#FFFFFF
#EDEDED
#343434
Buttons
Typeface
Reliable, user-friendly, and as reassuring.
Headline
Montserrat - 31 pts
Title
Montserrat - 26 pts
Sub-heading 1
Montserrat - 20 pts
Sub-heading 2
Montserrat - 16 pts
Sub-heading 3
Roboto - 14 pts
Body
Roboto - 12 pts
Caption 01
Roboto - 11 pts
Iconography
Main Screens
Creating the high-fidelity wireframes involved incorporating brand elements into the low-fidelity wireframes, guided by design thinking principles.
Introduction
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Users are introduced to the app and the onboarding screens help navigate through the app resources.
Onboarding Screen
Login Screen
Theme Based
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Users can select events based on their preferred event themes.
Trending Events &
Near You
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Users will receive recommendations for trending events and nearby happenings based on attendance numbers, their location, and event categories.
Influencers Attending
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Users can view the influencers attending nearby events and decide to join the same event.
Home Screen
Pre Event Networking - Step 1
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Users can discover other attendees of a specific event and connect with them to share a ride, engage in conversations, and more.
Seat Map
Pre Event Networking - Step 2
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Users can view a breakdown of attendees, categorized as connections and potential connections, attending the same event.
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They can also choose to share a ride with their connections.
Influencers Attending
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Users can view the influencers attending a particular event and decide to join the same event.
Pre-Event Networking
Event Page
Payment Split
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Users can opt to split their payments with other app users directly through the platform.
Split Payment
Even Split
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Users can choose to split the payment either evenly or by manually entering specific amounts.
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The other users will be prompted to complete their share of the payment, during which the tickets will remain on hold.
Even Split Payment
Split Payment - Identify other users
Incentives
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Upon arriving to the event, the users would receive a special incentive towards their next booking.
User Incentives
Event Ticket
AI Chatbot Sio
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Users can interact with "Sio," the AI chatbot, to ask questions about events, attendees, location preferences, and more.
Action Completion Pop-up
Map
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The 'Map' feature would allow the Users to explore the events happening in their vicinity that they can explore more about.
Map
1 - 1 Chat
Messaging
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By providing an easy way to stay connected, users can engage in ongoing conversations with others, assisting them in their decision-making process related to events, locations, ride shares, and more.
App Messenger
Other Prototypes
User Permissions
Location Modification
Favourites
Tickets
Real Time Updates
Impact and Beyond
User Testing & Iteration
Conducting a Moderated user testing with 4 participants, the following tasks were assigned -
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Navigating from Onboarding Screen to Home Screen.
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Exploring the Home Screen & Navigating to Events Page.
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Exploring Events & RSVPing for the events.
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Networking with possible attendees and building new connections.
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Interacting with the in-app AI Chatbot called 'Sio'.
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Observing the in-built Menu options.
Results & Validations
Task Completion Rate
100%
Average Difficulty Rating - 1(least) to 5(most)
1.2
Average No. of Errors
03
How relevant is the idea of an app like Socius to you post moving to a new city?
"The app allows me to browse through events, while simultaneously connect with people with similar taste. I don't have to keep switching between the different social media platforms to get in touch with everyone."
Key Adjustments
1. Category Tags for Events
3/4 participants expressed it would be easier for them to relate to events on the home page with the category tags the events belong to.
2. Mapping Events Nearby
3/4 participants experienced difficulty navigating back to the home page after exploring the maps for nearby events. To enhance clarity on events happening around them, a 'View Calendar' feature was also added.
3. Adding a Download Button on the tickets Page
2/4 participants suggested that tickets should be downloadable in case internet access is unavailable at the venue.
Results
The Problem
Moving to a new place can be intimidating, particularly for people who find it difficult to make friends. The difference between the number of persons that RSVP for events and the actual attendance, which heightens feelings of alienation and discontent, draws attention to this problem in particular.
The Solution
Building social and professional networks in a new city and going to events are transformed by Socius. It assists users in finding, RSVP-ing to, and attending local events through the use of AI-driven recommendations and an intuitive interface. Socius guarantees a comfortable experience by providing strong privacy protections, real-time reminders, and pre-event networking possibilities. These features enable users to overcome feelings of isolation and create meaningful connections.
