Problem Statement
How might we create a streamlined solution for young professionals (ages 23-30) to easily identify parties and events where they can meet new people, socialize, and have fun on their nights out?
Problem Background
Young professionals (aged 23-30) often experience significant life transitions, such as adjusting to post-college life, settling into new cities, and managing high-stress jobs. Amidst these changes, they seek opportunities to unwind, socialize, and network, making the nightlife scene a vital aspect of their lives. However, navigating this scene presents challenges.
Despite residing in areas for extended periods, young professionals struggle to identify the most enjoyable parties and events (60%+ of survey respondents believe their night out planning process could be improved substantially; see appendix for details). They invest valuable time attending gatherings that often fail to meet their expectations, leading to frustration and the need to search for alternative venues. This inefficiency not only wastes time but also incurs unnecessary transportation costs, such as excessive spending on ride-sharing services.
Moreover, finding the right events can contribute to developing a stronger network, provide outlets for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and contribute to personal enrichment and fulfillment. Thus, having a solution that streamlines the process of finding suitable nightlife options not only enhances the overall nightlife experience but also supports young professionals in their personal and professional growth endeavors.
Streamlining the process of finding suitable nightlife options holds significant promise. By reducing the time spent planning nights out, young professionals can optimize their leisure time, fostering a more fulfilling and cost-effective evening. Simplifying the search for enjoyable venues not only enhances the overall nightlife experience but also facilitates valuable connections and social interactions crucial for personal and professional growth.
Research Insights & User Pain Points
We conducted 8 user interviews and surveyed 25+ people. Sharing insights below
- View of planning process: 63% of respondents reported that their planning process could be made much more effective; 0% of respondents said they found great events and parties easily (see appendix for details)
- Painpoints: When asked to freely type out/speak about a frustrating night out experience, there were major themes around painpoints including coordination with friends (e.g, friends not agreeing on place to go) and selecting the wrong place because of a lack of information (e.g., cover charges are higher than expected), which could lead to spending more money on ubers and/or spending a lot of their night event hopping
Feedback
Problem space valdiation
63% of respondents reported that their planning process could be made much more effective; 0% of respondents said they found great events and parties easily (see appendix for details)
Painpoints
When asked to freely type out/speak about a frustrating night out experience, there were major themes around painpoints including coordination with friends (e.g, friends not agreeing on place to go) and selecting the wrong place because of a lack of information (e.g., cover charges are higher than expected), which could lead to spending more money on ubers and/or spending a lot of their night event hopping
Feedback
User prioritized 4 main criteria when selecting an event/party: music/entertainment, location, cost, and recommendations from friends
Solution Explanation
Based on our target users’ painpoints, we knew we wanted to work build out a MVP that would allow users to:
Create an account and log in using email, twitter/x, gmail, facebook, view a list of fevents in their area and
User Story 1
As a user, I want to be able to have the option to create (or skip) a user profile so that I can store the following information in the applications
- Full name
- Profile picture
- Age (if they enter under the age of 18, and error pops up)
- Email address
- Phone number
User Story 2
As a user, I want to be able to log in to the application using a username or social media account (e.g., gmail account, Facebook, twitter/X)
User Story 3
As a user, I want to have a consolidated list of events happening for the month/week as well as bars, clubs and lounges in the area so that I have full visibility into my night-out options; some tex
Note: this list will include bars, clubs, and other venues that are not having any special events but are open so that people can have visibility into everything, regardless of whether a special event is being held there or it is just a regular night for the location/venue
Info included would be:
- name of event
- where it is
- Time
- Cost (cover charge, sections)
- Type of music (including DJs)
- Proximity to current location
User Story 4
As a user, I want to be able to search for and filter for different criteria so that I can find appropriate events for myself
- Cost (cover charge, sections)
- Type of music (including DJs)
- Proximity to current location
Iterative Design Learnings
After we showcased our prototype to the users again, we learned that:
- The user interface was easy and intuitive to navigate
- There were opportunities to be more specific with the information we provided (e.g., specifying average price of drinks vs admission)
- There could be opportunities to gamify the application (e.g., engagement leads to rewards that can be redeemed for discounts)
Technical Implementation Details
Where is it hosted?
- socl.tech
What is your tech stack?
- Backend framework, frontend framework, css frameworks, database choice, and other tools and technologies used
- Python Flask
- HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap5, JS
- SQLServer
- Google Map APIs
High level journey of a request
- User Data is created when a new user signs up to the application. Similarly, Event data is created when new events are added to the application.
- User Login retrieves the user data and verifies the data accuracy.
Technical challenes
What was the hardest part of development?
- The hardest part of development was having a good grasp on how the app was going to look at the end so I knew how to build the app without having to go back and change stuff later.
Does your app have any scaling issues?
- The API we are using has a limit on the number of requests we can send
- As events fill out all over the country it would slow down the database queries quite a bit with the way it is currently set up
What are some key takeaways?
- Practising prioritisation and estimation of user stories from day one is crucial for project success.
- Take the time to thoroughly refine user stories from the start, as this will pay throughout the project.
Future Steps
As of now, we are unsure if we will continue to build out the product. However, we have learned invaluable insights (e.g,, building user empathy cross-functional communication) from this experience
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Eathyn Edwards
Designer Learnings:
Alan Zhang
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Sabita Bhandari
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
&
As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
Adam Cifelli
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.