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—case study

Happnn

A reexamination of how we search. Paired with a distinct take on discovering locations and events.

Interaction Design ·  Search Behavior ·  User Research ·  Animation

Overview

This project was guided by the prioritization of 3 areas. Each packed with learning points that shaped the end result.

Positioning

Why the world needs another app to download.

Page portal

Testing

Bombarding people with prototype in hand.

Page Portal

Final Product

Walk through every feature that helps you see your city at a glance.

Page Portal
set up

What makes us curious?

I started by taking a deep dive into how we search and absorb information in order to reach a final goal.

The Challenge

The biggest hurdle for socialization can be the plans, specifically when and where to be. How can we better discover our area to increase socialization?

The Opportunity

Most people avoid being the planner due to the pressure. But equipped with the right tools, group members begin can better a level of confidence into the final decision, increases socialization and location attendance.

The Solution

In order to be a utility with easy access in a variety of situations, a mobile app was determined to be the best medium.

the final product

Happnn

Going out is fun, why wouldn't the search leading up to it be equally as exciting.

core flow

Centered around the search

I found that we all search in different ways, as intentions and situations change.

Browse hungry

The home tab is designed to feed into the browse hungry users, those that need to feel informed on all possibilities in order to reach a decision.

Intention searching

When people go for a direct search they have a stronger sense of what they are looking for. This tab accepts all sorts of search terms, broad or specific. Coupled with recent searches and preset searches.

Retrieval

Recalling places we have seen or favorited warrants it's own tab. Further personalizing the overall experience, the profile tab allows users to view their history, their saved listings, and toggle their interests, all retrievable with it's own search.

search tab

Searching your way

Learnings around search

Search Tab

The search tab serves multiple functions while staying clean and functional. All direct search input feeds into the user's profile, further feeding into adaptive learning of the user.

Recent Searches

Repeat recent searches, including the last filter settings. This allows users to quickly return to where they left off or remind them of past inquiries.

Preset Searches

View listings that are gaining in popularity, or showcase comedy, that are perfect for a night out, or for the active. The Explore Ticker displays an automated search as another means of quick browsing.

Filters

Filters serve a very important role in search, a tool to shorten your time spent searching.

Mood

The mood filter is a new addition to location and event search. After developing a list of possibilities and feedback from 30 individuals, the final 3 most essential moods arose: excited, mischievous, and chill.

Events

If it's an event you're looking for, toggling this filter changes your results to events only. You can view upcoming events or choose when on a calendar. You can also filter by time of day.

Locations

Turn on your location in order to be served listings that are close by, or view other cities.

Group

Input how many are joining to view locations that are better tailored to your group size.

Price

Quickly filter according to your budget: $-$$$

Friends

Show listings that friends have either visited or favorited.

Heat Map

This feature reveals which areas are buzzing with activity using anonymized location data from users who have opted in.

Social Districts

Flip through districts in your surrounding area to check whether they are seeing a lot of activity. Some will be drawn to that, others will be seeking less populated locations, a win win.

Roll Out

Being that Google does not provide the API for their Popular Times feature, this a second phase feature that will roll out as the second big marketing push.

Profile Tab

Your profile holds all of your activity. Helping you easily retrieve a listing by browsing or searching.

Favorites

While exploring the app, favorite listings in order to easily find them when the time calls for it.

Interests

In order to improve your experience, select locations and activities that interest you. Suggestions in the home tab will adapt to what you like.

Recent

As a catch-all for your time spent on the app, there is a history section. Don't let that perfect spot slip away.

market opportunity

Positioning

The end-goal was to have a product that filled the gaps in which current solutions have fallen short.

validating the solution

Hands on testing

This might be the highest fidelity app presentation I've seen at the Brandcenter. This looks wonderful, and I would 100% download it if it were real. Make it Happnn.

Wireframes

This phase began after initial research and concept validation. Hand drawn and simple vector wireframes helped me visualize alternative solutions in order to reject versions that did not align with the goals.

Final Prototype

The "final" prototype helped me better test the new navigation and search features. Continuously making changes according to the test subjects input.

prototype link

architecture

User Flow

The core user flow saw it's share of changes. Having a simple intuitive navigation was crucial to ensuring users reach their end goal as quick as possible.

under the hood

Features

Each added feature had to pass one test, does it contribute to helping people search & discover in the most intuitive way?

Easy Navigation

Each tab serves as a different means of preforming the same task, search.

Quick Searches

Depending on the state of mind, users have the option to search specifically, use categories, and return to previous searches.

All Encompassing Filters

The filters within the search page became an opportunity to add another level of ease and function. While most were quintessential, adding mood as a filter created a new opportunity. After receiving 30 responses, I narrowed the options to 3 moods: excited, mischievous, and chill.

Adaptive Home Feed

The home feed is the center of discovery. With sections like suggested, active outings, and night out, the user can quickly browse what is rising in popularity. It also serves as promotion for businesses that suscribe.

Save-ability

While researching I found that people often lose memory of some of their favorite places. The profile page features a list of favorites and the users history, all searchable for easy retrieval.

Friend Vouching

Reviews often deter people from locations they would have enjoyed. Businesses often have a love-hate relationship with them. I found that in place of reviews, showing friends that have visited allows users to take the extra step by reaching out and confirming for more reliable review.

north star

User Stories

Derived from 30+ respondents ages 20-61, equally male/female, equally single/married/dating, with a majority living in an in urban area. Based off of the stories, I developed 4 scenarios that served as a guide to each flow and ultimately craft the final product.

Money is tight for Kayla, and she wonders how she will have fun on her day trip to Rhode Island. As she and her friends get closer they scramble to find somewhere to go. Just in time! Kayla’s friend finds a free fire show happening on the canal. But on this day the gods are cruel and look unfavorable on fire, raining down on the show. Thankfully Kayla thinks fast and looks to the app store. She stumbles on a local search app and downloads it. A quick search + filters and she finds an arcade nearby. Her friends say “let's go!” in unison. Kayla comments that Toby is out of tune. A few hours go by and they walk out of the arcade charged with fun energy, thanking Kayla for finding the location.

this is what's Happnn

Branding

The style choices reflect the playful nature of the app's goal, using bright colors and rounded font. A thanks to Shelby Bass for her help with logo design.

summary

final thoughts

I love this project because it allowed me to really push the fidelity of a prototype. Interacting with my community to create a tool that is beneficial to both the user and businesses was an experience I personally gained a lot from. As I continue to push this project I plan to seek feedback through testing and speaking with more locations owners on how I can further meet their needs.