Tap in - hangout app
connect with friends through low stakes spontaneous hangsProject Background
Young adults struggle to make spontaneous plans with friends. Coordinating casual hangouts involves multiple texts, scheduling logistics, and emotional effort, making what should be easy feel like a chore. This challenge is especially relevant for 20- and 30-somethings facing rising loneliness, who often don't know they're free until the last minute. In my own friend group, I noticed how last-minute plans often excluded people not intentionally, but because texting everyone individually felt overwhelming.
Tap In removes these barriers by letting users casually broadcast availability or browse low-key plans nearby without formal invite pressure. With lightweight group sharing, real-time visibility, and privacy-aware features, the app helps people connect naturally in the moment, making spontaneous socializing effortless again.
Note: This project was created as a student concept for educational purposes and is not affiliated with any existing platform.
My Role
As the sole designer on this project, I handled every stage, from initial concept through final usability testing. This included user research, interaction and visual design, prototyping, and iterative testing. Each design decision was informed by real user insights, allowing me to grow my UX/UI skills while creating a product rooted in empathy and usability.
Scope
User Research – Understanding user needs, motivations, and challenges in posting and joining group hangs.
UX/UI Design – Designing an intuitive and engaging interface that matches the existing app and making the new feature easy to use.
Prototyping – Creating interactive prototypes to test and refine core features.
Usability Testing – Gathering feedback to improve functionality, accessibility, and overall user experience.
Timeline
April 2025 - July 2025 (3 months)
Part-time, 15 hours /week
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Problem
Young adults often want to hang out casually with friends but face unnecessary friction when trying to make spontaneous plans. Current social platforms are geared toward structured events or group chats, making it difficult to quickly see who’s free or casually share availability. This gap in low-effort social coordination leads to missed opportunities for connection and contributes to feelings of isolation. To make spontaneous hangouts more accessible, a solution is needed that allows users to easily signal their availability, discover nearby low-key plans, and connect without the pressure of formal invitations.
Solution
The Tap In app addresses the challenges of spontaneous social coordination by offering a lightweight, availability-based feature designed for casual, real-life connection. This solution:
Allows users to post low-effort plans with just a few taps
Lets friends browse nearby hangouts or send invites without needing to message individually
Supports selective sharing to different friend groups for more personalized connection
Removes RSVP pressure by eliminating visible “no” responses and formal event structures
By replacing group texts and rigid planning with a more flexible, social feed, Tap In lowers the barrier to spending time together. Users can now connect in the moment, whether it’s grabbing coffee, taking a walk, or simply hanging out.
The design keeps things fun and informal, helping users stay connected while respecting social energy, privacy, and spontaneity.
Background Research
Background Research
‘An epidemic of loneliness’:
How the pandemic changed life for aging adults
“Years after the U.S. began to slowly emerge from mandatory COVID-19 lockdowns, more than half of older adults still spend more time at home, and less time socializing in public spaces than they did pre-pandemic, according to new CU Boulder research.”
“We found that the pandemic fundamentally altered neighborhoods, communities and everyday routines among aging Americans, and these changes have long-term consequences for their physical, mental, social and cognitive health,” said Finlay.
“Still, Finlay worries that the loss of spontaneous interactions in what sociologists call “third places” could have serious health consequences.”
“20% of users will create 80% of the hangouts (Pareto Principle).”
“Founders have been building hangout apps for the last 20 years, and we’ve failed every single time, except for once.”
“- these three problems with reaching out: forgetfulness, psychological barriers, and inconvenience.”
Competitor Analysis
After looking for existing hangout apps, I analyzed what worked and needed improvement of each app.
