Case Study · UX Research · Mobile App
A research-led UX project exploring how constraints like time, budget, and availability impact real-world social planning—and how thoughtful design can make connection feel possible again.
I want to see my friends more—I just don’t know how to make it happen.
Social connection is important, but planning time with friends has become unexpectedly difficult. Through user research, I discovered that the challenge is not a lack of motivation, but the cognitive and emotional burden of coordination.
Rui, a 33-year-old student and recent immigrant to Vancouver, wants to spend more time with her friends but often avoids initiating plans. Conflicting schedules, budget concerns, scattered tools, and the pressure of making decisions for a group frequently cause plans to fall apart before they happen.
Over time, this leads to missed connections and growing frustration—an experience shared by many people navigating busy adult lives, new cities, or tight budgets.
The work that follows reframes this challenge as a design problem: how do we lift the planning load off the people who already feel it the most?
help Rui coordinate hangouts that fit everyone’s availability, budget, and preferences—without making planning feel difficult or exclusionary?
Rui was developed into a primary persona, capturing her goals, constraints, emotional drivers, and pain points. The project was grounded in qualitative, user-centered research, beginning with a detailed interview with Rui and expanding into synthesis and analysis.
“It shouldn’t be this hard to spend an afternoon with my friends.”
A journey map documented Rui’s experience from initial intent through disengagement, highlighting where friction and emotional drop-off occurred.
Rui wants to hang out with her friends.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all gotten together.”
She sends a group message to see who’s free.
“I’ll message everyone to see who’s free.”
Friends reply with conflicting times and budgets. Rui starts searching for activities.
“This shouldn’t be this hard!”
Rui gives up and stays home alone.
“Forget it—maybe next time.”
Storyboard documenting Rui’s end-to-end planning experience—the moments where momentum stalls.
Journey map showing motivation, coordination, frustration, and reflection—with opportunities surfaced at each stage.
Existing apps such as TimeTree, WhenAvailable, and Howbout were reviewed to identify what options are available and what gaps could be explored to better serve our target user.
Insights from research were translated into principles that kept the project focused on real-world constraints rather than ideal scenarios.
Designing around reality, not ideal scenarios. Time, budget, and availability shape every flow before features do.
Less cognitive load, fewer decisions. Every step removed from the user is a step closer to actually meeting up.
No one should have to explain their limits. Budget and availability are baked in, not awkward conversations.
Rui’s needs were reframed as jobs—concrete things she needed to accomplish. If something added pressure, complexity, or social discomfort, it didn’t belong in the solution.
When I want to spend time with friends, help me see overlapping availability so I can suggest a time that already works for the group.
When I’m planning an outing, help me navigate budget constraints so no one feels excluded or pressured to spend more than they’re comfortable with.
When I’m organizing a hang, keep all the details in one place so I’m not jumping between chats, calendars, and search results.
When friends reply, surface decisions and confirmations clearly so I know the plan is actually happening—not just being talked about.
Before testing, I created paper prototypes to explore structure and flow. This low-fidelity stage allowed rapid iteration and ensured the experience aligned with Rui’s mental model.
Sketching at very low fidelity made it easier to focus on flow instead of features. I could see where decisions stacked up, where things felt unclear, and where the experience needed to slow down or simplify.
Entry point into planning
Keeps planning scoped and manageable
Availability, budget, and preferences come first
Only options that fit the group are shown
Clear next steps for everyone involved
Bento-grid sketch—an early dashboard concept where overlapping availability, RSVPs, and reminders share a single view.
Prototypes were tested using scenario-based tasks—creating a group, setting criteria, browsing suggestions, and confirming attendance. Feedback informed multiple rounds of iteration.
Early prototypes asked for too much up-front. Through testing I removed and reordered steps so users could get to the dashboard quickly—with availability, budget, and preferences set early to reduce backtracking later.
The final solution is a social planning app designed to reduce coordination friction and support inclusive decision-making—built around three core experiences.
While this project did not reach full market deployment, testing and feedback revealed meaningful outcomes about how the design changed the planning experience.
Users found onboarding clearer and less intimidating
Planning within friend groups reduced perceived effort
Budget visibility increased confidence and inclusion
Timely prompts improved follow-through
Calendar syncing reduced missed plans
Users reported that planning felt “lighter” and more manageable
Hangly transformed planning from a stressful responsibility into a supportive background process—helping users turn intention into action.
Hangly did not begin as an app idea. It began by listening. By centering Rui’s experience and designing around real-life constraints, Hangly demonstrates how thoughtful UX can reduce friction, support inclusion, and make connection feel possible again.