Project Type: end-to-end app + branding

Role: Sole UX/UI designer + brand designer ​(with support from my mentor, D. Pillis, and ​design idea critique from Cassandra Lee)

Tools: Figma, Fig-Jam, Zoom, Notion, Canva

Completion Status: Discover + Define Sections Complete; Develop + Deliver in Progress

DISCOVER

DEFINE

Why target conversational ​anxiety?

Does my initial idea fully ​encapsulate the need of users?

What barriers exist currently ​with the way individuals ​with social anxiety ​communicate?

How might we decrease ​anxiety but still sustain brave ​space?

What are the most important ​factors to consider moving ​forward?

DEVELOP

What is the MVP?

Finding consistent design repetitions

Branding that eases the user, yet light-hearted and fun

Iterating based on usability testing

DELIVER

DISCOVER

Why target conversational anxiety for a younger demographic?

• Due to reliance on tech and less face-to-face interactions, anxiety regarding ​social interactions is at an all-time high.
  

• While individuals of all ages can struggle with the effects of anxiety, the most common demographic of social anxiety is teens and young adults.
  

• On top of that, young individuals who identify as queer often feel the effects of social anxiety, especially in an environment where they are unsure if they feel fully embraced.
  

• Luckily, a younger and more tech-reliant demographic is more willing to try new things and new tools, especially if presented in a fun/aesthetically-pleasing way.
  

What barriers exist currently with the way individuals with social anxiety communicate?

My hypothesis:

• During a face-to-face interaction, the root of the ​intimidation is the unknown of the other human ​across from you.
  
• More explicitly, it is knowing if the other person would ​relate to your interests or experiences without having ​to face any kind of rejection or judgment.
  
• Overcoming the challenge of a first interaction is key ​to overcoming anxious behaviors.
  

Testing my hypothesis...

When deciding the best method to gather information, I decided that the topic ​at hand was intimate and personal so interviewing would be the best ​strategy to test if my hypothesis is correct. I interviewed with a couple of ​young individuals to see if I could answer the following questions:

Interview feedback + organizing results

I used a Figma board to organize my interview notes by each person. If you ​want to see the whole board it is available here.

Then, I pulled and sorted the sticky notes that had to deal with the four ​major questions we were trying to address.

DEFINE

Does my initial idea fully encapsulate the ​need of users?

It appears as if the biggest obstacle of a first interaction seems to be ​perceived as the flow of conversation and less about the topic of ​conversation. This is what makes small talk feel “essential” for some.

While I think the unknown of the other person is an intimidating factor for ​some, the most anxiety-inducing aspect is actually your own self-perception ​and how that comes across.

Conclusion: My idea definitely did not fully encapsulate the need of the users, ​as while my initial thought does contribute... it does not seem to include the ​most important factors of a successful first interaction.

How might we decrease anxiety but still sustain brave space?

One aspect I have not concluded on yet is how might we provide both a safe ​space to be yourself, but also keep that element of brave space where each ​user will have to be challenged to grow in your conversational skills as well as ​overall confidence?

An important yet intimidating factor to meeting someone new is actually ​approaching and introducing yourself. Along with my initial thinking, I want ​the application to be utilized for in-person occasions as it makes it harder to ​find to find a negative comfortability in safe spaces. I think it is important to ​reward the users on their bravery every time they meet a new friend or form a ​new relationship.

(... Safe space cont.)

What are the most important factors to consider moving forward?

Things to keep in mind continuing into the ​develop of this idea:

1. What are we trying to promote ​to increase the success of first ​conversations?

2. How are we providing safe yet ​brave space in conversation?

DEVELOP

DELIVER

Here we go!

Create your account to ​input your interests and ​defining characteristics... ​then find your Kindred ​interests!

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