Emit: Spontaneous Hangouts 12+
Target Audience: College-aged users
Key Features:
Prompts users with activity examples to reduce planning friction
Supports group segmentation (sending invites to different friend circles)
Shows ongoing events in a feed-style layout
Insights:
Providing suggested hangout prompts helps users overcome indecision and discover how to use the app effectively
Allowing users to create custom friend groups offers more control over social sharing and privacy
The use of emojis and interface design can affect user perception of polish and credibility, which is critical for engagement beyond younger demographics
PAX - Spontaneous hangouts 17+
Target Audience: Young adults looking for casual plans
Key Features:
In-app chat for quick coordination
Spontaneity-focused event browsing (e.g., concerts, fairs)
Filters by cost, time, and location
Insights:
A built-in chat feature enhances coordination but should support quick decision-making to preserve spontaneity
Users benefit from filters that surface relevant events (e.g., based on time, price, or distance), but too much planning ahead can reduce spontaneity
Showing local happenings (e.g., events today or tomorrow) can increase app utility while still supporting impromptu plans
Circle: Meetups with friends
Target Audience: General friend groups planning small gatherings
Key Features:
Location-based discovery (within a specific radius)
Real-time updates and chat functionality
Polls for group decision-making
Insights:
Geofencing features help ensure meetups are practical and location-aware
While polls give users a voice, too much input can slow decision-making, which undermines spontaneous planning
Real-time coordination tools (like live chat and updates) are helpful for keeping everyone aligned, especially in casual, last-minute meetups
Partiful
Target Audience: Users planning social events across various platforms
Key Features:
Shareable event invites across multiple platforms (email, text, social media)
Fun, template-driven event pages
Guest interaction tools (RSVPs, dietary info, payment collection)
Insights:
Platform-agnostic sharing increases accessibility and reach, especially for users whose friends may not be on the app
Event branding features (visual templates, themed invites) make casual events feel more fun and personal
While rich with features, the focus leans more toward formal planning than spontaneous interaction, which may not meet the needs of users looking for low-effort, in-the-moment connections
Opportunity Areas for Tap In
Low-Effort Social Broadcasting
→ Most competitors still rely on structured event planning. Tap In can differentiate by letting users post availability or casual vibes without needing to commit to a plan.Selective Sharing by Default
→ While Emit supports group targeting, Tap In can go further by making friend-group filtering core to the experience, so users never feel like they’re broadcasting to “everyone.”Lightweight Coordination Without Commitment
→ Circle and Pax offer chat, but Tap In can prioritize non-verbal coordination (e.g., reactions, interest buttons, casual RSVPs) to reduce pressure and keep it fun.Design for Vibe Over Structure
→ Partiful focuses on planned, themed parties. Tap In can own the space of in-the-moment social energy, emphasizing relaxed hangouts like “walk?” or “porch beers?”Spontaneity-First Discovery Feed
→ Pax hints at nearby events, but Tap In could combine user-generated availability posts with ambient signals (e.g., weather, time of day) to surface the right kind of hangs at the right time.Polished Yet Playful Aesthetic
→ Emit’s visual design may turn off older Gen Z or millennial users. Tap In can fill the gap with a refined interface that still feels playful and light.
User Research
User Research
User interviews
To better understand the needs and behaviors of my target audience, I conducted six remote interviews via Google Meet with participants aged 22–32. Each session lasted 45–60 minutes and was divided into two phases:
Persona-building – exploring participants’ social habits, preferences around spontaneity, and common barriers to hanging out.
Feature feedback – gathering reactions to potential app features and evaluating the clarity, appeal, and usefulness of early design concepts.
Key topics included how participants currently coordinate social plans, their comfort with last-minute hangouts, decision-making factors for joining events, and feedback on features like RSVP systems, notifications, and selective event sharing.
Affinity Mapping
After conducting user interviews, I synthesized findings using affinity mapping, organizing insights into thematic clusters. This process revealed key patterns that directly informed my design decisions:
Information needs:
Users want quick, scannable information to make fast decisions - specifically time, location, cost, and group size.
Hang Preferences:
People prefer low-commitment, flexible activities they can join or leave easily, rather than highly structured events.
Social Behavior Patterns:
Users struggle with group coordination because current methods create friction when sharing availability and gauging interest.
Notification Control:
Users feel overwhelmed by excessive notifications or group messages, leading them to disengage.
Essential Event Details:
Successful posts require consistent information: activity type, duration, location accessibility, and participation flexibility.
These insights led directly to features like share templates for easy posting, time constraints for flexible participation, and customizable notification settings. The synthesis process helped me prioritize solutions that reduce social friction while maintaining the spontaneous, low-pressure experience users craved.
interview Takeaways
User Motivations & Feature Preferences
SPONTANEOUS SOCIALIZING
Users want low-effort, low-commitment ways to hang out, often same-day or next-day planning. They're more likely to say yes to casual activities (grocery runs, walks) than big scheduled events. Tone matters - invites should feel light and flexible, not like obligations.
