Lack of knowledge about campus events lead to social isolation

Many college students struggle to make friends due to a limited knowledge of on-campus events leading to social isolation and reduced networking opportunities.

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How might we approach this issue?

We conducted a quantitative survey and a few interviews to understand the social habits and behaviors of college students. The insights helped us identify barriers to socialization and problems students face when trying to explore and/or attend events on campus.

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Obstacles faced along the way and how we responded

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48% survey respondents believed it is harder to make friends as a commuter

Barriers to socialization and networking students faced.

• Students lack knowledge of events happening on campus.
• Event times do not match student's free time, making it inconvenient for them to attend.
• Students not interested in alcohol struggle with making friends since most parties involve drinking
• It's difficult to keep track of events from different sources (instagram, groupme, newsletters, getinvolved, discord and more)
• Expensive or lack of parking spots on campus makes it challenging for students to attend events.
• Students do not read lengthy college newsletters about events, making it challenging to get information.
• There is no designated place for students to promote their own parties or events, making it difficult for them to attract attendees.

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Rationale behind the solution

The opportunity for social interaction and networking at events and social gatherings is critical to fostering a sense of community and belonging among college students.

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Solution

A centralized platform for students to access all the information they need about events on campus.

• A section dedicated to promoting upcoming events on campus, including information on time, location, and description.‍
• Allow students to customize their event preferences based on their availability, and receive notifications for events that match their schedule.
• Have a filter to exclude events that involve alcohol, making it easier for students to find events that align with their interests.
• Provide a unified platform to view all events happening on campus and could integrate with different platforms like Instagram, GroupMe and more.
• Include information on parking options and provide real-time updates on parking availability to help students plan their attendance.
• Present event information in a concise and easy-to-read format, making it more accessible to students.
• Enable students to create and promote their own events, and provide a platform for them to connect with potential attendees.

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Competitors lacked one core feature; "promoting your own event"

Conducting a thorough study of Circle's competitors enabled us to evaluate functionality and relevant user journeys as well as identify industry trends on how color, typography and layout impacts complex UI systems.

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Wireframes: The Blueprint for our design

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Changes made along the way

HIFI Designs

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Style Guide

Impact & Key Takeaways

The app's ability to bridge the information gap and streamline event discovery has the potential to foster a strong sense of belonging and enhancing the overall students' social experience for Rutgers students.

I've learned that feedback from users, stakeholders, and peers is very important. We were able to make improvements to our designs based on the feedback we received from our program coordinators who were also students.

Throughout the design process, we encountered several obstacles, including scheduling difficulties, lack of Figma knowledge and limited time for user testing. However, we were able to overcome most of these challenges through effective collaboration and prioritization.

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Next Steps

I've learned a few things from the feedback the judges gave us. Here are some steps I would take next

1. An option that allows the student to enter their schedules in the app and the app suggests events based on their availability. A notification system could be put in place that notifies the student for events that fit in their schedule.
2. Since not everyone consumes alcohol for personal and religious reasons, it would be beneficial to have a filter to exclude events that involve alcohol.
3. Parking is a great concern for commuter students and including information on parking options and providing real-time updates on parking availability can help students plan accordingly.
4. We could integrate payment services so entry fees for paid events can be processed right through the app.