Broccole
Social platform for on-line networking
Web & Mobile App
The Team:
1 UX Researcher
2 Designers
1 Developer
1 Product Manager
1 UX Researcher
2 Designers
1 Developer
1 Product Manager
My Role:
Lead Product Designer
Lead Product Designer
Timeline:
6 months
6 months
Tools & Methods:
Workshop Facilitation, Design Thinking, Wireframing, Rapid Prototyping, Usability Testing, Visual Design
Workshop Facilitation, Design Thinking, Wireframing, Rapid Prototyping, Usability Testing, Visual Design
About the Project
Broccole — the platform for online networking, content creation and studyng live. It's a creator economy tool that helps to build communities, make money, and build a better connection with people.
The Goal
The goal of this project is to develop MVP as well as get 10 000 regular users.
Project Timeline
1
Discovery
Understand the Users, Problem and the Industry
Hypotheses -
Competitor Analysis -
Customer Development -
Hypotheses -
Competitor Analysis -
Customer Development -
2
Design Process
- User Flow
- Affiliate mapping
- Wireframes
- Affiliate mapping
- Wireframes
3
Prototype & Test
Create UX design -
Create UI design -
Build clickable prototype -
Product Development -
Create UI design -
Build clickable prototype -
Product Development -
4
Product launch
Hypothesis
Hypothesis, that we were working with during the project
Online Networking
We assume that people need an app for instant online networking. This App would combine the functionalities of Zoom and Clubhouse and would offer Video Calls and a Social Network.
No need for messenger
We are designing a new user interaction experience. We assume that our users will only use video and audio features to communicate.
In-app Payments
We assume that in-app payments are more convenient than using external apps. Monetization possibilities will speed up the development of the creator economy.
Competitive Analysis
Broccole has primary and secondary competitors. Primary competitors offer group calls. Mainly, they are Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Team, and others. Secondary competitors are companies that sell online education, as well as create and monetize online communities. They include Master Class and other platforms, as well as YouTube, Instagram, and other social networks that allow filtered information search and help create community.
Primary competitors comparison:
Primary competitors comparison:
Competitors
Broccole
Zoom
Meetups
Clubhouse
Spontaneous networking
Discovery page
Payment inside the App
Free to use
Chat inside the App with the history
Target audience
Business, Active fitness, Education
Business, Healthcare, Education, Technology
Business
Business, Social
Together with the product manager, we brainstormed and performed affinity mapping of the ideas we gathered. We voted for including the following features. To focus on the launch of the product and on developing features that will be of value to the users, as well as testable. The team had to let go of many other ideas or save it for later.
- 1Discovery PageDiscovery - the main page where users can easily find rooms by interest
- 2Following Rooms and PeopleProviding ability to follow Rooms & People and get notifications when events are starting are good hooks for users that will increase the comeback rate.
- 3Drop on into RoomsCreate an opportunity to spontaneously enter any open Room. This satisfies the need to communicate and/or to consume information without having to plan and put the event on the calendar.
- 4Easy one-click paymentsProviding easy in-app payment possibility.
- 5Scheduling the roomThe ability to schedule an event and to buy a seat in advance. Possibility to create hype.
Customer
Development
Development
We sent 30 questionnaries with screening questions and initiated 10 call intervies. Every respondent frequently uses Zoom, Clubhouse, Meetup and Facebook Groups for Netwoking. We completed 10 in-depth interviews with customers in order to confirm or deny our hypotheses and ideas, as well as to gather new insights.
Insights
"I used to use Meetups for networking. I liked some communities that met every week. I signed up and attended the meetups."
"Clubhouse is very complicated in terms of networking. For example, there's no possibility to message other listeners or to create a private room inside the big one."
"I use Facebook groups for networking. Communication happens through posts and comments to the posts. It's organized and convenient."
"Before Covid, marketers went to the conferences, now I use LinkedIn and Zoom."
"I gained about 70K followers in Clubhouse. But what am I suppose to do with them? How do I monetize my work? I think the Clubhouse era ended because the business model was not throught throught."
"I do study online often, and usually Telegram or Discord are used for networking, that's where I get important contacts from."
User Flow
Using user stories and feature requirements from the brief, my first step was to create user flows as groundwork for building my first wireframes. Look closer here.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Next, we continued to creating hand-drawn sketches. Every stage was tested with users for gaining new UX ideas.
Testing
On the Low Fidelity WF stage, we got to test the idea of a messenger being unnecessary. We noticed, that in order to connect with new people, users switched to social networks that they are more used to - like Instagram and Facebook.
To improve users retention and user retention and user loyalty, we decided to add the messenger to the next stage.
To improve users retention and user retention and user loyalty, we decided to add the messenger to the next stage.
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Wireframes of the chat, that we added on this stage. Move the arrow :)
Testing
On the MID Fidelity WF stage, we tested UX Flow payments. Our hypothesis of in-app payments being convenient was correct. Users researched the Rooms (events) 40% more often when they paid using in-app payment rystem than using other apps, such as Venmo or Paypal.
When users switched the apps to complete the payment, they could have gotten distracted by some notifications, or change their mind about entering the room.
When users switched the apps to complete the payment, they could have gotten distracted by some notifications, or change their mind about entering the room.
High fidelity wireframes
Desktop, Tablet, Mobile
Our team also developed this app in Desktop and Tablet versions.
LESSON LEARNED
Creating the product from scratch in the MVP format is very different from working for a big company. The tasks at hand require another mindset to be able to meet unique goals.
Rule #1: Launch quickly
Rule #2: Get customers early on the process
Rule #3: Always test and iterate, and get feedback from users
It's important to focus on the basic, game-changing functions, even though it's tempting to try everything at once. Due to the lack of resources, prioritizing and saying "No" to tempting ideas are must.
Rule #1: Launch quickly
Rule #2: Get customers early on the process
Rule #3: Always test and iterate, and get feedback from users
It's important to focus on the basic, game-changing functions, even though it's tempting to try everything at once. Due to the lack of resources, prioritizing and saying "No" to tempting ideas are must.