VentureSoft
2021
Responsibilities
Research, Prototyping, User Testing, UI, Design hand-off
Speakeasy
mobile app
Designed during the COVID pandemic, Speakeasy seamlessly connects individuals with shared interests through thematic 'rooms.'
About the app
The onboarding process is intuitive, allowing users to select their interests and discover vibrant communities. From hobbies to places, the app fosters meaningful connections, transforming shared passions into engaging and diverse conversations.
Default profile mode is created to find friends, potential customers, colleagues or companions.
Dating mode lets other room members know that you are open for romantic relationships.
Problem statement
During pandemic, the challenge of fostering genuine connections among individuals with shared interests became increasingly apparent.
Traditional social platforms lack specificity and fail to create meaningful interactions.
Competitive analysis
I explored both direct and indirect competitors in the realm of connecting individuals based on shared interests. Many apps cater to general social connections, while Speakeasy stands out by seamlessly uniting people with specific passions, transforming casual interactions into meaningful conversations. Unlike other platforms, Speakeasy's thematic 'rooms' facilitate engaging dialogues, making it a unique and focused space for building connections around shared interests.
Competitive Analysis
Feature analysis
Upon closer examination, I pinpointed distinctive features in various similar apps. Speakeasy, much like Clubhouse, offers thematic rooms, fostering collaborative language acquisition.
Taking inspiration from Nexdoor's groups, Speakeasy incorporates interactive and dynamic conversational experiences.
Feature Analysis
User Interviews
Next, I conducted 3 user interviews, and though I wish I had more participants, I still gained a lot of insights into the finding like-minded people experience.
User interview insights
Based on the insights gathered from these diverse users, Speakeasy can enhance its appeal by prioritizing a visually engaging and intuitive onboarding experience. Integrating quick tutorials, customizable visual elements, and an easy navigation system will contribute to a positive first impression, fostering sustained user engagement.
Here are How Might We (HMW) statements I formulated
How might we optimise onboarding process to create an intuitive and visually engaging experience that encourages users to personalize their interests seamlessly?
How might we leverage innovative audio features within user profile to enhance dynamic conversations, fostering a unique and immersive environment for like-minded individuals to connect?
How might we integrate gamification elements effectively into Speakeasy, such as badges, challenges, and leaderboards, to create a rewarding and interactive experience that encourages sustained engagement and participation?
Idea Brainstorming
In the most creative step of the design process, I came up with solutions and created an information architecture. Followed by that are sketches, high-fidelity wireframes, usability testing, and a UI kit.
Optimising Onboarding Experience:
Design an onboarding process that incorporates visual elements and clear prompts, guiding users to select their interests effortlessly. Implement quick tutorials or tooltips to familiarize users with the app's features, ensuring a smooth and engaging introduction.
Innovative Audio Features for Dynamic Conversations:
Enhance the conversational experience by allowing users to customise their audio profiles and participate in themed online events, making interactions more immersive and enjoyable.
Gamification for Increased Engagement:
Integrate gamification elements to boost user engagement. Develop achievement badges and create a visually appealing and interactive environment that motivates users to explore, connect, and achieve milestones within the app.
Informational Architecture
& Sketches
During pandemic, the challenge of fostering genuine connections among individuals with shared interests became increasingly apparent.
Traditional social platforms lack specificity and fail to create meaningful interactions.
High-fidelity wireframes
From sketches to high-fidelity wireframes, I started by laying out all the pages I needed to design for the main user journeys. I blocked out sections for each element and added detalisation.
Usability Testing and Iterations
I conducted usability testing with 6 participants over Zoom, each lasting about 30 minutes.
The objective of the test:
Observe if users can accomplish the specified task. If they make a mistake, can they recover?
Identify areas of the app that require a change to improve user performance and satisfaction
With the provided feedback, I created revisions to fill the gap between my understanding of the users and what the users experienced.
View Prototype
Final UI and main features
What kind of feeling do I want users to experience while using Speakeasy? The color purple is associated with ambition and creativity and the yellow is associated with enjoyment and enthusiasm. These two are the primary colors used in Speakeasy. I used a Poppins font so it is more legible. Geometria font for titles also creates a friendly and inviting environment.
Personalised Icebreaker
Icebreaker empowers users to set up their own conversation starters within their profiles.
By allowing individuals to customize their icebreakers, Speakeasy creates a more personalized and interactive space for users to connect over shared passions.
Engaging
onboarding
By selecting areas of interest, the application tailors user's experience by presenting Speakeasy rooms that specifically align with the topics user have chosen.
This personalized approach ensures that the initial rooms user encounter resonate with their preferences.
Speakeasy rooms
While the majority of these rooms are public and open to everyone, there are also future feature planned to create private rooms that require an invitation from the room owner for access.
This dual structure allows users to freely explore a wide range of public discussions while providing a more exclusive and controlled environment for private conversations among invited participants.
Choose your conversation companion
When a user enters a Speakeasy room and begins exploring the participants, they can employ a drag-and-drop mechanism to navigate the screen.
Profile pictures positioned in the center of the screen adopt a larger size compared to those on the sides, creating a magnifying glass effect akin to the layout seen on Apple Watch.
Initiate calls & send contact details
Once user have identified someone interesting in a room, this feature will allow them to connect in real-time and exchange contact information, addressing the need for immediate and direct communication in the pandemic time.
Top Up Wallet
& Earn Credits
Users have the opportunity to earn extra credits through various actions, such as inviting friends to join the app, sharing the app on social networks, or leaving a review.
This incentivized credit-earning system not only encourages user engagement but also provides a rewarding and interactive way for individuals to maximize their app benefits.
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