digimate
digimate
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The Context
As someone who values staying connected with friends, I’ve often found maintaining meaningful daily interactions challenging. Social media feels overwhelming, and texts lack depth. I wanted to explore whether others shared this struggle and, if so, create an effortless solution for meaningful check-ins and stronger connections.
The Problem
The problem DigiMate aimed to address was the lack of meaningful and consistent ways for users to stay connected with their friends and social groups in a digital space. Existing platforms often felt overwhelming or shallow, making it difficult for users to share emotions, updates, and maintain deeper connections. This gap was particularly evident for individuals with busy schedules, remote workers, or those feeling isolated, who struggled to find a structured, engaging way to check in and stay connected with their social circles.
The Objective
I wanted to conduct competitive analysis and user research to understand better how people currently stay connected with friends and the challenges they face in maintaining meaningful relationships. Based on this research, I aimed to design a platform that could be tested and refined to address these frustrations and align with user expectations for effortless and personal connection.
The Solution
Through user research, competitive analysis, and empathy, I discovered that maintaining meaningful connections with friends and groups was challenging for many people. Users often relied on scattered methods, like group chats or social media, which lacked the personal touch and convenience they desired. Using the insights gathered, I developed a user persona to deeply empathize with their needs and brainstormed features for an end-to-end connection management application.
The TL;DR
I created a site map and user flows to understand the information architecture better, followed by low-fidelity wireframes, which were tested to observe how users interacted with the product. Using feedback from these tests and the style tile I created, I designed high-fidelity wireframes and conducted usability tests. The final design had a 90% success rate, with users praising the clean and intuitive interface.
The Process
1. Emphasize
Analysis of the Top Competitors Using SWOT
Analyzing competitors through a SWOT analysis highlighted a gap in the market for a mobile platform designed to simplify group check-ins and foster authentic interactions. While existing apps provide similar features, they often fall short in offering seamless functionality and sustained user engagement.
User Interviews
Affinity Mapping
From the interviews, I mapped out common themes together. These ones are the top categories I decided to focus on for this project:
Top 3 Research Findings
2. Define
User Persona
Emma was created as a young professional seeking better friend engagement. My interview insights and the top categories of my affinity map helped me come to this persona. I will use her as a reference throughout the creation of DigiMate to guide me on important design decisions.
3. Ideation
Feature Set
Site Map
From the top priority features, I created a basic site map to understand the basic information architecture and get an idea of how users might move through DigiMate.
User Flows
From the site map, prioritized features, and the user persona, I put together 3 user flows to demonstrate and test how a user might complete the most common tasks of the app. The user flows are:
Starting a check-in
Checking in to a group
Viewing your profile/friend list
4. Prototype
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
The user flows served as a foundation for designing the low-fidelity prototypes. These key screens focus on enhancing group and individual check-ins.
A slight deviation from the original user flow was made by simplifying the layout to prioritize default input options for all users, with the flexibility to add custom fields as needed. This decision was aimed at maintaining a clean, intuitive interface that is easy to navigate and learn.
Low-Fidelity Testing
After designing the three key user flows (account creation/onboarding, completing check-ins, and navigating group updates), I conducted usability tests with participants. These 1-on-1 sessions, held over Zoom, allowed me to observe how users interacted with the screens and navigated the flows. This approach also provided valuable insights into the clarity of wording and helped identify any areas of confusion while completing tasks.
Key Findings
Branding
After testing the low-fidelity wireframes, I shifted my focus to shaping the visual identity of DigiMate. While selecting colors and designing the logo, I prioritized the brand values I had defined: connection, authenticity, support, and simplicity.
I assembled a style tile to visualize how all the elements worked cohesively and ensured the colors met accessibility standards, allowing me to determine which combinations would work best in the app's design.
High-Fidelity Prototyping
With the branding finalized and insights from the low-fidelity usability tests analyzed, I created the first iteration of high-fidelity wireframes. These wireframes represent key screens from the user flow and were used for further testing with users.
5. Test
Usability Testing
Key Usability Testing Findings
6. Iterate
Prioritizing Revisions
I aimed to enhance the next version of the prototype to ensure users could navigate key tasks more effortlessly. Based on feedback and insights from the high-fidelity usability tests, I prioritized revisions that would deliver the greatest benefit to the user. The updates were:
1st Revision - Added a Filter to the Homepage
Add a simple filter to the recent check-in feed.
Users can toggle between all friends' posts or group-specific updates for a more tailored browsing experience.
2nd Revision - Improved Accessibility for Post Cards
Adjusted card detail colors for better visibility and accessibility.
Enlarged mood-tracking emojis for improved mobile usability.
3rd Revision - Enhanced Mood Tracking Emojis
Made settings dots more prominent.
Added dividing lines to separate post content from user details.
Moved mood-tracking emoji for better visibility and interaction.