USErs need clear information upfront:
Activity description and vibe/mood tags
Time and location details
Cost estimates or price ranges
Group size and who's attending
Transportation/parking information
PRIVACY & SOCIAL CONTROLS
Key preferences include:
Friend-only vs. public event filtering options
Ability to limit attendee numbers and control resharing
Customizable decline responses with context
Option to hide who declined to avoid discouragement
Friends-of-friends sharing limits
DUAL FEED STRUCTURE
Separate sections for friend-initiated hangouts and public/business events allow users to switch between social circles and broader community discovery. Friend hangouts are the primary use case with business events as secondary.
SHORT-TERM PLANNING FOCUS
Ideal timeline for plans is today or tomorrow - anything beyond feels like "too much." Users don't want to manage full calendars, just a simple feed of what's happening now or soon. Events should be chronologically sorted (soonest first) for easy time management.
QUICK ACCESS & NOTIFICATIONS
Real-time notifications with countdown timers (e.g., "25 minutes to join") encourage fast decisions. Users want customizable notification preferences including distance radius and specific friend groups, with banner-style alerts preferred over emails.
EVENT-SPECIFIC GROUP COMMUNICATION
Users prefer temporary group chats that auto-delete after events (24-48 hours) to avoid clutter. These should be linked directly to event RSVPs rather than separate messaging platforms, with options to save important memories or photos.
SMART RESPONSE SYSTEMS
Simple RSVP options (Yes/Maybe/No) with optional context for declines. Pre-filled quick responses like "Busy tonight, try me next time" reduce social guilt. Users want to see RSVP counts without necessarily seeing who specifically declined.
Interview Insights
Haylee – The Frequent Casual Socializer
Haylee values efficiency and small group coordination. She prefers 3-4 person hangouts for easier planning and averages 1 hangout per week on weekdays, more on weekends. She gravitates toward casual activities like dining, drinks, grabbing coffee, and vintage shopping. Haylee becomes frustrated with large group dynamics due to difficulty coordinating with different friend circles and prefers instant access to key event information (activity, cost, location) with minimal friction.
CHLOE - THE SELECTIVE WEEKEND SOCIALIZER
Chloe takes a more curated approach to social planning, averaging 2-4 hangouts per week mostly on weekends. She prefers chill weekday activities (dinner, watching games) versus more active weekend plans. Her ideal group size is 3-4 people with a mix of one-on-one and group hangouts. She values quick, efficient notifications with key details and wants control over privacy settings and attendee limits.
ADAM - THE SPONTANEOUS ENTHUSIAST
Adam thrives on last-minute, low-stakes social opportunities. He's drawn to spontaneous hangouts with 30 minutes to decide and less than a day's notice. He appreciates casual meetups like walks, beach trips, or watching TV together, and enjoys reposting community events to friend groups. Adam wants comprehensive features including timed notifications, group photo sharing, and location-based discovery with algorithmic recommendations.
RUTH - THE INFORMATION-DRIVEN PLANNER
Ruth requires substantial information before committing to social activities. She uses WhatsApp for last-minute plans but would adopt an app for more organized events. She heavily values RSVP counts, mutual interest alignment, and comprehensive event details (date, time, location, cost). Ruth has become hesitant to post events due to past experiences with low engagement but remains interested in community event discovery.
ALYSSA - THE RESPONSIVE PARTICIPANT
Alyssa is typically a responder rather than an initiator, preferring to join plans rather than create them. She's highly open to last-minute plans (80% yes rate for events under $100 with 2 hours notice) and enjoys 1-3 hangouts per week lasting 3-4 hours. She prefers small groups (1-3 people) and values flexibility, simplicity, and having just enough information to make quick decisions about joining activities.
Persona
TARGET AUDIENCE
Emma represents my ideal target user based on user interviews and market research conducted during this project. She’s a socially motivated young adult in her late 20s living in a city, working a hybrid corporate job, and feeling the strain of coordinating casual time with friends. While she’s tech-savvy and uses social apps daily, she’s grown tired of group chat overload and last-minute confusion. Emma craves low-pressure ways to stay connected with friends and participate in everyday moments without the stress of planning or committing to a full event. Her lifestyle and digital fluency make her an ideal candidate for an app like Tap In that focuses on spontaneous connection, selective sharing, and lightweight interactions.
