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This project is designed to help users grow social capital, strengthen their sense of community, and expand their networks by connecting through local events, shared learning, and meaningful interactions.
Role & Timeline
Individual Work, Research & Design
Duration: 3 month
Design Field： UX Design, User Research
Duration: 3 month
Design Field： UX Design, User Research
Secondary Research
I researched what are some common changes in our post-covid life
Our Post Covid Life
What will life look like post-pandemic? Masks, testing, and home offices may stay as people adapt to new norms.
Remote work
Remote work surged during the pandemic for safety and is now 4-5 times more common, enabled by video calls and networks (McKinsey).
Where do they go?
Many left big cities for suburbs during COVID, with address changes rising 27%.
What else?
Remote work surged during the pandemic for safety and is now 4-5 times more common, enabled by video calls and networks (McKinsey).
Our Post Covid Life
What will life look like post-pandemic? Masks, testing, and home offices may stay as people adapt to new norms.
Where do they go?
Many left big cities for suburbs during COVID, driven by safety, appeal, and high costs, with address changes up 27%.
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We return to our homes, spending more time in our local communities(highlight).
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As people spend more time in local communities, the need for trust and connection grows — highlighting the importance of social capital in strengthening these ties.
Social Capital
I conducted a literature review inspired by the Social Capital in Community Development report to explore how communities thrive.
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“Social capital — bonding, bridging, and linking networks — gives access to resources and opportunities to achieve goals.”
Bonding Networks
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Bonding Networks
Bonding Networks
Why It Matters?
Social capital helps people collaborate, build trust, and access support, shaping and sustaining the community over time.
How to build social capital?
How can we use our time to develop and enjoy the benefits of the social capital we have?
01
Engaging in meaningful activities that foster trust, relationships, and support within our communities — strengthening the bonds that help us thrive together.
Interview
01 Definition
Community is seen as a group of people with shared interests or backgrounds who support one another — e.g., “neighbors, family, kids.”
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02 Our needs
Access to resources, opportunities, and emotional support; a place to share and exchange values and help each other.
Empowerment
We aim to build a diverse, supportive community where members can expand networks, access resources, and gain the support they need by investing their time effectively.
03 Our hopes
Participants wish for more diversity, inclusion, and opportunities to meet and connect with different people.
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04 Our concerns
Many are willing to devote time and effort to support their community and help others feel included
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2
Initiative
Members have clear goals and a willingness to contribute but lack the platform and incentives to get started.
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Personas
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Age
25
Location:
San Francisco, CA
Family:
Single/No Kids
Occupation:
Software Developer
Michelle, a vineyard manager residing in San Raman, CA with her daughter, relocated to the area a year ago. She works on the weekends and takes 2 days off in the weekdays. She enjoy exploring new restaurants and engaging in outdoor activities with her friends. However, she longs for a close-knit group of friends to share her time with. Making new friends is her current desire, but being relatively new ti the city, she’s uncertain about where to begin.
Goal
- A space to naturally connect with others without feeling pressured.
- The ability to be vulnerable & authentically themselves when meeting new people, without the fear of judgment or pretence.
Motivations
- Kind, Thoughtful, Loyal
“I really want to make friends but i just don’t have the time or energy to put into building those relationships. I feel like i have to present the best version of myself in order to be liked by someone new, it’s too much pressure.”
Interview insights
Empowerment
We aim to build a diverse, supportive community where members can expand networks, access resources, and gain the support they need by investing their time effectively.
2
Initiative
Members have clear goals and a willingness to contribute but lack the platform and incentives to get started.
3
Support
Online communities can cause distress, prompting a desire for more care, support, and emotional connection.
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Flow
Leisure activities may require mental effort, yet participants enjoy the process or outcome, often reaching a flow state.
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How to reach flow state
- Fully immersed in what you are doing
- Accomplish something difficult and worthwhile
- Skills are utilized
- Engagement and concentration
Flow state leaves you
- motivated and fulfilled
- increased creativity and happiness
- Sense of “total control”
- improve your social status
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How might we help community members make the most of their leisure time to build meaningful connections, expand their networks, and access the support they need?
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Ideation process
Explored design opportunities through brainstorming, focusing on leveraging social capital and creating an emotionally supportive online community.
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Design goals
Interest based
Feature local connections based on shared interests, location, or backgrounds to help residents discover and grow their networks.
Community events
Suggests meaningful activities or resources based on available time and personal goals
Start your own events
User are able to host their own event or workshops. Turning leisure into an opportunity for growth, creativity, and fulfillment.
Wireframes
With the design goals in mind, I designed the following wireframes, including log in page, landing page, description page, posting page, following page and profile page.
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Testing
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Navigation
One users report he wants to edit his tags in order to find more events, but doesn’t know where to find it.
Readability
User thinks the most of text are too small to read on the description page.
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Map view
50% of users think map view limits the amount of posts they scroll through, they wish to have list view as well.
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Insufficient Message
User reports he wishes to edit the event he posts and view event he participated.
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Clickability
30% of users report that clickable elements are hard to identify.
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Design Consistency
Some users report inconsist experience -- icons, shapes, buttons.
Onboarding
As a new community app user, I want to join my local network by entering my home address and selecting my interests, so I can discover nearby people and events that align with my passions. I also want my profile to reflect who I am, helping me build meaningful connections within my neighborhood.
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Joining an event
As a community member, I want to discover local events through a map or list view, and filter by distance. And sign up with one click, so I can easily participate in activities that match my interests and meet like-minded people nearby.
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Creating an event
Create an event by setting a time and category. Choice to collaborate with other people! Edit and view joined members after posting.
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Expanding your social capital
Strengthen your connection
As a user, I want to chat in groups or privately with other members, so I can build deeper, meaningful connections in my community.
