Explore Together

Role: UX & UI Design

Project Duration: July-October 2024

Explore Together is a user-centered app that simplifies the process of finding experiences and activities for people with shared interests after relocating to a new area.

Problem & Background

After moving, adjusting to a new place brings challenges, difficulties and unknowns across various aspects.

People might cope with cultural and social challenges, economic and employment issues, healthcare and education access issues, and practical and logistical challenges after moving. Everyone who moves goes through an adjustment process, which can vary from person to person and depending on the specific changes involved.

Research Goal

The challenges, difficulties, and unknowns that individuals face when adjusting to a new place after moving are explored to identify strategies and resources that can support a smoother transition.

Research Methods

Interviews: I have completed four interviews, all with individuals who have relocated to a different country.

Survey: I have supported the interview results by conducting a survey.

Competitive Analysis: I have conducted SWOT analysis and examined Yelp, Meetup, Google Maps and Nextdoor.

Competitive Analysis

For this part of the project, I have conducted SWOT analysis and examined Yelp, Meetup, Google Maps and Nextdoor. I compared their key features to identify what problems they address and how they enhance user experiences. All the apps offer a reliable resource for users to explore their surroundings, with some also providing opportunities to connect with new people. By addressing identified pain points and leveraging opportunities for growth, the app has the potential to stand out in a competitive market.

User Interviews & Affinity Map

I conducted four remote interviews to understand the target users' needs and pain points, focusing on open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses and uncover deeper insights.

Affinity mapping helped me understand the users' needs by allowing me to organize and visually group feedback and insights, making patterns and key pain points more apparent, which in turn guided my design decisions effectively.

Interview Findings

The interviews led me to the following key conclusions:

  • The first few weeks or months are the hardest.

  • Having a social community is important.

  • Finding a new community and local places is difficult.

  • Adapting to cultural and geological differences is challenging.

  • People want to maintain habits and find suitable activity locations.

  • Familiarity with surroundings and attitudes makes adaptation easier.

Personas

Personas played a crucial role in guiding my design process by keeping me focused on the needs, goals, and challenges of my target users. I frequently referred to them to ensure that my design decisions were aligned with the users’ needs.

Sitemap

Creating the sitemap allowed me to visualize the product's structure and functionality, enabling me to effectively categorize its features and streamline user navigation.

Task Flow & User Flow

Creating user flow helped me to visualize the overall structure of the screens and plan their layout accordingly.

I created two user flows:

  • Finding a yoga event

  • Finding a coffee shop

Task flow helped me outline the steps needed to achieve the goals set for the users, ensuring that each interaction is straightforward and efficient.

I created two task flows:

  • Finding a coffee shop

  • Finding a concert

Branding

My design is centered around the values of inclusivity, empowerment, simplicity, reliability and supportiveness.

My color selection conveys warmth and empowerment, as well as trust and reliability. I aim to provide clean typography, simple layouts, and friendly icons to create an engaging, confident, and user-friendly design

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

These wireframes focus on layout and functionality, allowing me to visualize the user flow and key features without the distraction of detailed design elements.

High-Fidelity Wireframes

In this phase, I crafted a detailed, visually engaging interface that captures the app’s final aesthetics and functionality. This stage integrates cohesive typography, color schemes, and interactive elements, providing a realistic view of the user experience and ensuring design consistency across all screens.

Usability Testing

I conducted a usability test with five participants, and based on their feedback, I created an effort-impact matrix to prioritize improvements.

Revisions

After usability test, along with minor adjustments, I focused on reorganizing the category structure to reduce confusion, updated the information on cards to enhance ease of use, replaced the logo with my second option that I had created.