FEATURE ALIGNMENT
Emma frequently struggles with coordinating informal hangouts—especially when she wants to join friends in simple activities like a walk, a coffee break, or checking out a local event. Tap In’s core features directly address her pain points: the ability to casually broadcast availability, view nearby hangs, and engage with friends without needing to initiate a big plan. She no longer has to scroll through dozens of inactive group chats or feel guilty for saying no. Tap In supports her need to connect organically and in the moment, giving her an easy way to “tap in” when the timing feels right—without pressure.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
While Emma represents the primary target demographic, I incorporated feedback from a broader range of users—especially women who expressed interest in spontaneous plans but varied in comfort with new social tech. Tap In’s design balances Emma’s digital fluency with intuitive navigation and optional onboarding, ensuring the experience remains accessible to more casual users as well. Features like friend group filters, low-stakes RSVP options, and flexible sharing prioritize social comfort and decision ease, reflecting real user behaviors and preferences uncovered in early research.
Problem Statement
Emma has a hard time connecting with friends because reaching out and making plans has become too complicated. She wants to be able to connect with her friends through more spontaneous and lower-stakes hangouts.
💡 insights
-
⚙️ How Might We’s
How might we make the app intuitive so new users avoid making learning process intimidating?
How might we create a groups so users can choose who to share the event with?
How might we make introverted users feel comfortable saying yes to plans and contribute?
How might we give users more control over who to share with, or how conversations prompt deeper interaction?
How might we let users post to groups without pressure or awkwardness?🔍 Needs
A display that shows hangouts with relevant friends and group context
Groups for users to be able to select who can see the post on their feeds
Mood tags and hangout types that cater to different energy levels
Clear guest lists and filters for social expectations
Private friend groups for targeted invites
The ability to choose who can reshare the event
-
⚙️ How Might We’s
How might we support smaller group discovery or mutual connection suggestions?
How might we create group cues or easy ways for users to enable a plan?
How might we send out invites or view friend status to see who’s available right now?
How might we encourage fast replies to invites?🔍 Needs
A feed filtered by shared interests and availability
Easy-to-fill templates to propose a hangout
Lightweight RSVP tools and live availability, users can block out times where they aren’t available
Countdown timers or soft deadlines for plan confirmations -
⚙️ How Might We’s
How might we surface relevant local events or casual meetups?
How might we create simple tools to track and confirm plan details?🔍 Needs
A curated local feed of events and low-effort things to do
A clean, structured RSVP system that doesn’t rely on chat -
⚙️ How Might We’s
How might we create a feed of current events and a culture where users feel safe to post?
How might we see users with shared events and places as valuable hangout cues?
How might we encourage repeat use and users to check the app?
How might we help new users understand and engage with the app's social features through clear onboarding?🔍 Needs
Privacy and visibility controls for social posts
Smart overlap detection with friends’ activities
Notifications when their friends create events
Prompts that inspire users to create an event themselves
Simple onboarding that highlights active and passive social tools -
⚙️ How Might We’s
How might we ensure users feel comfortable re-engaging with old contacts?
How might we help users reconnect with dormant friendships through gentle prompts?
🔍 Needs
Features that reduce awkwardness and make re-entry feel natural
Subtle prompts that encourage reconnection without pressure
Project Goals
User Goals
Spending more time with friends
Easily maintaining connections with friends through different phases of life
Attending more activities in their area
Getting outside more
Minimizing planning time for last-minute events
Easily hanging out with friends and meeting people when visiting different cities
Discovering local events, activities, and places
Building meaningful relationships and connections
Maintaining privacy and control over personal information
Personalizing their social experience based on interests
Shared Goals
Consistently using the app to coordinate and hang out with friends
Feeling safe to continue using the app and sharing their location
Meeting new people and adding them to their network to increase friend connections
Building trust and positive experiences within the community
Facilitating smooth coordination through messaging and planning tools
Creating engaging social experiences that bring value to all participants
Business Goals
Increase the amount of users on the app
Find ways to monetize the app without user ads or having businesses pay to join
Expand to different cities
Appeal to all different age groups
Improve user retention and long-term engagement
Collect data to enhance matching algorithms and user experience
Build network effects where more users create more value
Develop partnership opportunities with local businesses and venues
Establish sustainable revenue streams
Initial Prototyping
Initial Prototyping
feature set
Drawing from user interviews and competitive analysis, I created a feature prioritization matrix that balances user value with technical complexity. This roadmap focuses on solving core coordination problems first, with "nice to have" and "delightful" features planned for subsequent releases based on user adoption and feedback.
