Impact
- 66% of event planners surveyed said they would use the app
- 20% left their email for early access
- Successfully tested on real parties with great attendance
Social media hell
It’s no secret that social media isolates more than it connects. That paradox has been on my mind since 2020, when I started probing with interest surveys to pin point the issue, and exploring design solutions to address it.
Ghosted apps
My early designs were feature-heavy and lacking cohesion, a mashup of social ideas that depended on achieving scale before delivering value.
I sifted through a graveyard of failed apps, testing dozens of similar ideas to what I was trying, until it dawned on me that my approach wasn’t going to work.
The new goal would be to hone in on a sharper pain with an immediate payoff: harnessing fomo to overcome non-committal friends.
The solve
I designed an event planning system with RSVP limits and countdowns to build anticipation and urgency around hangouts.
I referenced Google's Material Design and Untilted UI kits to create my component library, generated art and icons using AI, and then tested my prototype with users to make some final tweaks.
A developer helped me refine from an SMS integrated design to a more feasible technical lift, with a simpler sharable link concept.
The execution
My developer ran out of bandwidth just as AI capabilities became a thing, so I ended up finishing the whole build by myself in Loveable.dev, and using the app to plan real events.
I haven't pushed it publicly yet, but huge party turnouts, questions from friends, and survey results tells me it could be a hit.
Key lessons
Focus goes farther.
Rather than trying to solve every problem at once, focusing on one key pain point goes a long way.
Examine Competitors.
You don't have to build the expensive app to learn what you can from someone that already tried.
Progress is your friend.
Occasionally the rapid advancement of technology will hand you solutions to your problems just as you need them. What an exciting time to be alive!
