Gather


In a world where digital media often isolates more than it connects, we created an interactive tool that sparks real conversation and community among students. It’s designed to strengthen mental well-being, foster social connection, and help students navigate the ups and downs of university life — together.

Collaborators

Malte Fial,  Lena Dethloff, Cristian Licu


Timeframe

Apr. 2024 - Jun. ‘24 (12 weeks)


My Role

Concept, UX Research, Visual Design













Design Sprint

 This project was built on extensive research. In the early stages, we conducted desk research on dopamine and its effects on the brain, toxic UX patterns, communication forms—including social media—and habit formation.

Throughout two design sprints, we carried out in-depth user testing, using prototypes to gather feedback that informed further development. We also conducted a guerrilla interview at the University of Stuttgart, where we asked students about their study habits.

Our final result is grounded in thorough exploration of these topics.
Our goal was to create a system that works without a lengthy sign-up process. The tool is designed to evolve dynamically by identifying users who actively respond to questions on specific topics as experts. This gives even new users the chance to gain expert status simply by contributing.

Here’s how it works: When a request is submitted, the system checks whether other users—especially those who have previously helped in that topic—can offer support. Each request is sent to a mix of topic experts and randomly selected users. If no experts are available, the request goes only to random users.
By actively engaging with questions, users can become experts themselves—helping the system grow smarter over time.









 Once the concept for our self-regulating tool was in place, we shifted our focus to developing the user flow. We based this process on the needs and desires of our users, which we captured in the following guiding statement:

“I have a tool that allows me to ask others for help at any time. It encourages us to communicate in real time and solve problems personally. Knowing that someone is always within reach strengthens my sense of community, reduces daily stress, and helps me build new social connections. I also learn that solving problems together is always the best approach.”

By designing the user flow around this vision, we ensured that the tool aligns closely with what users truly need and value.

Home Screen

At the heart of the home screen is an animation illustrating how fellow students connect through the app. This visual is designed to convey that users are engaging with an active, dynamic system—and are part of a lively, supportive community.

The call-to-action button (in green) represents the app’s core function and is highlighted accordingly. It allows users to submit a request to the system with just one tap.

Depending on the status of a request, the home screen adapts to show different states. This ensures that every time users open the app, they’re immediately presented with the most relevant and timely information.

Asking for help


 By tapping the green CTA button, the request sheet opens, allowing users to send a help request to their peers. The focus here is on efficiency. With just a few taps, users can select a topic, and if necessary, specify the relevant course and the timeframe in which they need help.

Additionally, users have the option to provide more details about their problem. This step is intentionally optional to ensure that communicating the issue remains as simple and accessible as possible.

To make the process even faster, the app automatically pre-fills the settings based on the user’s most recent request configuration, allowing for quicker access and a smoother experience with every new request.

Sending a request

 In the second step of the request process, the user can specify more precisely who the request is directed to. This not only supports the system when there are not many experts available in a particular field, but also allows users to target specific perspectives on a topic.

To make it easier to select students from different courses and semesters, we implemented toggleable elements grouped by institutes. With a simple tap, a slider appears that lets users define the exact range of semesters they want to target.

To ensure a quick and seamless experience, the app pre-fills the settings based on the user’s most recent configuration, providing fast access to the relevant choices for every new request.

























previous project

next project

Impressum