Study Mob Case Study

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Overview

Study Mob is a web and mobile application for discovering local study spots. This is a prototype that’s created just for users in Charlotte, NC. It allows users to search for Charlotte's best study spots by selecting a specific part of the city or typing in a zip-code. The user can create a new recommendation and write a review.

Problem Statement

The initial idea was to create an app that will allow users to form study groups, schedule events, and choose location that accommodates all their needs.

Users & Audience

A group of people with a common interest that want to study together.

Branding

I wanted to come up with a name that would be descriptive, short and memorable at the same time. The verb study described the central action of our users. Then, I was looking for a synonym of the words buddy and group to describe our users. Some of the alternatives were the following words: alliance, society, bunch, league, and circle. My team decided on Study Mob.

Creating a logo was a process of adding a missing element to the brand name. The main idea of the app can be narrowed down to three words: study + groups + location. The letter "O" is placed in a middle of the word mob and it's perfectly balanced for the icon that represents location.

The colors were chosen to reflect: optimism, growth, good time, etc. The Sans Serif font reflects the modern feel.

study mob mobile app
study mob user profiles
study mob brand

Functional Requirments of the App

  • User sign in/log in
  • Profile page
  • Group creation
  • Scheduling an event
  • Choosing the study place
  • Finding a group and/or event
  • Joining and RSVP’ing to a group and/or event
  • Map integration
study mob wireframe

Research

By performing a competitor analysis, my team was able to identify two major apps that could potentially be useful for our users: Meetup.com and Yelp.com. But, we couldn't find just one app that can solve the needs of our audience. Our goal was to include the characteristics of both apps to properly serve our users. Additionally, we wanted to design the features that we’d identify as the missing ones.

We conducted user research to collect the main pain points of our target audience. The User/Focus group was a method of our choice. We held the short discussions with 4 groups of 4 students that worked on the group projects. The students were already assigned to groups, so our focus was on: Scheduling an event and Choosing the study place.

study mob users

Results

After collecting the discussion's results, we recognized that the biggest problem for our audience was to find a location that would serve their needs. The ideal characteristics of the place would be:

  • a location that serves a geographically diverse group
  • a place that can accommodate a group of 4 people
  • a place that offers free WiFi
  • a location not too quiet, nor too noisy
  • sitting comfortable enough for a longer stay
  • available free parking
  • a location accessible by public transportation
  • a location that provides natural light
  • a place that's open late
  • a place that's open on weekends

Sketching UI

In this stage, we analyzed and distilled the most important elements from our research. In the first sprint, our focus was to design and develop a minimum viable product that satisfies the user’s needs. Our goal was to design and implement Places Feature in the first version of our product.

MVP Functionalities:

  • Ability to search study places in Charlotte
  • Ability to add a study place
  • Ability to leave a review
  • Highlighting amenities
  • Mobile friendliness
study mob users
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