Timeline
2 weeks
COLLABORATORS
Myself
MY ROLE
As part of a school project, I received a brief from Bumble to re-design or design a new additional feature that could bring Bumble more revenue and stand out from the dating app scene.
HIGH LEVEL PROBLEM + CHALLENGE
Bumble's main form of revenue comes from Premium users, a integral part of the business.
Additionally, the reputation of Bumble could be further hurt if users continuously have bad experiences on the app.
The Solution / INTERVENTION
With a simplified profile along with your note, users are invited to leave written/voice messages.
From stories, questions, or a review of restaurants, notes allow for individual expression and interaction.
No more swiping left and right on hyper curated profiles based on photos.
Swipe up to respond to notes and start conversations.
Uncovering the Problem spacE
Diagramming the journey/holistic experience of using Bumble helped me gain a bigger picture of where some of the friction, challenges (pain points), and touchpoints lie, before further investigating.
The higher level challenges can be distilled down to 3 insights, mainly around the experience between 'finding a match' and 'talking to a match'.
Insights from user interviews
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Insights from user interviews
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DISCOVERING AN OPPORTUNITY
Building on the Bumble brand, I highlighted some ways Buzznotes can further embody that as well as create a better user experience.
Insights from user interviews
From challenges of being vulnerable to reaching out to friends, people have found both comfort and hindrance with digital interactions amongst peers.
One such example is the fear of judgement and rejection when being vulnerable, and another was the discomfort in reaching out without making things awkward.
Secondary research on forming meaningful relationships
According Dr Marisa Franco, a psychologist and expert on friendships, three main components of forming great relationships are having support, vulnerability, and trust. Combined with our insights from user interviews and surveys, we used this as a springboard for iterating on some of our features.
Our user persona – those seeking ways to open up, and seek more fulfilling relationships
Based on user interviews, surveys, and secondary research, we synthesized those insights as a team and distilled it into a persona.
Our main target user group are Gen Zs currently studying in college. These groups of people are those that seek out more meaningful and deeper connections within their current circle of acquaintances/friends, but are unable to find the time/energy to do so efficiently.
IDEATING
I considered what information is important to users when first 'encountering' strangers – are pictures really that important? Could highlighting intention, and maybe a few 'traits' help break the ic?
Microinteractions can define and shape the entire experience of an app – I wanted to push this into a different direction that feels familiar, delightful, yet is different in its function.
I tried to introduce a sense of playfulness and reconnect the brand to the idea of 'bees' in a map, as well as a swipe up gesture that felt delightful and fun when sending notes.
I iterated on the core features after receiving user feedback.
Creating a Design System(s) / FUTURE INTEGRATIONS
Beyond a design system, I thought about how this could be further integrated into the Bumble and digital everyday ecosystem.
With a new free trial model and additional Buzznote features, users can get a taste of what a premium service feels like and consider investing.
Learnings & Reflections
I took the time to explore micro interactions that can be simple yet delightful when sending buzz notes out. I learnt and explored that microinteractions can be the simplest gesture that effect an entire screen/state completely, and I really want to embody in my future designs.
Users come first but businesses are just as important. On another hand, thinking about the design considerations as it's own category can frame your thinking of what behaviours we're associating with designs and interactions.