Project Description:
Masked Meetup is a social platform that matches like-minded people for socially distanced, safe activities and gives them the tools they need to make informed decisions when going out in public.
Tools Used:
Adobe XD and Photoshop, Affinity Photo and Designer, Miro, InVision
My Role:
While researching and designing for Masked Meetup, I acted as the project manager and art director. I had a hand in designing and working on each piece of this project. I consolidated all of the group’s work and iterated upon it to meet the project’s style guide and voice.
Team Members:
Zach Lemis
Bridgette Mallett
Hailey Jamieson
Overview
Background
With the global pandemic cutting our social ties and shutting down public venues, it’s very hard for people to be social. Friends and families no longer have many opportunities to see and interact together. People need safe and social distancing activity ideas so they can still get together and strengthen their bonds during these trying times.
The Problem
Social people feel unsafe going out because they do not know how busy locations are, what social distance practices are in place, or have someone with similar safety precautions to participate with for activities.
The Problem
Social people feel unsafe going out because they do not know how busy locations are, what social distance practices are in place, or have someone with similar safety precautions to participate with for activities.
User Research
Research Plan
The team interviewed five individuals who care about their health and the others around them during the pandemic. They practice social distancing and are concerned about furthering the spread of Coronavirus if they go out.
We conducted a Google survey of 28 participants to find out the needs and frustrations of social individuals trying to meet new people, make connections, and go on social outings during a pandemic.
Our compiled interview notes and survey insights were laid out in an Affinity Diagram.
From those notes, we created six categories with our major takeaways and point of view statements.
Survey Insights
- The majority of participants are unsure if they’d be willing to meet someone new in person but only 16% responded “no”.
- About a third of participants have no problem going out to eat or shop, another third would only go out if:
- Proper social distancing practices were in place and actively practiced.
- They know the place is not crowded.
- Only if outdoor seating is available.
- Over 80% of people would be more likely to go to a business or public area if they can know how busy or crowded it is before leaving the house.
Relationship Status
Social Interactions
Activities
Wants and Misses
Concerns
Social Distancing
Empathy Map
Our user represents a broad demographic and age range. Most individuals prefer safe social distancing and would like to see safe practices from others. Some users may be immunocompromised and miss going out like they normally would. Their health is their main priority, but they are still willing to meet people with common interests while having safe practices in place.
Says
- “I’m out of new ideas at this point.”
- “The flow of life is gone.”
- “I would like to meet new people safely.”
Thinks
- There will always be a risk going out in public.
- What are businesses doing to mitigate exposure?
- I need to come up with new activity ideas.
Does
- Only shops for necessities.
- Always wears a mask when leaving the house.
- Spends a lot of time with their dog at parks or hiking.
Feels
- I hate when other people do not wear masks.
- Video chat is awkward but I’m willing to try.
- I’m stuck at home without much to do.
Pains
- Others not social distancing, helping spread the virus.
- Unsure of what precautions are in place as they usually differ from business to business.
Gains
- Still able to do a lot of outdoor activities with Snoop.
- Easily get take-out for a nice picnic at the park.
- Lot’s of new online classes and experiences.
User Persona
Bradley Fox
Age: 45
Job: Software Designer
Status: Single
Location: Houston, TX
Character: Foodie, Dog Lover
Bio
Bradley and his dog, Snoop, just moved to Texas to a new position as a software developer but soon found out that he’ll be working from home for the foreseeable future. He was excited to meet his new coworkers and explore all that Houston has to offer but now realized that he’ll be sheltering in place for a few months and doesn’t know anybody.
Now that some businesses are opening up and people are starting to go about their daily lives again, Bradley wants to explore and make new connections in Houston. Unfortunately, Bradley has a compromised immune system and wary of crowded places.
He loves taking his dog on hikes and is quite the foodie, cooking most of his meals at home. He would like to meet new friends and potentially a romantic partner who shares his interests while still staying safe during the pandemic.
