THE CHALLENGE
With the decline of third spaces and limited community infrastructure, young adults struggle to find safe, low-pressure ways to connect. Additionally, existing friend-making apps are too similar to dating platforms and fail to provide safe, structured ways to meet. Users feel uncomfortable with ambiguous swiping mechanisms, lack of profile depth, and minimal support for in-person transitions.
THE SOLUTION
RallyUp is a mobile app designed to help young adults find genuine connections and community. It was created to address a growing social gap and bring people together through interest-based matching, curated events, and an emphasis on user safety. RallyUp eliminates the ambiguity of swipe culture by focusing on authentic connection. The app uses customizable filters, verified profiles, and curated event listings to help users build trust and friendships through shared activities and values.
Displays upcoming events, friend suggestions, and quick access to key features
Uses onboarding data to provide matches and activities aligned with your interests and social comfort level
The home page is structured to reduce decision fatigue and support ease of navigation for both social butterflies and hesitant joiners. We prioritized emotional tone and clarity to help users feel welcomed and in control.
Users fill out a meaningful onboarding information to help personalize their matches and experiences
Profiles highlight match percentage and vibe tags (i.e., down to chill, spiritual, bookworm), making it easier to find genuine connections
Instead of replicating dating-app mechanics, we reframed the flow around shared values and energy levels. This reimagining encourages genuine, intention-based friendships and reduces social anxiety.
Users can browse curated events or search by filter
RSVP or message the host with one tap
Events include host profiles, description, and attending friends so users can feel prepared
We crafted the event process to be fast, informative, and low-pressure. Each touchpoint helps users gauge comfort and fit before committing, building confidence and increasing event attendance.
LITERATURE REVIEW
To build a user experience grounded in empathy and psychological insight, I conducted a literature review exploring the social, emotional, and technological factors that influence friendship formation in digital spaces. These studies informed key design decisions around trust, safety, and emotional support. The findings below highlight the psychological barriers to connection, the important of user agency, and how existing platforms have approached platonic relationship building.
Bumble BFF: A case study in building friendships (2020)
Users desire standalone friendship apps with interest-based filters and clear onboarding that distinguishes from dating experiences
What prevents people from making friends: A taxonomy of reasons (2020)
Key barriers include fear of rejection, lack of trust, and introversion
Plato: UX prototyping for platonic friendship (2016)
Empathy, emotional support, and gradual disclosure enhance comfort and trust
Demonstrates the need for activity-based matching, customizable privacy settings, and emotional safety features
Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other (2011)
Many digital platforms increase loneliness rather than reduce it
Warns against shallow digital relationships; encourages in-person social engagement facilitated through technology
Cyber-relationship motives: Scale development and validation (2010)
People are motivated by shared values and empathy in online friendships
Highlights motivations like curiosity, emotional support, ease of communication
Suggests customization and anonymity increase comfort
SybilSort Algorithm: A friend request decision tracking recommender system in online social networks (2021)
Identifies and filters out fake profiles, supporting RallyUp’s commitment to safety
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
To better understand the landscape of digital friendship platforms, I evaluated leading apps focused on social connection. While platforms like Bumble BFF and Geneva attempt to facilitate new friendships, they fall short in key areas such as emotional safety, trust-building, and inclusive design. This analysis highlights the limitations of current solutions and uncovers opportunities to design for more meaningful, interest-driven, and secure interactions.
Overemphasis on swipe mechanics
Too similar to dating apps
Lacks community or group event structure
Focus on group chats, not individual friendships
No user verification or safety settings
Invite-only groups limit discoverability
Emotional safety is rarely prioritized
Platforms don’t support gradual trust-building
There’s little support for introverted users or structured offline meetups
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
To gain a deeper understanding of users' social needs and pain points, I conducted mixed-method research including interviews, surveys, and an in-class activity. This early-stage research helped validate assumptions, uncover unmet needs, and guide feature prioritization. Insights revealed strong desires for safety, authenticity, and structured social experiences that foster meaningful platonic connections.