Priority 1:
Must Haves
Friend vs. Business Feed
Toggle between feed of friend posts and curated local events from businesses.
Share Template
Easy-to-fill template for creating and sharing casual hangouts.
Messaging Center
Group chat created for each event and then dies along with the event.
Priority 2:
Nice to Have
Archived Events
Let users save old events and their conversations for future reference.
Local Business Pages
Concert Venues or local event planners can create events to be reshared. Add business info to events (e.g., open hours, popular times).
Priority 3:
Surprising and delightful
Wrapped / Year in Review
Summary of user's hangouts: top friends, most common activities.
Priority 4:
Can come Later
Personality Metrics
Use behavior to build a profile and recommend future events or people.
Site Map
I developed a comprehensive site map to establish the app's information architecture and core user flows. This foundational step allowed me to map out essential features, prioritize navigation pathways, and ensure all key user needs identified during research were addressed in the app structure.
Low Fidelity
These initial wireframes focused on the core user journey: discovering nearby hangouts, making quick decisions, and lightweight coordination. Key design principles included minimizing steps to post events, surfacing essential information for fast decision-making, and creating social context without overwhelming users.
Early wireframes prioritized familiar interaction patterns while introducing new concepts like "tapping in" and selective friend group sharing. This exploratory phase helped validate information hierarchy and interaction models through rapid user feedback sessions.
Branding
Branding
Branding and Logo creation
For Tap-In's visual identity, I developed a warm, inviting color palette centered around yellows, oranges, and greens to evoke feelings of approachability and casual connection. This nostalgic color scheme balances retro charm with contemporary usability, creating an atmosphere where users feel comfortable engaging with spontaneous social opportunities.
The color system serves both functional and emotional purposes: green indicates "happening now" events (like a go signal), yellow represents upcoming events (mimicking a stoplight), and the bright, warm tones evoke happiness and excitement about hanging out with friends. I used a light butter yellow as the primary background to ensure readability while letting the brighter, more defining colors serve as accents and interaction cues.
Initially, I experimented with different logo concepts, including a horizontal "TAP IN" layout within an hourglass shape to represent time sensitivity. However, this design looked too similar to the clothing brand TapouT, so I decided to remove the horizontal hourglass. Ultimately, I decided to make the logo identical to the primary action button—creating a cohesive brand experience where the logo itself becomes the main call-to-action users interact with throughout the app.
The design prioritizes content over interface elements, allowing event photos and user interactions to take center stage. This integrated approach means the "TAP-IN" button serves simultaneously as brand identifier and functional element, creating a seamless connection between brand recognition and user action.
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Testing insights and revisions
This round of usability testing focused on improving Tap In's clarity, functionality, and overall user experience as it evolved from low-fidelity wireframes to mid-fidelity prototype. I conducted 5 moderated remote sessions (30 minutes each) where participants completed task-based scenarios including navigating the app, creating events, interacting with RSVP features, and using social tools. Testing used a semi-functional prototype with screen sharing to allow participants to navigate key user flows. The goal was to uncover usability pain points, assess visual hierarchy, and improve decision clarity before moving into high-fidelity design.
Key Insights & Feedback Themes
and Revisions Made
1. Event Interaction & RSVP Flow
"Decision Time" Confusion: Users consistently misunderstood the term. Suggestions included "Deadline to Apply," "Registration Ends," or using a countdown or exact timestamp. Placement should be more intuitive—near the RSVP buttons or highlighted as a banner.
RSVP Clarity: "In/Out" terminology caused confusion. Preferred alternatives: “I’m In,” “Not Going,” or “Going/Not Going” (especially for older users). Users also requested the ability to respond “Maybe” or “Decide Later.”
Feedback Confirmation: After RSVP, users want a clear confirmation (“See you soon!” with a checkmark or emoji) and an option to “Add to Calendar.”
Regret Messages: Users liked pre-written regret options (e.g., "Already have plans") with some customization. These should appear after declining, not before.
Users needed a clearer decision point when viewing events.
“Decision Time” was retained on the full event detail page but simplified into a live countdown timer on event cards, making urgency more digestible.
The RSVP buttons—“Tap-In” and “Out”—were maintained for branding consistency, but now trigger a confirmation pop-up to reassure users their choice was saved.