- Introvert / Extrovert
- Cautious / Risk-Taker
- Homebody / Explorer
- Patient / Impatient
Goals
• Meet new people in Houston.
• Get outside and enjoy the new city he is living in.
• Stay healthy and Coronavirus free.
• Find playmates for Snoop.
• Find new and fun activities to do at home during the pandemic.
Frustrations
• Feels unsafe exploring a new city due to his compromised immune system.
• Hates being cooped up, unable to go to work or out.
• People who do not take the virus seriously or wear masks.
• Having to try multiple restaurants before finding one that has outdoor seating.
• Not knowing where to take his dog to play.
Favorite Brands
Definition & Ideation
User Insights
During this time of a pandemic, we discovered people miss interacting with others and their normal activities. Although businesses are reopening, they still do not feel comfortable returning to their normal routines because they do not know the social distance practices taking place, how busy locations are, or have someone with similar safety precautions to participate in activities with.
We believe people are remaining home because they do not have the proper tools or information to make them feel comfortable going out.
Competitor Analysis
We sought out other products that offer a platform for matching, meetups, and communication-based on interests. These apps have provided statements regarding Coronavirus however, they do not necessarily match you with someone who has safe practices or provide enough information to choose safe activities.
Direct Competitors
Meetup.com
Competitive Advantage
- Free
- Local and online events
- Easily find groups for any interest
- Use of mood boards to select interests
Strengths
- Well known
- Established categories
- Organized groups
- Career building
- Easy to use
Weaknesses
- Rude users
- People impersonating others
- Potenially Unsafe
- No option to provide feedback
Bumble BFF
Competitive Advantage
- Free
- Multiple options for friends, dates, and networking
- Integrates swipe to match method
- Customizable profile
Strengths
- Well known
- Established
- Customizable interests
Weaknesses
- Free version gives limited access
- Expensive to pay for messaging
- Location services are not efficient
- 24 hour limit to reply
Indirect Competitors
Tinder
Competitive Advantage
- Free
- Quick matches with swiping
- App for hooking-up
- Large user base
Strengths
- Loyal users
- Appealing interface
- Fun to swipe
- Simple and intuitive
Weaknesses
- Privacy concerns
- Dependence on millennials
- Attributing to “hook-up” culture
- Need to pay for more access and swipes
Competitive Advantage
- Free
- Connect to a large social network
- Large and loyal user base
- Appealing interface
Strengths
- Simple and easy to use
- Variety of features
- Endless scrolling
- Quick interactions
Weaknesses
- Privacy concerns
- Addicting
- Too many advertisments
- Competitive market
Brainstorming & Feature Prioritization
Through the use of the I Like, I Wish, What If? brainstorming method we split potential features into three categories that a user would use Masked Meetups for:
- Activity Ideas
- Knowledge of Current Restrictions and Capacity
- Safe Social Interactions
We then prioritized those features, focusing on designing for the highest priority for our target users.
Scenario & Storyboard
Bradley just moved to Houston to start a new job as a Software Designer. Upon arriving in Houston the pandemic hit and he learned he would be working from home for the foreseeable future. With his compromised immune system Bradley has not felt comfortable going out to explore the city, meet new people, or find parks for Snoop.
Bradley uses Masked Meetup to connect with people that have similar interests to participate in socially distant safe activities. He also found ideas for activities to do at home and information about dog parks that were not crowded to bring Snoop to play.
User Journey Map
Testing & Iterating
User Flows
The ultimate goal for our product is to have individuals make new connections and eventually meetup in person. On the other hand, Masked Meetup can be used as an activity discovery tool for those not comfortable with meeting someone new. By giving them the tools they need to make an informed decision of what to do and where to go to stay safe during the pandemic.
Onboarding
Create a new account and build a profile by adding personal information and pictures. Then select interests and Coronavirus safe practices that will help match users with like-minded and safe individuals.
