About the dansync
The Android app transforms the way users engage with social dance, fostering connection and accessibility.
dansync is a centralized hub for enthusiasts, allowing easy discovery of nearby events categorized by dance styles. Users can purchase or book tickets, ensuring a hassle-free event experience, facilitating discussions related to events, and addressing the need for improved communication, especially for those travelling or exploring new dance venues.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Time
8 weeks
Tool
Figma
Design challenge
The objective of the research
Information about social dance events is dispersed across various sources.
Based on secondary research it poses a challenge for beginners and individuals who frequently travel, seeking to integrate into social dance scenes in new cities or countries.
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The design challenge is to create a comprehensive solution—an intuitive and user-friendly social dancing event app. This platform aims to unify information, making it easily accessible for enthusiasts of all levels and those navigating unfamiliar dance scenes.
"Salsa Dance" monthly searches
"Bachata" monthly searches
"Tango" monthly searches
"Dancing programs" monthly searches
I assume...
The popularity of keywords like "salsa (dance)" and "dancing programs" with substantial monthly search volumes indicates a high demand for social dance events and classes.
Dancers heavily rely on online sources, including social media and websites, to find information about social dance events, classes, and parties.
Newcomers to the social dance scene and travellers looking to join events in unfamiliar locations face difficulties in accessing essential event information, leading to potential frustration and missed opportunities.
Varied dance styles like salsa and tango emphasize the community's diverse interests, necessitating support for dancers across various styles.
User interwiews
What did the dancers say?
"It’s time-consuming to check different social media pages, websites"
"Information spread among different sources"
"It can be intimidating visiting party in during travelling, excited to meet people, but no information available"
"Masterclasses often have limited spots, getting a spot in popular classes can be competitive"
"If you don't know groups on FB and WhatsApp, you can't access events information"
"I can't plan salsa events in advance"
Key takeaways
Information Scarcity:
Dancers struggle to find dance-related events, as information spreads among different sources
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Booking and Planning:
Dance enthusiasts reference for advanced planning.
Unified event registration and payment are desired.
Community and Recommendations:
Reliance on the dance community and social platforms, fellow dancers' recommendations hold significant influence. It is challenging to join local communities while travelling.
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Communication Gap:
Identified the need for improved communication tools.
Challenges highlighted during travel and new dance scene exploration.
HOW MIGHT WE
HMW help dance passionates and people who travel and want to join social dance events in a new city/country find Social dance events and masterclasses easily.
Who am I designing for?
Emphasizing is a key!
After analysing all the gathered information from interviews, I have created a hypothetical representation of my potential users.
In order to further empathise with my users and identify their key challenges and areas for improvement, I created an experience map to visualise their current journey with planning where is safe to exercise.
Experience mapping
Persona: Emily
30 y.o London, UK
Software Engineer with a passion for dance.
Quote
"Dance isn't just my passion; it's my way of making friends and feeling at home in any corner of the world."
Key takeaways
Opportunities to improve user experience
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simplifying the information-gathering process, providing a unified source
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Provide Emily information about location and prices on site
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Provide an easy and safe ticket booking/purchasing tool
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The app also prioritizes improved communication, empowering users to engage in discussions related to specific events. This addresses the expressed need for enhanced interaction, which is particularly beneficial for travellers and those discovering new dance venues.
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Task selection process
The solution process was initiated by crafting user stories and organizing them into themes and epics for the social dancing event app.
It revolves around 2 primary flows:
1. Enabling users to effortlessly explore and purchase/book tickets for nearby events categorized by dance styles.
2. An additional feature allows users to explore events through a map view, streamlining the event discovery experience.
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Let's ideate some ideas
Sketching
After reviewing different apps and their approaches, the ideation phase was initiated by sketching various layout ideas. This creative process involved visually mapping out design concepts and drawing inspiration from diverse sources.
Wireframing
From sketches into low-fidelity prototypes.
