Project Overview
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
As one user put it:
“Friend-finding apps feel more like a date, and it’s awkward.”
Despite wanting connection, users struggle to translate intent into natural interaction.
Opprotunity
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
As one user shared:
“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.
Process
Discovery & Research