After a user taps out, they are shown optional regret messages and can write their own, reinforcing social accountability without cluttering the primary action.
2. Event Cards & Details
Information Density: Users want clearer, richer event cards showing:
Date & time (with date first)
Cost (if any)
RSVP deadline
Event summary or description (à la Partiful)
Visuals to "set the vibe" (user-chosen background images)
Sharing Features: Confusion between "repost" and "share." Suggested:
“Repost to Feed”
Use standard share icons for external sharing
Allow creators to control sharing permissions and enable +1s
Users wanted easier-to-scan cards with clearer event context.
Event cards were redesigned to prioritize the most important info—event name, time, RSVP deadline, and cost—without overwhelming the screen.
The “Repost” button was clarified to read “Post to Feed”, and “Share externally” was separated into underlined text with a share icon to distinguish functions.
These changes improve both legibility and action clarity across the event feed.
3. Navigation and layout
Homepage & Feed: Users want clearer hierarchy and easier access to upcoming events. Filters like “This Week,” “Next Week,” and “This Month” were requested.
"Create Event" Button: Placement was inconsistent—users suggested it be more visible and tied to a floating button or icon.
Home Icon: Include a clear home/dashboard icon to orient users.
Participants wanted better ways to find relevant events.
The “Upcoming Events” section now features filters so the user can automatically pick dates they are available.
A date filter was added so users can browse by time range (e.g., “Today,” “This Week”).
“Create Event” CTAs were added in more contextual areas to reduce friction and encourage spontaneous hosting.
4. Profile Page & Friends
Event History & Groups: Users expect to see:
Attended and upcoming events
Created events
Archived chats
Popular groups & ability to join/leave them
Friend Management: Desired features include:
Adding/removing friends
Creating groups (e.g., “Runners,” “Foodies”)
Blacklisting/muting friends for notifications
Design Simplicity: Keep layout clean. “See All” pages for past events and friend groups improve clarity.
Testers expected more functionality around their personal and social info.
A new “My Events” page shows:
Events you’ve tapped into
Events you’ve created
Past events you’ve attended
Users can now add friends, create public or private groups, and view group chats within their profile.
A “See All” link was added for both friends and groups to improve content visibility.
Mute options were introduced in Settings to give users more control over who appears in their feed. (This mirrors familiar patterns from other social platforms.)
5. Chat & Notifications
Visibility Issues: Chat function was often hard to find. Suggestions:
Use color indicators, badges, or green dots for active chats
Display unread message counts tied to event names
Central Notification System: Needed to manage chat messages and RSVP alerts across events.
Users had trouble locating and understanding chat functionality.
The chat UI was redesigned for better discoverability and to match brand styling.
Unread message indicators were added to event/group cards to show where active conversation is happening.
To keep communication organized, all messages are now viewable only within the “My Events” tab.
6. Accessibility & Inclusivity
Participants expressed interest in filtering events by more than just date.
Users can now filter events by tags like “21+,” “Kid Friendly,” and more to better match their availability or preferences.
An “Add to Calendar” option was added below the event date, allowing users to sync events with external calendar apps of their choice.
Descriptive Language: Avoid jargon—especially for less tech-savvy users.
Event Details: Include info like age restrictions, child-friendliness, or accessibility.
Calendar Integration: Allow users to sync events to Google/Apple Calendar.
User testing flow
Task Flow
Discovery
The journey begins when a user logs into the homepage and browses the events happening now and upcoming. They decide to look more into the event that their friend Nate is hosting because they love playing Pickleball.
Decision
The user sees more details on the event and sees that they can make it, is excited about all the other friends attending and that it’s free! They Tap-In to the event and get a confirmation pop up.
Interaction
The user joins the event and hops into the chat in order to see if there are any more details or things they should know before heading there. They decide to bring cookies and a board game for post spikeball hanging.
UI Kit
UI Kit
User interface kit
To support consistent and scalable design, I built a comprehensive UI kit that defines Tap In’s visual language and interaction patterns. It acts as a centralized guide for future designers and developers, ensuring every new feature aligns with the overall user experience.
The system includes typography styles, a structured color palette, and detailed component documentation for buttons, inputs, cards, and navigation. I outlined various states such as capacity-full events and interaction feedback, along with message formatting for chat and notifications.
Components are responsive and accessible, designed with proper contrast, spacing, and touch target sizing in mind. The visual system maintains Tap In’s warm and approachable tone, helping the app feel cohesive as it grows.
