About
Waverly is a unique platform that addresses the growing need for unbiased content discovery in the era of social media algorithms. With the initial version successfully launched, Waverly received valuable feedback from users who expressed a desire to create communities and foster meaningful discussions centered around their shared interests. With provided data by Waverly, our task was to create new features to empower communities to engage in dynamic and interactive conversations around written content.
Problem statement
How might we encourage and drive more interaction between users on Waverly app?
Goal
Add meaningful conversation to the Waverly app by creating multiple safe spaces for users to express and share their opinions while allowing them to maintain their freedom.
By understanding user needs and preferences, we aimed to design new features on the existing app to provide a seamless and enriching experience for users to connect, discover, and dive deeper into topics that matter most to them.
My role:
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Usability Testing
Deliverables:
Prototype
Research
Design
Duration
Competitor analysis
We conducted a competitive analysis on 9 different direct and indirect competitors; Reddit, Ground, Flipboard, Quora and more. Their unique value proposition, advantages and disadvantages were analyzed. We also took a close and deeper look into their heuristics to get a better idea of the competitors functions.
A secondary research was also conducded to better understand user's behaviours on social medias, backed with statistics and previous released research.
The data collected from our research helped us better understand what platforms and features are the most engaging for users, which was important in deciding what feature to add to the app.o
Key finding:
- Some platforms use self moderation within the app's community.
- Emojis are highly engaging.
- Most platform have many social features such as; comment sections, shares, profiles etc.
- Around 59% of news readers would like to see experts comments.
- More than 60% of social medias users agree that anonymity is important for the freedom of speech.
User interviews
We conducted 8 interviews with users who use social medias app to read news. Each interview was conducted remotely through video call and lasted about 30 to 45 minutes. Various questions regarding their use of news apps, their online behaviour, preferences and nuances were asked. Throughout theses interviews we learned important findings which helped us shape our design into that direction.
Key finding:
- Seeing friends activity keep the engagement up.
- 75% of the interviewees read comments to form an opinion.
- More than 85% of interviewees send DMs on or off social media apps.
- Most users are interested in seeing what their friends do or share on online platforms.
Empathy map
To better understand the needs and motivations of our users, we created an empathy map based on the insights gathered throughout the UX case study for the Waverly platform. Creating an empathy map helps understand the user's desires and goals.
Users and audience
User and audience data was provided by Waverly. We created a persona based on the data provided, as well as on the 8 users we interviewed. This persona was referred to throughout the entire product designing process in order to remain focused when making design decisions. The goal was to maintain a connection with the product user throughout the development process.
Wireframes
As we are well aware, wireframes typically differ significantly from the final outcomes. To initiate the design phase, we began with sketches outlining the structure of the overall desired layout. Emphasizing the significance of the main feature of profile verification through Linkedin, we prioritized its development. As depicted in the showcased sketches, the initial screens revolved around the comment section look with verified accounts.
User testing
During user testing for the Waverly platform, we encountered various challenges and gathered important insights. Testing users provided valuable feedback, helping us improving the application design. We also refined the app's terminology to improve user understanding. User testing played an important role in refining Waverly and ensuring a user-centered experience.
Shown below, the changes that were made after user testing and feedback.
Final design
The purpose of this project was to encourage discussion between Waverly users by creating multiple safe spaces for users to express and share their opinions while allowing them to maintain their freedom. We created/introduced 4 new features to the existing app:
- Users can keep their account anonymous, or get verified through Linkedin.
- Added direct messages, to allow users to share articles and discuss to one another.
- Designed a comment section under articles, where verified accounts stand out.
- Created a new feature called ''Compare & share'', where users highlight sections of two different articles and share them together in a bundle.
Learning & takeaways
Throughout this project, I gained valuable insights and lessons. Firstly, I learned the importance of conducting effective user interviews, allowing users to express their needs and desires. Additionally, I discovered that even small changes in an app can present unexpected challenges.
To overcome the issue of alignment while working individually on Figjam, we transitioned to a collaborative Figma file, ensuring seamless integration. Looking back, if given the chance, I would focus on developing a single prototype instead of multiple iterations, streamlining the design process.
These learnings will undoubtedly shape my future approach to UX design, emphasizing user-centricity and efficient collaboration.
Thank you for reading!
