@Me
Role
User Researcher, Product Strategy, Marketing, Pitching, Events
October 2016 - December 2016
Background
In today's age of social media, adding friends on different social media platforms isn't as easy as many would like. Many people have multiple accounts: Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. According to the Global Web index, "Internet users have an average of 5.54 social media accounts". In order to add someone, you must open each separate app and search for their name or username. This can be inefficient and inconvenient if you are adding multiple social media platforms, especially if they have different usernames for each account.
Adding contact information isn't a challenge in only our personal lives--it affects our business professional lives as well. Business cards are currently the main method of exchanging contact information in the workplace, but most of these cards go forgotten or lost.
This process of adding friends and interacting with people in the workplace is a common, everyday occurrence. The question is, how can we fix this?
The Solution
@Me, eliminates these issues. The app allows for users to create one username (for business or personal use) where they link social media and contact information of their choosing. Within the app, users can select the "ADD" or "ADD ALL" button, which conveniently adds the contact information for them. With busy lives, we understand each second counts. @Me helps make efficient use of your time, and eliminate stress in adding your friends, family, and coworkers.
Design Process
1. IDEATION
The first stage would consist of product formation and consolidation of the idea. This is a two week process in which the idea is further fortified.
2. USER RESEARCH
The next step would be to collect information and data from potential users through user research. In this process we would ask users questions relating to our planned ideas as well as evaluate their needs and behaviors through observation. The feedback we receive in that week will conclude our research.
3. PROTOTYPING
This process would take roughly two weeks, due to the fact of it being immensely design orientated. Any potential design or prototype flaws will be rectified during this period as well.
4. DEVELOPMENT
The development period is rather long and complex. Therefore our estimated time for this phase is two to three months. During this time, mobile developers are consolidating the idea and actually implementing it all in the app for the first time.
5. USABILITY TESTING
At this time the app will be focused on the app being accessible and available to potential users and observations will be made of their reactions and opinions of the app. These one to two weeks would be primarily based on user experimentation with the app.
6. ITERATION
This one month time frame puts emphasis on the mobile designers and mobile developers to implement changes to the app based off of feedback from user testing. Additionally, all helpful features will be added to the app, as well as perceived flaws will be removed during this stage.
7. MARKETING
The following month plays a major key to the success of our app. It would revolve around launching and marketing the product through online media and advertisements in order to draw in more users.
8. FEEDBACK
The final stage of the schedule is the feedback process. Since users will always have comments they want to share about the app (whether it's positive or negative) their feedback will serve as a baseline for any future product updates.
Users
Primary Audience: 15 - 25
With 82% of social media users being ages 18-29, we decided to market our app towards primary social media users.
Secondary Audience: Business Professionals
The use of the business card feature is vital to business professionals as it efficiently and securely gives your contact information to your coworkers, without the use a flimsy paper card that can get lost.
Screens
High Fidelity screens of @Me Application
Features and Benefits
PERSONAL/BUSINESS USE
Description: Users can create either a personal or a business @Me account. They can easily switch between accounts within the app.
Benefit: This allows users to incorporate @Me in both aspects of their lives, so it can be used more often and makes both social interactions more efficient/convenient.
SECURE
Description: Users can choose to make their accounts private or non-private to the public when other users search for their name. They also can choose to keep their business and personal accounts private or to incorporate both into one account.
Benefit: Many people do not like to openly share their social media accounts, phone numbers, or emails to people they do not know. This feature allows users to keep their information private. They also can keep their private life separate from their work life.
ADD/ADD ALL BUTTON
Description: Next to each listed social media account on a user's page, there will be an "ADD" button that when pressed will automatically follow/add the account. If you want to go ahead and add all of their accounts, press "ADD ALL" at the bottom of the screen.
Benefit: These buttons allow you to conveniently and effortlessly add your friends and coworker's social media accounts. For example, let's say you search for your friend "@janedoe". On her account, she has her Twitter account listed. Instead of opening up the Twitter app, you can press "ADD" and you will now be following her on Twitter.
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS
Description: If your friends do not have @Me, you can easily invite them through a post on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), or you have the option to text/email them a link.
Benefit: This allows for you to have more friends on @Me so you can easily access their social media and contact information.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Description: @Me allows for business professionals to easily share their contact information by sending clients/coworkers their personalized @Me Code or by simply sharing their @Me username. This eliminates the need for business cards.
Benefit: By eliminating business cards (even by a small amount), we can make a difference in our ecosystem. Less paper means less usage of trees, which is better for our environment.
PERSONALIZED CONTENT
Description: Users can upload whichever social media account or contact information they choose to share with other users.
Benefit: Not everyone wants to share all of their social media accounts, therefore this allows for people to keep some of their social media or contact information to themselves.
IN-APP MESSAGING
Description: @Me has an in-app messaging option if you want to contact another user in the app.
Benefit: If the person does not have their phone number listed and/or you want to contact them right away, you can message them conveniently and quickly in the app.
ANDROID AND IOS
Description: @Me is available on all Android and iOS devices, this includes cell phones as well as tablets.
Benefit: Not everyone has the same cell phone or tablet, and that's okay! We want everyone to be able to use this app smoothly and easily. Having the app be able to work on different software/devices allows for more users to take advantage of @Me.
PERSONALIZED @ME CODE
Description: In addition to sharing your @Me username, users also have the option to screenshot and share a photo of their @Me Code! The code can then be shared with another user who can open the @Me app and easily upload the photo, and bring up their account page.
Benefit: This allows for you to share your @Me account in multiple ways. This also is quicker and easier than manually typing in a username, which makes your experience adding friends and coworkers even better.
Costs
The largest costs would be for the development of the app from a mobile developer. This will include the cost of paying a developer to be in charge of the software engineering and the building of the app. We estimate that the cost to be roughly $60,000. Other costs would include user research incentives used to encourage more participants to take part in our usability tests. That estimated cost would be around $500. Marketing costs to promote our app would be estimated at $1,500.
Benefits
@Me would offer many benefits to it's primary and secondary audiences. Our primary users would be able to reach out and connect with others more quickly and efficiently. For our secondary users, we would not only be able to easily share their contact information with clients but it can eliminate the usage of business cards which serves as an environmentally friendly alternative.