Unfound
My Roles and Responsibilities
Primary UX Designer, Mobile Web Design, Interactive Design, Visual Design, Prototyping
Team
Content Creators, Developers, and Product Managers
Unfound is a student-led, bootstrapped app community where people can share the places they love in their own micro communities, with the goal of connecting people more intimately to their communities through unique place recommendations.
Gaining widespread popularity on TikTok, the community initially flourished in Chicago and later expanded to areas like New York City. On Unfound, you can find more intimate recommendations on places to go from other community members, share their own place recommendations, and follow others whose recommendations they enjoy.
Problem Space
With over 20.5k users on the app and 130k TikTok followers, we wanted to
(1) design an intuitive and interactive site to carry over the TikTok followers into the app and
(2) design an equitable, accessible, and inclusive site to garner more users to explore the site and align with their mission
Initial Conversations and Existing Site
In the first few weeks, my action items were to identify the current content inventory of the site, understand the current capabilities of the team, and create goals for the end result. Meeting with my team members and asking questions about how Unfound began, where the vision for the community is, and how I can best support them through UX design helped me develop the plan for expanding the website.
The existing site was a landing page with a hero image of the app, download CTAs to the Apple Store and Google Play Store, and a Shop tab where you can purchase exclusive merch items.
Concept
Our first concept involved five main moving parts:
Header: Global navigation with logo left-aligned, tab items right-aligned
Footer: Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, Contact Us (email), social icons (Instagram, Tiktok)
Home Page: Hero image (articulate that it’s an app), Dynamic hat sorter (Unfound style), Download with CTA
Posts: Feature “Unfounder” (Unfound users)
About Us: How it started, The Team (keep it mysterious, layout with cartoons to consolidate changing roles)
One of the major considerations for the creation of the website was to ensure it felt cohesive with the style of the existing app, but remained clear enough to be easily-navigated by first-time user. The overarching purpose for the website was to introduce new users to the Unfound community and give a sneak peek of the app, enticing them to download and become an Unfounder. Additionally, I considered how micro-interactions may either deter mobile users and increase bounce rate or create excitement around the website.
Wireframes
During the wireframing stage, creating intrigue and informing the user about the Unfound community remained top priority. Since the app was fairly new and localized, I wanted to ensure users could understand the bootstrapped and humble roots of the community, as well as how they can become an Unfounder.
Additionally, the idea of the Unfound Hat Sorter transitioned from an existing concept worked on by the development team, and we thought this was a perfect opportunity to include the mini personality quiz on the homepage. Serving as a way to engage new users through a “Buzzfeed-style” quiz not only helps connect with younger audiences seeking niche interests, but also mystifies the Unfound community, tying into the existing branding.
Heuristic Evaluations and Usability Testing
Prior to transferring the wireframe to a working prototype, we conducted heuristic evaluations and one round of usability testing at this stage.
The main actions we wanted to consider were if users would: (1) read the “About Us” section, (2) interact with or be curious about the Unfound Hat Sorter, and (3) be able to navigate the site with ease and develop an understanding of Unfound.
Our main findings for this initial round included:
Individuals were curious about the hat sorter activity, and wondered if it tied into the app community
“About Us” section proved very useful, and they were more interested in how Unfound came to be (roadmap) rather than who the contributors were
Most participants noted that from these activities, they would want to download the app and try it out
Creating the Website
In collaboration with the development team, we began creating the website using Webflow as the main tool. My role at this stage was to ensure style guides were following the accessibility guidelines for WCAG 2.1 AAA compliance. Although there were a few colors that did not comply, I mitigated this by adding assets that would contrast better and ensure compliance.
We conducted two additional rounds of usability testing to validate our design not only functionally, but visually as well. Through qualitative feedback, we found that we should:
Lead into ‘About Us’ on main page
Use Apple Store and Google Play Store download now buttons - cut out second download now section after “world is going micro”
Add a heading to “Unfounder Sorter”
Add a color background for each subsection to coincide with style guide
Add language around “Unfounder” to better explain what an Unfounder is
Outcomes and Results
The final outcome from this project was an overall dynamic and engaging website through implementation of micro interactions and enhanced functionality with a human-centered design approach while adhering to the Unfound branding. I am proud of the prioritization and inclusivity of accessibility in this project, as it transformed the website into one where new users can feel welcomed and mystified by the unique idea that Unfound has implemented.
If given more time, I would have loved to work on incorporating a Shop section, featuring the exclusive merchandise and work done by local artists, as there was interest expressed by test participants and Unfound creators. Additionally, I would have liked to add more image assets that were from the Unfound community and featured Unfounders from the app to create a sense of belonging and centrality to the brand.
I am humbled to have worked with such a welcoming team that dedicated time into developing the website and offering feedback, as well as encouraging the user experience as the main priority.