Scope
I joined as the sole designer to take the product from concept to launch in 4 months.
The core design challenge was making group-based social discovery feel safe and low-pressure, most people's instinct with a new social app is to disengage the moment it feels like a dating app. Getting that balance right shaped every decision from onboarding to the matching flow.
Feed
The hardest part of group discovery is that joining strangers feels risky. The feed shows shared interests, group size, and proximity before you commit so the decision to send a request feels informed, not blind.
Create event
Three step creation process: a short description, a time and place, and an invite list. The whole flow takes under a minute, making posting feel as casual as sending a message.
Profile
The profile leads with interests and personality signals (bio, star sign, work) rather than a single hero photo. The "Complete profile 12%" nudge encourages depth without being pushy about it.
Chat
Chat unlocks progressively: first a warm intro moment ("Say hi to Mark and Tyler"), then a holding state while the group forms, then a full group thread once members join. Each stage reduces the social pressure of the first message.