Making new friends fun again
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OVERVIEW
Introducing Society, the dynamic group social platform that redefines connection building.
We turn making new friends into a fun activity you can do with your existing friends. Goodbye awkward interactions that feel more like work!
ROLE
Founder and CEO
Product Strategy, User Research, Interaction, Visual design, Prototyping & Testing, Programming, Advertising, Marketing, Pitching, Team Management.
"Why can't we hang out together, and meet some new like-minded people at the same time?"
Background
In 2022, the dating app market (which includes friend-making apps) generated $4.94 Billion, with revenues set to increase to $10.99 Billion by 2027.
However, each app is a copy and paste of the big apps like Tindr and Bumble, adding nothing new or different, and bringing all their inherent issues. Users are switching off.
"No one uses dating apps anymore - they are so cringe"
Participant in the user research group
There is a large gap in the market for a fresh product that focuses on creating a fun and easy experience for users, that doesn't feel like work and enhances your existing social life.
Team
Martyn Kenneally - Founder and CEO
Scott Grossman (SO-G Tech) - CTO
Marcus Grossman (Margro Capital) - Board Member
Michael Fitzgerald (AISentr) - Board Member
Shruti Pandey - Diversity and Inclusivity Advisor
Understanding the problem
PRIMARY RESEARCH
The goal was to understand how they made new friends, how they dated, how technology played a part in that.
Interviews with students were conducted on the City University Campus, in North London.
Longer workshops were conducted the following day, allowing more in-depth questioning with small groups of students.
90% made friendships on the basis of shared interests, common ethnic backgrounds, or mutual academic pursuits.
75% used WhatsApp groups that comprised fellow students enrolled in the same courses
60% maintained activity and interest based University society accounts on Instagram
50% confirmed that Instagram was the digital platform they used to communicate, network and make new connections.
"Instagram is an unofficial dating app"
Research participant
8% admitted to using dating or friendship apps commenting that they were "cringe", "only for hook-ups" and "full of fake profiles".
SECONDARY RESEARCH
A pareto analysis was conducted on 8 dating and friendship apps -
Hinge / Bumble / Tinder / Thursday / Meetup / Bumble BFF / Yubo / Befriend.
Looking at 2 and 3 star app reviews on the App Store and Android Marketplace and categorizing them to identify patterns.
42% had issues with matching, or lack of.
32% complained about high subscription prices delivering no added value.
19% disliked the UX, specifically around app navigation.
CONCLUSION
Create a app that:
Is a fresh take on the market, distancing itself from "hook-up" culture.
Enables mixed group matching based on shared interests.
The app will roll-out on a city by city basis, to ensure adequate matches in your area.
The app will have simple mechanics clean layout to enhance ease of use and will be ad-supported with a low, optional subscription that removes the ads.
Persona's
The first-hand user research with the students meant a lot of insight had already been discovered. Additionally, the wealth of second-hand user data available for purchase allowed for a clear vision of the ideal users.
Alex, Life's an adventure
Demographic
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Location: London, UK
Marital status: Single
Kids: No
Profession: Brand Manager
Income: £40K
Story
Alex is is looking for an app that can introduce him to like-minded individuals in a group setting, where he can enjoy shared activities and experiences.
Goals
Meet like-minded individuals in a group setting.
Enjoy shared activities and experiences.
Build meaningful connections with others in the city
Frustrations
Disillusioned with traditional dating apps.
The pressure of 1-on-1 dates.
Dating feels like a job rather than fun.
Emma, Create a masterpiece
Demographic
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Location: Manchester, UK
Marital status: Single
Kids: No
Profession: Software Engineer
Income: £75K
Story
Emma is an introvert who values meaningful connections and has found the typical dating apps to be overwhelming and unfulfilling.
Goals
Showcase her personality in a less intimidating environment.
Meet like-minded individuals who share her interests and values.
Make dating more enjoyable.
Frustrations
Unfulfilling experience on traditional apps.
The pressure of 1-on-1 dates is very stressful.
Feeling overwhelmed with decisions.
Ryan, Let's mix and mingle.
Demographic
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Location: Birmingham, UK
Marital status: In a relationship
Kids: One
Profession: Event planner
Income: £50K
Story
Ryan wants an app that incorporates group activities and events, where people can create memorable experiences together.
Goals
Organising social events
Making new friends over shared interests.
Build authentic connections.
Frustrations
Investing time into people only to be "ghosted".
Being judged purely on looks.
No alternatives to the traditional social apps.
Competitor Analysis
Meetup
Features - Excellent 😃
Personalised event calendar.
Explore based on GPS location.
User Interaction - Poor ☹️
Messages to users and group organisations routinely unanswered.
Established groups feel like a "clique".
Bumble BFF
Navigation - Excellent 😃
Intuitive bottom navigation bar.
Simple, easy to use menu's.
User Base - Poor ☹️
Large % of users still using the app for dating.
Using the app becomes life admin, just like the dating app. Not a fun easy experience.
Thursday
Overall Experience - Excellent 😃
App breaks away from the status quo and feels refreshingly different.
Emphasis on meeting in-person, rather than dead-end messaging.
In-person Events - Poor ☹️
Basic, uninspiring venues.
Host is not active in helping interactions.
Design - Lo-fidelity prototypes
After the flow was defined and the required screens were identified, paper sketches were used to generate a range of ideas that could be developed quickly into a digital wireframe that could be prototyped and tested with users.
Development - Hi-fidelity prototypes
UI Kit
Logo
Typography
Colours
Colours
Icons
Sign-up with Instagram Screens
Top Row - Welcome screen / Confirm basic info / Choose picture
Bottom Row - Your interests / Sync contacts / Invite contacts to your group
Home Journey
Top Row - Home / You've matched with..
Bottom Row - Chat Home / Devon, Taylor and Sarah chat
Next Steps
Coding - 12 Weeks
Finalise the tech stack and code the app for IOS - Chief Technical Officer brought on-board for this purpose.
Marketing / Launch Plan - 12 - 16 Weeks
YouTube series - "Secret Societies" presented by comedian Josh Berry is a light-hearted documentary style YouTube series investigating stories and
rumors at different Universities, using student interviews and on-campus filming with Josh.
The series idea is based-off the successful Barstool Sports YouTube series which filmed short comedic interviews with fraternities in American
Universities.
"My Society" talks - A series of talks aimed at specific student University groups, hosted by Society. The cost of entry is to download and create an account on the app.
Initial speaker will be - Jonathan Hewitt, Managing Associate & Notary at Harbottle and Lewis - speaking about his first year as a lawyer.
Brad Harper, Founder of Design Truth - speaking about the changing face of design, and how to stay relevant.
Ben King, CEO of Pesky Fish - speaking about entrepreneurship, and zero investment businesses.
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