At this stage of wireframing, it was crucial to test the core flows and main functions.
After the first version of wireframes, there was the 1st round of lo-fi prototype testing with users to identify potential issues. Here I displayed the same screen during 2 rounds of the user testing process and changes were made.
1st version before user testing
2nd version after 1st user testing
3rd version after user testing
1st round of user testing
1st round of User testing was done with 5 participants to analyse how users interacted with the app, emphasizing both their verbal feedback and their actions in navigating the interface.
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After introducing the brief about testing and scenario, users were asked to finish the following tasks.
Task 1: Navigate the app to locate the nearest salsa social event happening in the city.
Task 2: Search for different Salsa events happening now in the city.
Task 3: After searching, set the price range to £10-£30 and purchase the ticket.
Task 4: Check the ticket you purchased for the event.
Key Issues
The main issue was task 1.
Only 2 out of 5 people completed it, but they also questioned some points. Which means that not all functions are intuitive enought
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All the feedback was analysed and transmitted into changes I want to make and prioritised in the matrix to ensure an efficient and focused approach to improvements.
2nd round of user testing
2nd round of User testing was done with 5 different participants, emphasizing both their verbal feedback and their actions in navigating the interface.
Task 1: Navigate the app to locate the nearest salsa social event happening in the city.
Task 2: Search for different Salsa events happening now in the city.
Task 3: After searching, set the price range to £10-£30 and purchase the ticket.
Task 4: Check the ticket you purchased for the event.
Key Issues
All users taped on navigation, which means it is more intuitive now.
Only 1 user didn’t find the search bar at the first glance.
Despite all tasks being completed design needs some improvements. The map page is not intuitive enough.
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All the feedback was analysed and transmitted into final changes, which I showcased in Prioritisation Matrix 2.
Brand Development
The mood
Brand Development process started from a list of adjectives that truly embody the brand. To narrow down the list, a "more A than B" list was crafted.
The brand is more exuberant than reserved.
It is more connecting than distant.
More emotional than pragmatic.
It's more joyful than somber.
My brand is more reliable than uncertain.
More modern than traditional.
More positive than subdued.
A splash of colour
In the realm of event applications, a prevalent choice is dark colors, imparting a sense of celebration and occasion. Hence, the primary colours for the application were deliberately selected to embrace a dark mode aesthetic.
I experimented with various color options on the most detailed screen of my design to assess their visual impact and ultimately select the final variant.
Readability and accessibility for users
Once I chose the palette, I carefully checked the colour contrast between text and background in the app, ensuring optimal readability and accessibility for users.
AAA in colour palette contrast check signifies the highest level of accessibility, ensuring optimal readability for users with varying visual abilities.
Brand name and Wordmark
I carefully deliberated and selected a brand name that resonates with the essence and values of my app, capturing the spirit of what I envision for its identity.
Some of the possible options were:
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RhythmSync
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DanceSphere
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StepSync
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MoveFiesta
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DancePulse
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DanceSync
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dansync
UI Library (Atoms, Molecules, Organisms)
Icons
Buttons
Organisms
dansync Value Proposition
Users can effortlessly discover social dance events and masterclasses by clicking "check nearby" and map view.
Users can engage in discussions, and connect with fellow dancers
Rate events as well as purchase or book tickets.
Marketing Website
The goal
The marketing website aims to clearly communicate the app's value through engaging design and responsiveness.
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Below are designs of the "about" section and testimonials.
Conclusion
Making an impact
As a fellow dance enthusiast, I strongly feel that this app fills a void in the dance community. It changes the way dance enthusiasts engage with the vibrant world of social dance. Through intuitive design and user-centric features, dansync not only simplifies event discovery and ticketing but also addresses the broader challenges of information scarcity and communication gaps in the dance community. The app aspires to be more than just a tool; it seeks to foster a sense of connection and joy, redefining the social dancing experience for users.
Thank You