Spot
PROJECT TYPE
UX Design / Mobile Design
TIMELINE
2024
Problems
On a peaceful afternoon, have you ever tried planning a weekend hangout with friends in a group chat, and everyone wanted to meet at different times and go to different places, leaving you confused?
Why does planning something as fun as spending time with friends feel so complicated? There had to be a better way. That’s when the idea for Spot began to take shape. Spot allows friends to input their availability, vote on activities, and share their locations. Spot then works its magic, analyzing the data to suggest the perfect meeting spot, time, and activity that works for everyone.
Design Process
Here’s the design process I followed for this project.
01 Empathize
Competitive Analysis
I began by analyzing both direct and indirect competitors of group planning platforms.
Feature Analysis
While many apps address specific parts of the process, none provide a comprehensive solution like Spot. Yelp is great for discovering activities and reviews, Calendly excels at scheduling, and WhatsApp is effective for simple polling features in group decisions. Spot, however, stands out by integrating these features into a seamless platform, offering location optimization, activity suggestions, and scheduling tools specifically designed for group meetups.
User Survey & Analysis
The survey responses reveal a clear demand for an app like Spot. Challenges such as finding a central location, losing event details in group chats, and coordinating schedules emphasize the need for Spot’s features, including AI-powered location optimization, the 'Event Details Page,' and scheduling. The strong interest in anonymous voting further highlights the desire for inclusive, pressure-free decision-making. By addressing these pain points, Spot effectively streamlines the group planning process.
USER INTERVIEW
To gain a better understanding of customers, I interviewed individuals from various professions. The interview followed a structured format with open-ended questions to ensure participants shared all aspects of their habits and pain points.
Literature Review
In my literature review for Spot, I found that groupthink—a tendency to prioritize harmony over dissent—often hinders effective group decision-making. To counter this, the review suggests gathering individual opinions before sharing them with the wider group, enabling diverse perspectives to surface without bias. This insight highlights the value of Spot’s anonymous voting feature, which allows users to contribute their preferences independently, fostering inclusivity and preventing the dominance of groupthink in planning decisions.
User Persona
I created the personas to represent two distinct types of users that Spot aims to serve: the proactive host (Julia) and the spontaneous, less-engaged participant (Peter). These personas help illustrate how Spot can address both types of users by streamlining planning for organizers and making participation effortless for others.
#1 Julia Chavez (Proactive Host)
ABOUT
Julia always plans gatherings well in advance. She values efficiency and inclusivity in her social planning, aiming to cater to everyone's preferences while minimizing logistical headaches. Julia's role as the planner among her friends is both a source of pride and a point of stress, especially when faced with indecision and lack of initiative from others in the group.
BEHAVIOR
Prefers to plan gatherings and activities ahead of time to avoid last-minute chaos.
Regularly searches for new and interesting venues and activities for group outings.
Often finds herself being the mediator and decision-maker in planning where to meet and what to do.
OVERVIEW
NAME: Julia Chavez
AGE: 36
LOCATION: New York, NY
OCCUPATION: Marketing Director
QUOTE: “I just wish organizing events could be as enjoyable as attending them”
PAIN POINTS
Frustration arises when friends do not participate in the decision-making process or fail to check the group chat.
Struggles to find a location that is conveniently accessible for all friends as they have different starting points.
Difficulty in reaching a consensus on what activities to do, as everyone has varied preferences.
NEEDS & GOALS
A streamlined way to find a central meeting point that minimizes inconvenience for all attendees.
A tool that encourages more active participation and input from all friends in the planning process.
An efficient method to narrow down activity options that cater to the group's diverse interests.
#2 Peter Wilson (Less-Engaged Participant)
ABOUT
Peter is an outgoing person who thrives on social interactions but often finds organizing such meetups challenging, especially when trying to accommodate everyone's preferences and geographical constraints. His indifference towards carefully organizing gatherings, along with his infrequent participation in group chats, often makes his friends frustrated.
BEHAVIOR
Relies on spontaneity rather than planning in advance.
Rarely checks group chats or engages in the planning process.
Struggles to reconcile differing preferences within his friend group.
OVERVIEW
NAME: Peter Wilson
AGE: 22
LOCATION: San Diego, CA
OCCUPATION: College Student
QUOTE: "I hate scrolling through tons of messages in a group chat to choose a place and activity."
PAIN POINTS
Difficulty in finding a meeting spot that is convenient for all friends due to varying locations.
Challenges in deciding on activities that satisfy everyone's interests.
The inconvenience of coordinating plans due to a lack of engagement with planning tools
NEEDS & GOALS
A simplified way to determine a central meeting point for all friends.
An easy-to-use tool or platform that suggests activities based on the group's collective interests.
A planning tool that requires minimal effort and engagement but delivers efficient results.
“How Might We” Questions
After the research phase, I concluded that users need assistance in identifying a central meeting spot, finding activities that cater to everyone's preferences, and selecting a time that works for all. Furthermore, the app should encourage active participation from all users in the planning process.
Problems & Solutions
After conducting user surveys, interviews, and a literature review, I identified several challenges people face when trying to meet up with a large group of friends. These are the solutions I plan to incorporate into Spot to address these challenges effectively.
Information Architecture
I listed the items and CTAs displayed on each page. The pink rectangles represent pages, and the gray rectangles represent items. The yellow circles represent actions.
UI Kit
What kind of feelings do I want users to experience while using Spot? Pink is associated with warmth and friendliness, while yellow evokes happiness and energy. These primary and secondary colors were chosen for Spot to convey those emotions. I selected the Figtree font not only to ensure high legibility but also to convey a sense of excitement.
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Finally, this is what the app looks like! These are the high-fidelity wireframes of Spot.
Feature 1
The host or event coordinator creates an event by inviting friends, entering the event's name and description, and selecting availability.
Feature 2
The attendees receive a notification prompting them to vote on Chill Day. In the first round of the voting game, they can vote on the date and time.
Feature 3
In the second round of the voting game, attendees vote on the location and activities.
Feature 4
In the third round of the voting game, attendees vote on specific places, such as restaurants and cafes, as well as activities.
Feature 5
Once all the voting game rounds are completed, Spot will automatically make a reservation for places like restaurants. If the host or event coordinator needs to adjust the reservation for any reason, they can edit it as needed.
Conclusion
Instead of solely relying on assumptions, I believe it is important to hear from real people and learn about their experiences. In this way, I can learn about what difficulties they have faced and what solutions I can provide them with. The more I talked with these people and listened to their stories, the more design decisions became clear.
I also learned that all the design decisions and all the elements in my app should have reasoning. Just because the app looks aesthetically pleasing doesn’t mean that it is going to solve the problem. I ensured that all the features and elements in my app helped the customers achieve their needs and goals easily and efficiently.