Matching & Discovery
Find a match by selecting a type of activity to do when meeting up, browse profiles, and start chatting with a new match.
Explore the database of activities and find information such as up-to-date Coronavirus restrictions in place at a business or public area and a live capacity counter.
Share activity ideas with friends and family outside of the app or share with matches to schedule an in-person or remote meetup.
User Testing
We conducted two user tests of our paper prototype five user tests of our digital prototype to answer three overarching questions.
Research Questions
- Does the user understand the difference in matching based on the type of activity and exploring various activities to share?
- Can the user easily search activity ideas for exactly what they’re looking for?
- Can the user plan, share, and schedule a meetup activity?
User Tasks
Task 1: Profile Creation
The user will be able to create a new account and build their profile by adding personal information and pictures, select interests, and Coronavirus safe practices.
Task 2: Matchmaking
The user can start the matchmaking process, review their matches’ profiles, and select a person to start chatting with.
Task 3: Activity Discovery and Sharing
The user can browse activities and review offerings, hours, current restrictions, and more. Then share it with their matches.
Task 4: Schedule Meetup
The user can set the time and date of their meetup and confirm the plans with their match.
Design Iterations
Profile Creation
Sketch
Clear steps laid out in order to build a new public profile.
Digital Wireframe
Consolidated steps for fewer onboarding steps and added a progress bar at the top.
Next Iteration
Fixed sizing and spacing. Gave the profile more life and interactivity.
Home Screen
Sketch
Secondary functions surround a large button, drawing the user to the app’s main function.
Digital Wireframe
Moved chat to bottom navigation and added a third activity category.
Next Iteration
Moved news to bottom navigation and consolidated home screen into two main tabs. One for matching and the other for exploring and sharing activity ideas.
Sketch
Secondary functions surround a large button, drawing the user to the app’s main function.
Digital Wireframe
Moved chat to bottom navigation and added a third activity category.
Next Iteration
Moved news to bottom navigation and consolidated home screen into two main tabs. One for matching and the other for exploring and sharing activity ideas.
Home Screen
Sketch
Explore, set filters, and search for activity ideas. View all activities on a map or scroll through the list.
Digital Wireframe
Added category tabs along the top and included the ability to save and share straight from the search results.
Next Iteration
Moved tab bar below search to make it more prominent as it often went unnoticed during testing.
Chat
Sketch
Standard chat function between matches.
Digital Wireframe
Able to share and schedule activities from the chat.
Next Iteration
Highlighted the video chat function in a new chat onboarding message and included a link to start exploring activities straight from the chat, rather than having to navigate to the home screen first.
Sketch
Standard chat function between matches.
Digital Wireframe
Able to share and schedule activities from the chat.
Next Iteration
Highlighted the video chat function in a new chat onboarding message and included a link to start exploring activities straight from the chat, rather than having to navigate to the home screen first.
The Solution
Masked Meetup will empower people to feel safe going out in public by providing them the tools they will need to make informed decisions of what to do, where they can go, and new people they can meet.
Prototype
Prototype
Conclusion
Final Thoughts
- Initially we started with a COVID dating app that helped singles meet others safely. After some collaboration, we decided to pursue a more inclusive concept of social meetups.
- During our research, we discovered people miss interacting with others and participating in their normal activities.
- We hope that nobody feels alone during these unprecedented times and Masked Meetup is here to help.
Key Performance Idicators
- Number of active users.
- Partnership opportunities with local businesses and a city’s Parks and Rec. department.
- Low number of reported users and spam accounts
- Number of repeat meetups.
Next Steps
- Small group meetups.
- Remote meetups within the app.
- Exclusive online activities like classes or games.
- Expanded chat features of gifs and video chat filters.
More Projects
TripWolf
planning, simplified
TrainHeroic
Project CURE
web experience for good
412-874-7804
lemiszach@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/zachlemis
@zachlemisdesigns
Designed With Care