Designing for Connection: Elevating Group Hangouts to Foster Friendships
Zeal is a social app startup in San Francisco, CA that inspires group hangouts through in-person activities and simple scheduling.
Role
Product Designer
UX Researcher
Software Developer
Duration
April 2023 - August 2024
1.5 years
Team
Varsha Rao
Lilia Coburn
Jake Chao
Zhoucai Ni
Joshua Ives
Tools
Figma
React Native
Firebase
Setting the Scene
I joined the team in March 2023 as a Software Developer and Product Designer, and later became the sole Product Designer on the team. I worked alongside the two co-CEOs and a team of engineers to deliver new features during weekly sprints, including everything from onboarding, group discovery, chat messaging, to event scheduling.
How Zeal Works
Zeal’s 3 core pillars create a seamless cycle that drives meaningful connections and social engagement.
The Challenge
Users are overwhelmed by the app’s feature density.
We want to streamline the experience and guide users based on
their needs and goals.
Users are overwhelmed by the app’s feature density.
We want to streamline the experience and guide users based on
their needs and goals.
Selected Work
01 Onboarding
The Problem
-
Users are skipping steps, finding the process too long.
-
High dropout rates later in the onboarding (16%).
-
Lack of clarity around the app’s purpose and “Why”.
Our Approach
-
Align onboarding flow with user goals.
-
Introduce concise and engaging messaging that highlights the app’s purpose, reducing confusion and drop-off rate.
02 Discover Groups
The Problem
-
New users often feel unsure about where to start and don’t know what groups to create.
-
Users are concerned about their privacy when it comes to discoverable groups.
Our Approach
-
Inspire creation by highlighting how other users are creating and managing groups.
-
Move groups to a more prominent position for easier discoverability and improve visibility.
03 Group Availability
The Problem
-
Organizers are overwhelmed by planning event details, especially scheduling.
-
There’s a heavy responsibility associated with planning events.
Our Approach
-
Introduced a one-step process for organizers to poll group members on availability.
-
Ease the burden on organizers by dividing up the responsibility
The process that led us here
Understanding Our Users
Expanding Zeal’s Reach into Different User Demographics
Becky Rao, The Second Adolescent
Current User Base
Age: 52 years old
Location: Washington D.C.
-
Long-time resident of D.C.
-
Recently gained more free time after kids graduated.
-
Wants to stay active by going on weekly walks with neighborhood friends
-
Needs to easily organize and join walks.
-
Long-time resident of D.C.
-
Recently gained more free time after kids graduated.
-
Wants to stay active by going on weekly walks with neighborhood friends
-
Needs to easily organize and join walks.
Tobias Tran, The New Grad
New User Opportunity
Age: 26 years old
Location: San Francisco, CA
-
Recently graduated, started a new job, and moved to a new city.
Feels isolated and unsure of how to make new friends.
Eager to build a social network and find a sense of belonging.
Catering to their shared needs
Both demographics share a willingness to explore new experiences, build friendships, and find stability in a period of life transition.
Engaging with Our Users
Conducting in-depth user research and usability testing
16
New & existing Zeal users
Interviewees
100+
Usability issues identified
19
Based on Nielsen's Heuristics
Critical Issues
Top Insights
“I’m not bold enough to start a group”
Starting a group feels daunting for many users—they’re hesitant to take on the responsibility.
“Woah, there’s a lot happening.”
Users are overwhelmed by the number of features on Zeal, unsure where to start.
“How is this different from Instagram or Facebook?”
The unique value of Zeal isn’t clear to new users, leading to confusion during onboarding.
“There’s a lot of text, but overall, it’s intuitive”
We’re telling users too much. It’s time to simplify and let the experience speak for itself.
Competitive Analysis
Zeal’s core functionalities span across several different apps
-
Limited tools, no integrated solution
-
Enhancing the experience by compiling photos, sharing content, is time and labor intensive
-
Hard to get started on new activities
Weekly Sprint Design Process
A Closer Look
Sketches & Design Explorations
Landing on a final design
Key Considerations
Technical Feasibility & TTM
-
What can fit within our one-week sprint timeline?
-
Break down the design into phases or iterations for manageable progress.
Balance Stakeholder Needs
-
Align priorities between PMs, users, and engineering to ensure a cohesive and practical final design.
Reflection & Takeaways
My perspective isn’t universal. Listen to the user.
-
Always ground the product in research-backed insights.
-
Intuition is valuable, but data-driven decisions are crucial.
Prioritize ruthlessly.
-
In the fast-paced startup environment, time and resources are limited—focus on what truly matters.
Iterate rapidly and test often.
-
Continuous iteration and consistent testing are key to refining the product and delivering value.
