OVERVIEW
PartyPal is a mobile app that blends spontaneous photo sharing with live event coordination, inspired by the authenticity of BeReal and the social energy of Partiful. As a solo designer, I ideated, designed, and tested the app over the course of 10 weeks. This project was part of a mobile design course, with a focus on creating strategic, user-centered experiences for iOS platforms.
THE CHALLENGE
Young adults often forget to take photos during fun events or struggle to gather them afterward. Meanwhile, BeReal’s novelty has faded, and Partiful lacks social follow through. Users want to capture authentic moments without interrupting the experience or having to chase down others for their pictures the next day.
Main Pain Points:
Forgetting to take pictures during social events
Difficulty collecting shared photos afterward
Lack of connection or memory-sharing post-event
THE SOLUTION
PartyPal lets users plan events and receive spontaneous reminders to take photos throughout the duration of the event. Following the event, photos are compiled in a shared event album, which users can comment on, like, and download. PartyPal supports the full lifecycle of an event, from planning to reminiscing.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
BeReal and Partiful each capture a specific moment in the social experience, but neither supports the full event journey. This opened up a unique opportunity for PartyPal to blend social spontaneity with structured event coordination.
Feels repetitive over time
No tie-in to shared experiences or real-life events
No connection to live events or community moments
“What now?” feeling after daily post
No in-app photo sharing
RSVP-based engagement ends after the event starts
Doesn’t support post-event memory sharing or reflection
Blending photo sharing & event planning: Unlike BeReal or Partiful, PartyPal integrates social posting directly into the flow of an event
Supporting the full lifecycle: From invites and in-event reminders to shared albums and reflections, PartyPal spans the full event journey
Encouraging deeper connections: Guests tag, comment, and relive memories; building community beyond a one-time post or RSVP
No existing app supports planning, particiapting, and remembering events all in one place. PartyPal does.
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
To gather early feedback on the app concept, I conducted informal interviews using initial wireframes as prompts. Participants shared what they liked, disliked, and what they felt was missing.
Informal Interviews
6 participants (Ages 21-30)
Need for privacy settings (i.e., guest list availability)
Tagging with facial recognition for easier photo discovery
Desire for filters to easily find what photos you or someone else is in
ANALYSIS & DESIGN PRIORITIES
Insights from early interviews helped shape the core goals of the app, balancing spontaneity with structure. Users wanted timely prompts to capture moments, intuitive ways to organize memories, and spaces to reflect and connect after events. These priorities directly informed design decisions around features like tagging, filters, reminders, and shared memory albums.
Spontaneity & Intention: Notifications help users take pictures in the moment at the right time
Organization: Users want their event memories curated and easy to access
Connection: Users value shared memory spaces to reflect and comment after events
INITIAL WIREFRAMES
With user insights in mind, I translated early concepts into low-fidelity wireframes to explore layout, flow, and core features. The goal was to capture the balance of spontaneity and structure users craved, highlighted through features like event-based photo feeds and nostalgic, Polaroid-inspired layouts. Feedback from testing led to key updates that improved privacy, control, and personalization.
Added facial recognition and tagging filters
Multi-select save options (photos you’re tagged in, photos with specific people, save all)
Added toggle for hiding guest list
Added real-time host controls (end event, photo check-ins, announcements)
INFORMAL TESTING & IMPROVEMENTS
To refine key features, I conducted informal testing with six participants who interacted with the updated wireframes. Their feedback confirmed the usefulness of photo reminders and saving options, while also uncovering areas for improvement in privacy, filtering, and invitations. Iterative updates addressed these gaps, resulting in a more intuitive and user-centered experience.
Informal Testing
6 participants (Ages 22-28)
Usability confirm for photo reminders and saving
Requested more guest privacy options → Added guest list toggle
Needed better photo filtering → Implemented people-based filters
Desired better invitation flow → Streamlined text and in-app invites with confirmation messages
FINAL DESIGN & KEY SCREENS
After multiple rounds of feedback and iteration, the final design brings together playful aesthetics and purposeful functionality. The interface is designed to support real-time memory-making while giving users control over privacy, participation, and personalization. Key screens showcase a polished, intuitive flow from event creation to shared albums, delivering a photo-sharing experience that feels both fun and meaningful.
Home Screen: View upcoming, active, and past events
Create Event: Set duration, reminders, privacy, and filters
Active Event: Live updates, host controls, and photo preview roll
Photo Reminder Flow: Tap notification → take photo → instant update
Event Album: Like, comment, and save via filters or multi-select
Polaroid-style photos for a nostalgic, engaging UI
Camera with .5 lens and flash toggle to match user behavior
Confirmation messages for photo uploads and saves
REFLECTION & FUTURE WORK
PartyPal resonated with users who wanted a more immersive way to capture and relive events. The spontaneous photo prompts and shared albums felt intuitive and exciting. Iterating based on real feedback, like adding guest privacy settings and filter options, made the experience feel more personalized and usable.
As PartyPal evolves, future iterations will focus on deepening the in-event experience and enhancing long-term engagement. A key priority is conducting structured usability testing with a functional prototype to observe real-time interactions and gather more data-driven insights to help build on the valuable but informal feedback from earlier stages.
Planned areas of exploration include:
Evaluating user flows and retention through live event testing with higher-fidelity prototypes
Expanding social functionality, such as a personalized feed where users can pin favorite photos or highlight memorable events
Designing around iOS features like Dynamic Island and Live Activities to surface real-time prompts and updates without disrupting the experience
These improvements aim to elevate PartyPal from a fun photo-sharing tool to a richer, more integrated part of users' social lives.
