The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people's social lives as they were asked to self-quarantine to lower the spread of the virus. Consequently, as lockdown is eased up, people were fearful of socializing outside of their homes.
How can we design a simple platform that helps individuals connect with others who share similar social interests and healthy precautions, while fostering meaningful conversations and community engagement while ensuring diverse perspectives are respected and conversations remain constructive?
The proposed solution involves creating Shepherd, a mobile and desktop application designed to connect people based on their comfort levels in social settings. This app addresses the hesitation many feel about re-engaging in social activities post-pandemic.
The key features of the solution include:
Customizable Comfort Filters: Users can set their preferences based on comfort levels, such as vaccination status, masking, and indoor/outdoor settings. Filters enable users to find and join activities that align with their specific comfort levels.
Interactive Map and Activity Browsing: Activities are displayed on an intuitive map interface.Users can click pins on the map for detailed descriptions of each activity.A list view option provides an alternative browsing method.
Account Creation and Verification: A streamlined sign-up process that includes the ability to verify vaccination status.
Activity Participation and Creation: Users can join existing activities or create their own, specifying participant limits and whether the activity is public or invite-only.
Social Integration: A "My Friends" feature allows users to stay connected with people they meet through the platform.
Iterative Design for Usability: Based on usability testing feedback, key improvements were made, including: Simplified navigation and personalization of the homepage. Enhanced map functionality with clearer pin descriptions and color-coded comfort tags. Removal of confusing elements, such as QR codes on confirmation screens. Added features to improve user flexibility, like customizable group sizes and invitation settings for activities. By addressing user concerns and ensuring a user-friendly design, Shepherd aims to foster safe and enjoyable social interactions tailored to individual preferences.
The results of the project demonstrate the success of Shepherd in addressing post-pandemic socialization challenges and improving user experiences through iterative design.
Key outcomes include:
1. Usability Testing Insights Participants' Tasks: Users were asked to: Create an account and verify their vaccination status. Find activities matching their comfort levels (e.g., masked and vaccinated groups). Create a new activity with specific parameters.
Challenges Identified: Difficulty navigating back to the homepage. Confusion over the QR code on the confirmation page. Inability to distinguish activity pins and comfort level colors on the map. Limited flexibility on the comfort level selection page.
Enhancements Post-Testing: Simplified homepage navigation and improved personalization. Clearer map functionality with matching pin colors and tags.Added a "List View" for easier activity browsing. Replaced QR codes with branded confirmation visuals.
2. User Adoption and Engagement Users noted The ability to filter activities by comfort level. The intuitive design of the activity map. Flexibility in creating and managing activities.
3. Design Iterations and High-Fidelity Prototypes Initial lo-fi and mid-fi prototypes were refined into polished hi-fi prototypes. Key features added during the iterations: "My Friends" feature for social connectivity. Options for public or invite-only activities. Activity descriptions accessible via map pins. Mobile and desktop versions of the prototypes were developed to ensure a seamless experience across devices.
4. Impact on Target Users The app provided a sense of safety and empowerment for users to re-engage socially at their own pace.Personalized comfort levels helped users overcome post-pandemic anxieties. Early testers expressed excitement about its potential to facilitate meaningful, tailored social interactions.By focusing on user feedback and iterative development, Shepherd effectively bridges the gap between social anxiety and community engagement, proving its value as a post-pandemic socialization tool.
