This app helps strengthen personal connections with seamless messaging, keep-in-touch reminders, and a shared social calendar. It's like a reminder app, but designed to nurture relationships and plan real-world meetups easily.
Link to prototype
Research methods such as validation interviews, precedent analysis, journey mapping, as well as storyboarding were conducted to gain learned insights on the need for improved communication experienced by young adults of this generation. This project also includes branding work, wire framing, user testing, as well as design evaluations in order to achieve the final result.
A Need for Better Communication
I conducted research by surveying and interviewing 12 people and asking them about their experiences staying in touch. Respondents struggled to stay connected with loved ones due to busy lives. They wanted a solution, but didn't know how. The biggest issue was motivating them to take action. The key question was how to bridge the gap between desire and action, and get users to connect with loved ones.
Existing Solutions Aren't Effective
I explored various relationship management apps like Dex, Queue, and Garden, as well as traditional methods like reminders and post-it notes. However, I found that traditional reminders weren't effective in motivating me to take action.
Iteration During Development
From initial user research and personal reflection, I recognized the need to encourage users to actively engage with their interests. Starting with paper wireframes and usability testing, I developed and iterated on lo-fi and hi-fi prototypes, incorporating user feedback at each stage to refine the design.
Bold and Inviting Branding
The goal for branding was to be bold yet inviting. The vibrant and bold colors energizers users while making it hard to miss when receiving phone notifications. The use of rounded type evokes warmth and positivity, encouraging users to utilize the app and to interact with their loved ones.
Final Product
After a final round of testing, I developed my final product. Talk!, unlike the existing solutions, nudges users with it's reminder notifications that come with prompts for users to kick-start their interaction. Additionally, it provides users a sense of control over their interactions, encouraging them to actually act on the desire to reconnect with loved ones. Talk! helps users see their loved ones as more than just numbers or names on their phone while reducing the friction of taking that first step.
Talk! App
Olive Yuen