“Blob” is a social media app geared towards Gen Z users and fosters inclusivity for marginalized communities. It provides a safe space for anonymous sharing of common interests and ratings without relying on words as a form of communication---eliminating any form of hateful or harmful speech.
Users are represented by non-anthropomorphic “Blobs” to avoid reinforcing stereotypes based on human characteristics.
Blob
1st Place - Google Studio Forward Design Sprint
Roles: Research, Ideation, Scripting, Prototyping, Wireframes
Team: Lucia Pineda, William Choi, Deedee Kwon, Amaris Gil
Project Brief
Subcultures created through social media can leave marginalized communities feeling excluded.
How can the internet be more inclusive, and how can we encourage more of these positive communities?
Final Prototype & Screens
Key Features
The Design Process
UNDERSTAND
The first step we took is to understand our marginalized communities through research:
Who are they? And why are they feeling excluded?
Marginalized communities include (to name a few):
-
People of color
-
Low income individuals
-
People with disabilities
-
Women
-
LGBTQ community
Factors that lead to margninalization online:
-
Cyberbullying
-
Lack of representation
-
Negative stereotypes
DEFINE
We researched keywords that bring people together such as security, support, and similar interests.
We then created a bunch of "How Might We" statements to help frame our insights into questions that can be solved.
We picked the questions that we thought had the most potential such as:
-
How might we connect people with similar interests?
-
How might we monitor content to ensure non-toxic behavior?
-
How might we prevent negative stereotypes online?
SKETCH
We utilized "Crazy 8's," a brainstorming technique involving rapid sketching of wild and imaginative ideas, to create diverse concepts for further development.
DECIDE
After sketching our concepts, we presented them to each other and other teams.
We voted for the best concepts through dot voting and combined the ideas that we liked the most.
This helped us construct our final problem statement:
How might we create a fun way to explore common interests in a safe online space for everyone?
DESIGN
We resolved to address the root causes of online marginalization, excluding physical attributes and harmful speech entirely.
To achieve this, we opted for a mobile application as it aligns with the preferences of most Gen Z users and offers easy accessibility.
Proposed Solution
Anonymous
Representation
To avoid reinforcing stereotypes based on human characteristics
Content Sharing as a Form of Communication, Not Words
To steer clear of cyberbullying and harmful speech
Shared Interests as a Basis for Exploring
To foster genuine connections
Persona
To gain a deeper understanding of our target audience, we developed a persona representing our ideal user:
Meet Isabel. She is a female undergraduate student part of the Gen Z generation. Isabel likes to explore new things and has unique interests--but is always anxious about cyberbullying.
Her main need is a safe space to share and explore her interests with like-minded people.
Style Guide & Wireframes
Our style guide draws inspiration from space's captivating colors, reflecting excitement, universality, and otherworldliness.
As the Blob community evolves, these colors and categories will grow and shift, serving as a starting point. The design aims to infuse fun and wonder for a visually engaging and memorable user experience.
We gathered a bunch of rough ideas that we thought had the most potential for a user-friendly interface. We then narrowed them down to create multiple designs that simplify each feature. Finally, we added interactive objects and features to enhance the overall experience.
BLOB CONCEPT
BLOBs offer diverse representation, making them an excellent alternative to actual human images/avatars, effectively reflecting the rich diversity among us.
As your interests evolve, so do your blob's size and colors!
