Project Overview
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real-world connections. Existing friend-finding apps often feel too formal, while platforms like Meetup can lack a sense of trust or immediacy.
JoinMe was designed to bridge this gap by helping people connect through shared interests in a low-pressure, authentic way. The platform makes it easier to meet new people in real life by allowing users to quickly find and join plans based on common interests and skill levels.
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As the UX designer on the team from Oct 2023 to Aug 2025, I led the design of the end-to-end user experience, from mid-level development to final product launch on the App Store, working closely with founders and developers in a fast-paced startup environment.
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Launched on App store May of 2025, project has been discontinued due to funding.
Problem
Young adults are experiencing rising loneliness, with reports like the U.S. Surgeon General highlighting a growing social disconnection crisis.
The current market space is dominated by platforms like Bumble BFF and Meetup. However, they often feel:
- Awkward, depending on user-led planning with strangers, creating friction
-Too similar to dating
-Unclear or unsafe in real-world settings
User Feedback
“Friend-finding apps feel more like a date, and it’s awkward.”
Despite wanting connection, users struggle to translate intent into natural interaction.
Opportunity
Design a social experience that removes social friction by centering connection around pre-planned activities instead of open-ended coordination.
Instead of “what should we do?”, users:
Join pre-formed, specific plans
Match based on shared skill level + interests
Enter interactions with built-in common ground
User Feedback
“It gives us automatic common ground and something to talk about.”
This shifts the experience from meeting strangers to doing something together; making connection feel more natural, comfortable, and repeatable.
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Process
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Discovery & Research
To make activities feel authentic to each community, I conducted expert interviews with experienced participants across running, climbing, skiing/snowboarding, and yoga.
The goal was to understand how people assess compatibility, communicate skill level, and organize meetups.
Key Factors Identified
Yoga
Style type
Experience Level
Environment Preference
Climbing
Trust/safety
Difficulty ratings
Equipment expectations
Running
Pace
Mileage
Route preference
Ski/Snowboard
Skill level
Riding Style/Vibe
Session duration
2.Defining the User Experience
Research revealed that successful meetups depended on more than shared interests—users needed confidence that an activity matched their skill level, expectations, and social preferences. To reduce friction and make connection feel more natural, I focused on designing an experience centered around clarity, trust, and low-pressure interaction
Designing for Low Pressure Connection
Problem: People wanted friendship without the pressure of “matching” or awkward messaging.
Design decision: Make activities the center of interaction. The home page is designed so users can scroll through pre-made plans in their area and request to join them. .
Designing for Fast Scanning Through Iconography
Problem: Users want to browse many activities quickly. Reading paragraphs = friction.
Design decision: Create a visual language through iconography where all activity type and tags have icons where expert users can quickly identify what they are looking for.
Creating Compatibility Through Activity MEtadata
Problem: Shared interests alone weren’t enough.
i.e. A beginner runner and marathoner ≠ good match.
Design decision: Surface expectations upfront with detailed activity cards that cover all the details uncovered by the expert interviews
Designing for Trust & Credibility
Problem: Meeting strangers IRL creates uncertainty.
Design decision: Introduce trust signals on user profiles like XP and cards earned. Allow users to post photos of past activities on community boards
