DES448 UX Experience
UI/UX
User Research
THE NEED
The transition to remote work during the pandemic also introduced a unique set of challenges, including a loss of personal connection among colleagues.
The absence of in-person interactions, water cooler chats, and shared office spaces created a sense of isolation and hindered the spontaneous exchange of ideas. Many individuals struggled to replicate the same level of camaraderie and social support that naturally emerged in traditional work environments.
THE SOLUTION
To tackle the isolation experienced by remote employees, we created an app featuring dedicated forums where workers can connect over shared interests. These interactive spaces encourage users to engage in discussions, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects, fostering a sense of community that many find lacking in a remote work environment. By providing a platform for like-minded individuals to come together, the app aims to strengthen social ties, enhance networking opportunities, and create a supportive atmosphere that mirrors the connections formed in traditional office settings.
PERSONAS
Max, Working from home @ Seattle
Pain Point: Conversations with coworkers were often a little dry, there wasn’t any purpose to talk outside of work. Team bonding activities felt forced and corny.
Goal: Have the freedom to make own connections without having to do them because of “work”.
Amy, Working from home @ Hong Kong
Pain Point: Often finds a difficult time communicating with people with different time zones, unsure of the tone of messages.
Goal: Want to make connections and conversations that are not just purely work related.
IDEATION
When I began sketching, my primary objective was to generate ideas that would allow people to have an engaging conversation and connect with others freely.
I wanted users to grasp the functionality of the app without investing excessive time in exploration. Drawing inspiration from popular apps like Reddit, Twitter, and Blind, which enjoy widespread user familiarity, I designed community forum feature on befriend to closely resemble the process of scrolling through their timelines which is a familiar design to many users.
USER FLOW
Aiming to make it easy for people to discover and connect with others.
I designed two user flow diagrams — one for discovering communities to join and another for finding people to make connections with.
WIREFRAME
One key usability gap I noted from the low-fidelity wireframe was the need to address what are the user task goal, which I tried to identify clearly in the high fidelity wireframes.
FINAL DESIGN
Considering that making connections is the main task I ensured that users could accomplish this effortlessly from first view. The user can join communities from the home page immediately and start making a post. The user can also start engaging in conversations with people they find similarities with through the explore page.
About DxD Intensives
This program aims to bridge the experience gap for minority students in the design field by pairing them with industry mentors. Through a practical design challenge, students work on real-world projects, gain corporate experience, and expand their professional networks.
For 8 weeks, SFSU students will collaborate with their mentors to tackle the complexities of hybrid work models. Their objective is to create an app or website that enhances hybrid work experiences, concentrating on inclusivity and connectivity.