Umi
Research & Design Process
Design Process
Competitive Analysis
Started from the most popular social media among young adults, I read the online reviews of social platforms and analyzed their pros and cons. Creating the competitive landscape, I summarized some social media issues that may be related to loneliness:
Blurred & flattened social circles
Most social platforms are enhancing the breadth of social interaction, but their depth has been ignored. Different levels of the social circle are blurred and flattened - users can make friends with strangers while seeing the emotional posts from close friends in the same community. This kind of dramatic contradiction actually reduces the user's trust in social media.
Limited screen-based interaction
Most of the existing social platforms are mainly based on phone screens, which only need finger tapping. It’s easy to use and low time cost. But the feedback that users get is only from the 2D cold screen, which greatly reduces social participation and weakens the meaning of social interaction.
Business Oppotunity
Which part of the market has the most potential? Based on the previous analysis, I defined Umi’s business opportunities:
Inner social circle
Unlike the extensive social networking mentioned above, Umi focuses on interactions within intimate relationships, such as family, friends, and lovers. The tight social circle brings more security to users and creates a safe zone for full free expression.
Flexible interaction
Umi advocates interaction beyond the screen. Through tangible communication, Umi tries to restore the social temperature in real life.
User Journey
Personas
Umi is targetting young adults from 20-30 years old, who are usually tech-savvy. Many of them live alone due to reasons such as study and work. I created two personas to understand their needs and goals better.
