Mez-Klah

PROJECT TYPE

MVP Mobile App

ROLE

UI/UX Designer

TIME FRAME

3 weeks

SCOPE

Research | Strategy | Branding | UI/UX | Prototyping | Usability Testing | Project Management

  • The Problem

    An estimated 281 million people live in a country other than their countries of birth. One of the primary obstacles for expatriates when relocating is establishing a sense of community and belonging in their new surroundings.

  • The Solution

    Mez-Klah is a mobile app designed to facilitate authentic social interactions through meaningful events, helping newcomers connect and forge genuine relationships with locals and other expats. The MVP was specifically focused Puerto Rico.

Key Features

Hover over or click on the blue buttons to learn more or click here to open the full prototype in a new tab.

Impact

Following usability tests, users reported a 9.5/10 overall satisfaction.

Here is what they had to say:

  • "As I finished [the usability test], I found myself eager to keep exploring. What other activities can I book?”

    — Mark

  • “Having recently moved to Puerto Rico, this seems like it will be such a great way to meet new people.”

    — Andrew

  • “This feels like a polished app! I absolutely love the icons and colors—they feel so fresh and charming. I'm genuinely excited to use it.”

    — Cecilia

Process

Empathize | Define | Develop | Test & Refine | Reflection

1. Empathize

User interviews | Competitive Analysis | Affinity Mapping | Persona

  • My goal was to understand the motivations, problems, and feelings of expatriates before, during, and after relocating. This stage of the process was extremely important in informing the definition and design of the solution.

    • Conducted user interviews with 5 individuals who had relocated to either Mexico or Puerto Rico within the past 5 years to understand user needs and pain points.

    • Executed a competitive analysis on expat-focused applications to understand strengths and weaknesses.

    • Identified key patterns through affinity mapping, which served as a foundation for developing a comprehensive persona tailored to the needs and preferences of a new resident of Puerto Rico.

  • Through this research, valuable insights emerged, highlighting common challenges such as building social connections and establishing a sense of community in new environments. It was underscored that community support played a pivotal role in making a new place feel like home.

  • I initially developed a secondary persona for a Puerto Rican local, but had to deprioritize this due to lack of time for additional research. If I were to take this project a step further, this would be a high priority next step.

2. Define

POVs & HMWs | Project Goals | Roadmap | Site Map | User Flows

  • My objective during this stage was to synthesize ideation into a cohesive roadmap for design and development, clarifying project goals, user needs, and the overall project direction.

    • Formulated Point of View (POV) statements and How Might We (HMW) questions centered on facilitating authentic social interactions. Ideated multiple solutions to address the HMWs.

    • Developed the project goals and roadmap, ensuring a focused approach to development. This project focuses on the event booker and a secondary stage of this project would need to be devoted to the event host.

    • Created a site map to visualize the hierarchical structure of the application.

    • Designed user flows for sign-up, event creation, and event RSVP process. For the prototype, I narrowed the focus further and deprioritized event creation for a later stage.

  • A mobile application designed for individuals relocating to Puerto Rico, addressing the challenge of fostering community and belonging through genuine social interactions and events through a two-sided marketplace:

    1. Attendees looking for events and activities to engage in, as well as seeking a sense of community and belonging.

    2. Event hosts that cater to the needs and interests of event attendees fostering community and social interactions.

    The distinction between attendees and hosts may blur. While attendees seek community and activities, some newcomers also aspire to host events. This dual role contributes to fostering community and social interactions, enriching the app's two-sided marketplace

3. Develop

Wireframes | High-Fidelity Prototype | Branding | UI Kit

  • During this phase, my goal was to develop a high-fidelity prototype for user testing, moving from low to high-fidelity wireframes, while creating a cohesive visual identity, and a consistent UI kit, aiming to enhance usability, engagement, and brand recognition.

    • Sketched and created low-fidelity and mid-fidelity wireframes to compare different solutions and gather user feedback.

    • Developed branding, including a logo, color palette, AI illustrations, and typography to establish visual identity, focusing on the brand values of community, authenticity, connection, and warmth.

    • Developed a UI kit to maintain consistency throughout the app.

    • Designed a high-fidelity clickable prototype for usability testing.

4. Test & Refine

Usability Testing | Iterations

  • Usability testing and iterative refinement played a pivotal role in validating design solutions and fine-tuning the user experience. Through qualitative feedback and quantitative metrics, my goal was to further refine the user experience, addressing pain points and enhancing usability.

    • Conducted usability testing with 6 users similar to persona to validate design solutions and gather feedback on satisfaction levels and usability metrics.

    • Received feedback on designs from a Senior UX Designer and a Developer, incorporating their insights to enhance the user experience and address technical considerations.

    • Made iterations based on testing results, prioritizing changes that would have the greatest positive impact on the user experience.

5. Reflection

Final Thoughts | Next Steps

  • Designing a two-sided marketplace was a novel challenge, prompting a focused approach on the event attendee. This decision paves the way for future iterations targeting event hosts.

    My proudest moments stemmed from crafting the branding and UI kit, where creativity and functionality converged. Utilizing AI for generating illustrations added a dynamic visual element to the user experience.

    Collaborative feedback from fellow designers, a developer, and my mentor provided invaluable perspectives, challenging me to rethink solutions and refine my approach to design challenges.

    • While the MVP primarily caters to newcomers, expanding research efforts to include locals and event hosts is paramount. Conducting additional secondary research and user interviews will unveil insights into the unique requirements and pain points of these user segments, guiding future development.

    • Continued testing and feedback collection, including check-ins at the 1-month and 6-month marks post-launch, would be instrumental in gauging long-term engagement and satisfaction.

    • Beyond the MVP, the potential for global expansion is great. By scaling the app's reach outside of Puerto Rico to encompass diverse communities worldwide, it can serve as a catalyst for meaningful connections and interactions on a global scale.