Design Iteration & Final Testing
Design Iteration & Final Testing
Usability Testing
To validate early design decisions and guide further iteration, I conducted five moderated usability interviews with potential users of Tap In. The sessions focused on first impressions, navigation patterns, and feature comprehension. Overall, users responded positively to the concept, praising its casual, spontaneous tone and intuitive interface. However, testing also revealed critical areas of confusion and friction—particularly around visual feedback, social functionality, onboarding flow, and event interaction. Based on these findings, I prioritized updates that clarified visual hierarchy, simplified forms, improved discoverability of key features (like chat and Tap In buttons), and enhanced social context through elements like overlapping profile photos, group tags, and ownership badges. These changes directly addressed user pain points while reinforcing the core value of quick, low-effort social coordination.
"I don't see a ton of difference when I look at, like, pre-tap in to, like, post-tap in."
- Rachel
"I would look at the title first, then the date, then how far away it was from me, and then the location."
- Kirsty
One thing I would put here is the skip option... Because this drives me nuts... I would scan these and I would just add a couple that I would like.”
- Kelsey
🔧 Design Changes & Improvements
To validate design decisions before final development, I conducted a second round of usability testing with 5 participants using the high-fidelity prototype. This round focused specifically on first impressions, navigation clarity, and feature comprehension to ensure the interface matched user expectations.
Testing revealed that while users responded positively to the concept and casual tone, several critical areas needed refinement. Based on these insights, I made targeted design changes across six key areas:
Onboarding & User Info
Updated location input to reflect the user’s current city instead of a full address, making it feel more lightweight and privacy-conscious.
Restructured onboarding to allow users to skip optional steps and enter key information first, reducing early friction.
Event details & social interaction
Increased the visibility and prominence of the group chat, turning it into a clear call-to-action button.
Replaced “Friends Going” with user photos and a "+X more" format, making it feel more social and engaging.
Made addresses, event links, and chat access more visibly tappable, improving discoverability.
Friends, Requests, & Groups
Renamed “Requests” to “Friend Requests” for clearer language.
Enabled quick friend adds through shared groups, making it easier to connect with people in your social circles.
Event management & Visual Feedback
Added badges to events users created for quick identification.
Introduced a state for full events to clearly show when capacity has been reached.
Added a Tap In button to the event cards in the Upcoming Events list to support faster responses without opening each event.
Added a visual for the “Can’t Go” state, providing feedback for users opting out.
Forms & Fields
Improved visual distinction between filled-in vs. incomplete fields, giving users a clearer sense of what’s left to complete.
Simplified information fields by removing unnecessary data and eliminating distracting strokes on input lines for a cleaner layout.
Filters & location settings
Introduced a dedicated Location Settings page, allowing users to filter events by city and distance radius.
Refined filters to better match how users search for events — including filters for unread messages, events hosted by friends, and smarter time-based sorting.
HIgh Fidelity Prototype
HIgh Fidelity Prototype
The high-fidelity prototype incorporates all key updates from the latest round of usability testing, including improvements to navigation, visual hierarchy, event interaction, and social features. Designed in Figma, the clickable prototype allows users to simulate the full app experience—from onboarding and browsing events to tapping in and interacting with groups. This version reflects a polished and functional vision of the app, showcasing how user feedback directly informed design decisions.
Future Considerations
Future Considerations
As TAP-IN continues to grow, there are several feature expansions that could enhance the platform’s community-building potential and overall user experience.
One key area of development is the introduction of public groups. This would allow users to browse and join broader interest-based communities (e.g., runners, creatives, gamers), offering more opportunities for spontaneous connection beyond private circles. Each group would include a designated moderator role to help manage member engagement, approve or guide event creation, and ensure respectful interactions within the group.
Another potential enhancement is the ability to view friends' profiles, providing a more social layer to the app. With proper privacy controls, users could see which events their friends have “tapped into”, helping surface relevant or interesting hangouts through peer discovery. Hosts would be able to set visibility preferences so events can be made public, semi-public, or private.
As the user base grows and evolves, so too will TAP-IN’s features. The app will continue to adapt based on user feedback, behavioral insights, and emerging needs. Future updates will prioritize user feedback, behavioral insights, and emerging social patterns to ensure Tap In evolves with its community while maintaining the spontaneity and simplicity that define the core experience.