Designing community support app amidst the pandemic

My goal during this project was for the Locals app to let users add and save recommendations which would affect users who don’t have knowledge of the area they are located. This would let users gain understanding of what areas or restaurants to visit. I measured the effectiveness by tracking app reviews.

First, I managed to perform a competitive analysis of current social media platforms that offer recommendations to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through this research was young adults who frequently travel around the world. 

This user group confirmed initial assumptions about tourists, but research revealed that lack of area knowledge was not the only factor limiting users from fully immersing themselves into the area they visit. Other user problems included time limits, language barriers, and limited funds within the traveling process.

Afterwards, I made a user flow at the start of the design phase which gave me the confirmation that elements within the app would address user research. For instance, making recommendation screens fast and easy to read will aid users in quickly finding out if they’re interested in this endorsement. After a couple rounds of wireframing, creating the prototype, and doing some usability studies the mobile screens were finished.

Since launching at the end of March the Locals app has had over 400 recs created and 30 favorable app reviews. One review stated: “As a foodie and Bay Area native, this is the perfect app for me to not only post my content but see what other are up to. The Bay offers millions of options of things to see, eat, do, and experience and locals makes it easy to digest and find great recommendations.”