Hello Cirkl

Hello Cirkl is a mobile app striving to make planning everyday activities with others more efficient.

Hello Cirkl is a mobile app striving to make planning everyday activities with others more efficient.

Project Brief

The founder of Hello Cirkl reached out seeking assistance with feature redesigns and defining user flows. The 1.0 version of Hello Cirkl app had previously had been designed by a business consultant. This led to high-fidelity designs having usability issues and feature gaps.

The founder of Hello Cirkl reached out seeking assistance with feature redesigns and defining user flows. The 1.0 version of Hello Cirkl app had previously had been designed by a business consultant. This led to high-fidelity designs having usability issues and feature gaps.

Project Goal

The goal of this project was to create solutions that would encompass a broader target demographic to deliver Hello Cirkl 2.0 to be developed.

The goal of this project was to create solutions that would encompass a broader target demographic to deliver Hello Cirkl 2.0 to be developed.

Project Outcome

Hello Cirkl received funding for development. iOS and Android versions of Hello Cirkl will be be released in the beginning of 2024.

Hello Cirkl received funding for development. iOS and Android versions of Hello Cirkl will be be released in the beginning of 2024.

Project Overview
Timeline

7 Months

Role

UX Designer (me)

Team

Founder

Stakeholders

Development Team

Tools

Figma

Project Process
Initial Problem Discovery + Research

Defining Business Goals

Discussing with the current team, I boiled down the specifics of their goals and product vision for Hello Cirkl for the 2.0 redesign.The first iteration features focused solely on families.


The next iteration was to create features to broaden the target demographic to professional, social and academic users.


1.0 version focused on Cirkl’s solely.

2.0 version: define how individual members and Cirkls function within the app.

Discussing with the current team, I boiled down the specifics of their goals and product vision for Hello Cirkl for the 2.0 redesign.The first iteration features focused solely on families.


The next iteration was to create features to broaden the target demographic to professional, social and academic users.


1.0 version focused on Cirkl’s solely.

2.0 version: define how individual members and Cirkls function within the app.

Research

Competitive Benchmarking

Planning just smaller events can require one to two months of planning ahead of time, the bigger the event the more planning time is needed. The current platforms out their focus on individuals and businesses, but none give the proper tools to cut back on planning time.


This rings in an opportunity to reflect on the stressful, old ways of inviting someone over for a get-together and envision a future where the focus is on making memories with the people in our lives.

Planning just smaller events can require one to two months of planning ahead of time, the bigger the event the more planning time is needed. The current platforms out their focus on individuals and businesses, but none give the proper tools to cut back on planning time.


This rings in an opportunity to reflect on the stressful, old ways of inviting someone over for a get-together and envision a future where the focus is on making memories with the people in our lives.

Version 1.0 - User Feedback

Since the 1.0 version of Hello Cirkl revolved around families, I spoke with five users that use Hello Cirkl for within their family planning.

Since the 1.0 version of Hello Cirkl revolved around families, I spoke with five users that use Hello Cirkl for within their family planning.

“It’s hard to tell when I’m in a Cirkl and when I’m not.”

“I only use the event calendar because I’m not sure how anything else works.”

“I have to make sure I’m not hitting any of the wrong buttons because I don’t know what they all mean.”

Focus Area - Feature Prioritization

Speaking with users allowed me to to interpret different user motivations

As a member of a Cirkl, within the Cirkl, I want to chat, create polls, make audio/video calls, create and share tasks, and share a calendar to organize events.


As an individual, I want to know what I need to do today. I want to see the items (messages, tasks, events, polls) from all my Cirkl’s as a quick snapshot and by individual Cirkl’s.

As a member of a Cirkl, within the Cirkl, I want to chat, create polls, make audio/video calls, create and share tasks, and share a calendar to organize events.


As an individual, I want to know what I need to do today. I want to see the items (messages, tasks, events, polls) from all my Cirkl’s as a quick snapshot and by individual Cirkl’s.

Focus Area

Wireframes

Reflecting on the conversations from users and stakeholders, I began to breakdown how those insights would guide the opportunities and constraints within the designs.

Reflecting on the conversations from users and stakeholders, I began to breakdown how those insights would guide the opportunities and constraints within the designs.

Cirkl Feature - Dashboard

A dashboard within a Cirkl for user to view upcoming events and tasks.

A dashboard within a Cirkl for user to view upcoming events and tasks.

Design Opportunity

Defined, intentional taps to make the user feel like they have entered a "Cirkl".

Defined, intentional taps to make the user feel like they have entered a "Cirkl".

