Mochi
Role
UX Researcher and Designer
Timeline
Jan 2022 - April 2022
Services
Research, Prototyping, Visual Design, Product Strategy
Challenge
RiceApps is a student-ran app-making organization at Rice University. My team was tasked with identifying students’ pain points with socializing during a pandemic and make an app to mend that.
More than anything, this is a story of how much I grew as a designer and everything I learned from working on a team with students just like me.
Revolutionizing how students interact amidst a pandemic.
100%
user retention rate after onboarding experience.
90%
user interest rate after testing sessions.
CONTEXT
The pandemic changed student social life
Rice University has one of the highest-ranked university social atmospheres in the country. Students are placed randomly in 1 of 11 residential colleges or dorms where they can immerse themselves in the lively social sphere, passionate student government, and unwavering pride.
Unfortunately, the pandemic took a toll on the social life at Rice. Students were not leaving their dorms or dining halls and were unable to attend the usual fun events that make Rice special.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
Students wanted to meet others, but nowadays, it's complicated
We conducted interviews with 6 undergraduate Rice students to understand how they've made their close friends and their opinions on a socializing app.
Students want to meet more students across campus.
Students feel uncomfortable posting on social media that they are looking to make friends.
Students don't want to spend excessive time curating another social media profile.
Students enjoy meeting others who are similar to them (interests, humor, etc).
Students prefer group settings to meet new people.
PROBLEM BREAKDOWN
Mochi will do all of the friend-searching for users!
Based on our research we defined the following key functions:
ONBOARD
Users complete an onboarding experience that feels intentional, personal, and inclusive.
BROWSE
Users can browse through and register for social events.
MATCH
Users are matched with a group using our developers’ algorithm.
REMEMBER
Users can track their upcoming events and keep track of past ones.
PROTOTYPING
Mochi V1
Our PM was particularly set on two things for Mochi: the visual style and onboarding questionnaire. So, we dove right into design. It quickly became apparent that wireframing is crucial for a reason: we were constantly unsure of our design and had to edit along the way.
Here's a look at version 1 of Mochi:
SOLUTION: TOP 8 FINALIST
Mochi: Socializing made easier
A key experience in Mochi is the onboarding question. When students join the app, they answer one simple question "Which show best describes you?" The, the app uses that data to later match them with students who are similar to them.
Students can then browse through events, register for them, track them, and then get matched with their future best friends!
OVERVIEW
TLDR: Navigating PM-Designer relationships while supporting users
My time working in this student-ran club taught me so much in little time. I learned the importance of always prioritizing user-centered design, working on cross-functional teams, and justifying my designs to managers.
Revolutionizing how students interact amidst a pandemic.
100%
user retention rate after onboarding experience.
90%
user interest rate after testing sessions.
REFLECTION
A learning curve
Design for the user. Analyzing research and listening to the user makes us more mindful designers for the next iteration and next project.
Design for developers. Designing at the same table of developers allowed us to design with a clean hand-off in mind. My co-designer and I prioritized keeping a consistent design system with reusable components that the developers can make concrete.
Design together. Working with a co-designer for the first time was immensely helpful. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and we made sure to be in direct communication with each other as we continued editing and moving forward.
Work with your PM. There was a huge learning curve to this project due to our rocky start. After our quick 360 with the onboarding question, I quickly learned to communicate and compromise with my PM. I made sure to emphasize that we need evidence-based designs to have a viable product.