Interviews - 7 participants (Ages 24-29)
Survey - 14 participants (Ages 18-35)
Class Activity - 7 participants (Ages 23-27)
Safety First: Users want verification, blocking, reporting, and privacy controls
Social Anxiety is Real: Users prefer low-pressure engagements and gentle introductions
Events Matter: Small, structured meetups are ideal
Profiles Need Context: Users want more than a photo - they want values, humor, and shared interests visible
Inclusive Filters: Religion, politics, and LGBTQ+ filters were highly requested
ANALYSIS & INSIGHTS
Synthesizing findings from user research revealed clear patterns around how people want to build friendships, especially in digital spaces. Trust, emotional comfort, and user autonomy emerged as top priorities. These insights informed key design principles centered on gradual connection, privacy, and shared experiences that feel safe and authentic.
Trust & Clarity: Users need clear onboarding and profile visibility control
Emotional Safety: Gradual information sharing lowers anxiety
Event-Based Meetups: Users prefer casual, hobby-oriented gatherings
Most participants desired gradual profile reveals and control over messaging access
Structured meetups and vibe-based matching felt safer and more genuine
INITIAL WIREFRAMES
INFORMAL TESTING
To evaluate early design decisions, I conducted informal usability testing with a small group of participants. The goal was to observe how users navigated key flows and identify areas of confusion or friction. Feedback surfaced specific opportunities to improve clarity, onboard users more effectively, and enhance trust through customizable privacy options.
6 Participants (Ages 24-32)
Tested key flows for sign-up, events, and friend matching
Sign-Up Flow: Seen as simple and intuitive, though users wanted clearer onboarding and definitions for terms like “vibes”
Event Page: Universally praised for clarity and layout; suggestions included adding host messaging and privacy options
Friend Matching: Confusion over interface and purpose; users misinterpreted the friends page as a chat or existing matches
Replace ambiguous language with user-friendly terms
Add onboarding tooltips or tutorials to explain app functions
Include privacy-focused features such as phased profile information
IMPROVEMENTS
Users can skip onboarding and fill out their information later
Rephrased unclear terminology and added examples
Added more detailed onboarding information
Provided more customization via text-input for interests, vibes, and intro
Voice prompt encourages genuine introductions
Changed “vibe aligned” to a match percentage for more clarity
Added detailed filters for values, lifestyle, and demographics
Introduced gradual profile reveal so users don’t see sensitive information (i.e., last name, location, work) until after they’ve added each other as friends
Changed “Events” to “Meetups” for more clarity and warmth
More detailed meetup information
Ability to message host beforehand
Option to invite a friend
FORMAL USABILITY TESTING
To validate design improvements and measure usability, I conducted formal testing for three key tasks. Using structured tasks and post-test feedback, I assessed efficiency, clarity, and overall satisfaction. Results showed high completion rates, positive engagement with the interface, and strong user endorsement.
10 participants (Ages 21-32)
3 tasks: sign-up/onboarding, friend matching, event RSVP
Post-Task & Post-Test Questions
Sign-Up/Onboarding
100% completion rate
Most users found it intuitive, though a few noted the process felt slightly long
Friend Matching
100% completion rate
Users found the interface visually appealing and easy to use
Event RSVP
80% completion rate
Errors attributed to test tool/format, not the design
Positive feedback on flow clarity
9/10 participants said they would recommend RallyUp to a friend or colleague
Participants appreciated the visual clarity and friendliness of the design
THE FINAL DESIGN
REFLECTION & FUTURE WORK
Comprehensive primary research provided a solid foundation for understanding users’ emotional needs and safety concerns. Early feedback helped reshape unclear language and navigation, while formal usability testing confirmed that the final flows were intuitive and trustworthy.
The next steps for RallyUp include investing more time into refining the onboarding experience and further clarifying the friend-matching process. This will help increase user trust, reduce confusion, and improve the quality of connections.
Clear, intentional language builds trust, especially for sensitive interactions
Early and repeated testing surfaces usability issues that documentation can’t predict
Emotional safety and autonomy are just as important as usability for friendship-focused apps
