POP Social
Solving the loneliness epidemic one swipe at a time
Role
Product Designer
Skills
Competitive analysis, user research, usability testing, visual design, branding
POP Social is an app made by students, for students. Started at the University of Texas at Austin, POP has expanded to universities across the nation to help students create deeper meaningful connections through shared experiences and interests, rather than superficial biases present in traditional social media today.
In 2019, POP was sponsored by SputnikATX with a $10,000 grant to jumpstart our mission. Since then, the original team of 9 has grown to include over 20 students from different universities and academic backgrounds.
As a product designer, I engaged directly with our target user base to understand their needs, shaped the overall visual and brand direction, and helped implement a roadmap for new features based on user input
The problem
The COVID-19 lockdown was a difficult time for many, and university students were especially impacted.
A study examining 177 college students showed that there was a 20-30% increase in loneliness among young adults during the pandemic, which was “strongly associated with greater depression and suicidal ideation”
Our Solution
POP Social created a way for students at college campuses across the nation to create meaningful connections virtually.
By removing the ability to add photos of oneself, users relied on shared interests and common experiences to connect with others - eliminating biases based on race and appearance
Project planning
01
Project Roadmap
Over the course of 8 months, I worked closely with a tight-knit agile team to get our MVP on the market.
I served as a design lead for 3 UX interns, and led the grassroots user interview effort and brand re-design - creating the first component library for the product.
User research
02
Gaining Empathy for our Users
Initial user interviews were conducted with 11 students at the University of Texas to better understand the motivations of our target demographic.
After speaking with these folks, we were able to conclude that having frequent interactions with peers was a building block to lasting relationships and that having common hobbies to partake in together was a factor in repeated interactions.
Competitive Analysis
To better understand the market, I conducted an analysis of other geosocial networking apps. By understanding features of other products, I was able to distinguish tablestakes vs. key differentiators that would help our product stand out
Design IDeation
03
To the Drawing Board
I utilized the insights from research to lay out the key features needed for the initial beta launch of our app.
A main area of focus and differentiation was the user profile card. The omission of images of the user set us apart from our competition - and allowed us to put a greater emphasis on the users personality by letting them customize their cards with their favorite GIFs, music, and hobbies.
Pochi Customization
Since users were not able to upload photos of themselves, we knew we needed a way to allow them to express themselves in other ways.
I created our mascot - Pochi - which allowed users to create a friendly and approachable avatar to interact with other users
Usability testing
04
Usability
I usability tested a beta version of our new features with our target user base to gather feedback before the development cycle began. Through these conversations, our team was able to identify areas of improvement
Visual design
05
Establishing our Brand
The design team and I were tasked with creating a cohesive brand identity that would support our users and the core functionalities that we defined during the previous stages of the process.
Conclusion
06
Closing Remarks
Challenges
Pitching to investors
To secure more funding for our product, our team had to continually demonstrate market value. As a product designer, I had to work with challenging deadlines and quickly pivot to meet investor demands.
Working remotely across time zones
Due to COVID-19, our team had to work remotely for the latter part of the year. This called for constant communication, as many of our teammates were in different time zones
Takeaways
POP Social officially closed their doors in 2022, but the lessons that I learned working with this product team have continued to travel with me as I continue on in my career.
At POP, I learned how to wear many hats, pivot quickly, and provide mentorship to other designers.