Feedback from users

I sought out feedback on the wireframes from the previous five users that used Hello Cirkl for their daily family planning to see if the features were on the right track.

I sought out feedback on the wireframes from the previous five users that used Hello Cirkl for their daily family planning to see if the features were on the right track.

“I would want to have my Calendar separate from my To Do’s.”

“I would want to have my Calendar separate from my To Do’s.”

“I hope my personal events aren't mixed in with my Cirkl events. I don’t want certain people to know what I am doing all the time.”

“I hope my personal events aren't mixed in with my Cirkl events. I don’t want certain people to know what I am doing all the time.”

Site Maps

Collecting feedback from the feature screens helped within the next stages of creating a site map. I advised doing this with the client before starting designs to make sure myself and the development team establish the vision for the design flows early on.

Collecting feedback from the feature screens helped within the next stages of creating a site map. I advised doing this with the client before starting designs to make sure myself and the development team establish the vision for the design flows early on.

Development

Hight Fidelity UI's

Individual Features
Features

Home to navigate between Cirkls by:

Adding favorite Cirkls to “Pins”

List or grid view

Home to navigate between Cirkls by:

Adding favorite Cirkls to “Pins”

List or grid view

Chats, calendar, to do’s and calls sections

Chats, calendar, to do’s and calls sections

Creating intentional spaces between individual vs Cirkl features.
Creating an Event
Features

Cirkl Dashboard of upcoming events, to do’s and message mentions

Cirkl Dashboard of upcoming events, to do’s and message mentions

Cirkl chats, shared calendar and to do’s

Cirkl chats, shared calendar and to do’s

Enough options for different types of events.
Creating a To Do
Features

Cirkl Dashboard of upcoming events, to do’s and message mentions

Cirkl Dashboard of upcoming events, to do’s and message mentions

Cirkl chats, shared calendar and to do’s

Cirkl chats, shared calendar and to do’s

Usability Testing

To make sure the app features are broad enough for different types of use cases, the functionality of the app was tested by six college students.

I created a focus group script to keep the testers on track. I asked them to navigate to each feature; individual chat, calendar, to do’s and calls as well as selecting a Cirkl. I then prompted them to create a new Cirkl and create a new calendar event.

The guiding script I used make sure the usability test went smoothly.

Development - Feedback + Usability Testing

Chat Navigation

3 out of 6 students had trouble navigating between chats.

2 students mentioned that they would like to direct message others members easily within the Cirkl.

Solution

When users tap the button, an option for them to direct message online members, start a new chat or view all of their chats is shown.

Re-testing

Testing the new chat navigation again, the users liked that they had all of the options and did not have to go back to the main chat screen to navigate between chats.

Event List

4 out of 6 users could not find where to view new events they were invited too.

Solution

icon was added to the homepage. When the tap the icon, they are taken to the “Event List” page.

icon was added to the homepage. When the tap the icon, they are taken to the “Event List” page.

Re-testing

Testing the “Event List” lead to user wanting to see updates of their events as well.

Event List & Updates Re-Test

4 out of 6 users could not find where to view new events they were invited too.

Solution - Event Updates

I decided to house the notification updates within the “Event List” for the user to access all of their event information within one space. Users will tap the icon to view the updates.

Re-testing

6 out of 6 of the users tested successfully completed answering an event within their “Event List”.

Delivery

Outcome

The second launch of the MVP has increased funding to push through for an iOS App store and Android Google Play release in Q1 of 2023.

Feature Roadmap

populating of times + dates available for All Cirkl Members

Populating Cirkl users schedules to be for event coordinators to create events that only times and dates everyone is available is a feature that would set Hello Cirkl apart from competing apps.

Hello Cirkl's current APIs could only do this with enough data stored from users so it is on hold for the future.

Pinned “Cirkl Stories”

To take inspiration from format story formats, used of social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram and utilize it in a way to keep up with each Cirkl’s updates and events.

Project Reflection

Things that I learned

Loom is an incredible hand-off tool

Getting to screen and voice record myself explaining the design flow in Figma saved time, money and stress when handing off files to the development team.

When creating for a wide demographic, designing without bias is key

This project entailed a wide demographic, different ages and backgrounds, each feature had to use clear CTA’s (call to actions) and strategic UX writing.

Additional projects for your viewing enjoyment

STL City Permits

MACC

Additional projects for your viewing enjoyment

STL City Permits

MACC

Additional projects for your viewing enjoyment

STL City Permits

MACC

made by nicole

Linkedin

nicolesinsight.uxui@gmail.com

made by nicole

Linkedin

nicolesinsight.uxui@gmail.com