Framing the Problem

Introduction

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person interactions have significantly decreased as much of our communication has shifted online. While technology keeps us connected, many people still feel isolated and disconnected from real-world communities. The rise in digital engagement has made it harder for individuals to find meaningful face-to-face connections and spaces where they truly belong. There has also been an increase in underutilised spaces as there aren't enough accessible platforms to showcase their spaces.

Our platform, FindingVibes, makes the process of finding community easier. FindingVibes allows individuals to find vibrant communities, build meaningful interactions and find a place where they belong. We also aim to bridge the gap between groups of all ages, above 18, seeking spaces for meaningful interaction and those with underutilised venues. Through innovative features like map- based discovery, personalised matching and gamified engagement, Finding Vibes transforms how people discover community spaces and build lasting connections in their cities. Our report details how we aim to empower individuals and vendors to seamlessly collaborate and connect.

Meet the Team:

• Zahirah Shahrul Azman:

  Zahirah being a comp sci student with some experience in Figma took the role in leading the creativity and design of our prototype. She contributed greatly with the prototype and brought innovative ideas for function of our app.

• Sameeha Khan:

  Sameeha contributed significantly with workplace skills as a biomed degree apprentice with leading communication with the team and brainstorming project ideas such as utilising notable well-known features (swiping feature). She also aided in design and preparing the presentation. She also helped with the report.

• Aliza Arfi:

  Aliza as a software engineering student brought benefical knowledge from a technical and experience standpoint with app functionality/development and explaining how to problem-solve effectively to build innovative solutions. She also contributed vital project ideas such as the map user interface.

• Chantelle Atsegoh:

  Chantelle is a law student interested in tech law contributed to group discussions with a range of ideas and inspired brainstorming in different approaches with mindmaps. Her brainstorming was quality as she chose specific questions based on the brief to best prioritise what users and problems we are solving for, also contributing to the report.

• Deborah Riley-Poku:

  Deborah is a comp sci student and contributed to developing the features of the app on the user interface with Figma and researching different ways to best present the prototype. She also kept the group together by maintaining communication between us and helped break down the initial tasks for us to complete.

Together, we were able formulate a solution to the problem that was innovative to best engage the target users.

1. What is the problem you are trying to solve? Who does it affect?

User

In recent years, the current landscape in the UK has led to the dwindling use of third places (places where people can relax socialise and build community). After the global pandemic, the way we interact with each other has vastly changed with social media with even aspects like education becoming completely online. We are slowly transforming into a society that relies too heavily on the internet when in person interaction is vital.

Overcomplication:

These days it is harder for people to find physical spaces where they can meet likeminded individuals as being able to find and access these spaces is not easy.

Personal Experiences:

Recently, in my city (Aliza) I've been trying to meet new people with similar interests but there are so many barriers to this. This includes finding people to do a new activity and finding a place to do them. Any activities I've seen tend to be far too expensive.

I face a similar problem in university (Chantelle) as I understand the difficulty in locating venues when hosting society events as finding spaces that are big enough to accommodate are scarce.

Being in quite a large cohort in my course (Zahirah) it's hard to find people like me and my interests such as musical theatre and being international, it would be beneficial to meet like-minded people.

From being a degree apprentice (Sameeha), balancing work and education leaves me little free time. As my colleages are mostly older, without having that social aspect of normal university, it's hard to find friends my age that I can connect with. Even if there are options in my city they aren't accessible to me as I don't know where to look. With working my travel budget isn't as much so affordability to do activities with new people is a problem.

Our collective problems as current students pursuing higher education highlights the lack of knowledge when locating these spaces that can allow us to connect with new communities, especially with having a lower budget. However, it is important to note that these problems can apply to anyone and is not solely limited to students. This is what our app aims to target.

Vendor

There are many underutilised spaces in cities that would be a perfect place for communities to come together. Linking back to the problems discussed above, vendors that would want to share their underutilised spaces with these communities also struggle with being able to broaden their reach and effectively meet their target market.

Idea Explanation

What is your idea? How does it fix the problem?

Have you ever felt the pressure of trying to form meaningful connections with your community but cannot find an area fit to foster your connections? Are you someone who is yet to find a community where you feel comfortable and heard? Or are you someone with an underutilised venue and are looking to give purpose to your venue.

We introduce to you our app, FindingVibes. FindingVibes is a new innovative app that aims to connect people who seek meaningful interactions with each other, and vendors wishing to share their spaces.  The app is designed to be of easy use for vendors with underutilised spaces and for individuals looking for places to meet, collaborate, or simply vibe. Whether you're a freelancer in need of an inspiring spot to work, a musician searching for a place to jam, or a group of friends planning a unique hangout, FindingVibes helps you discover spaces tailored to your needs to allow meaningful connection and collaboration.

Here is how FindingVibes works:

• Map locator: We didn’t want users wasting time trying to figure out what’s free around them, so we added a handy map locator. It shows nearby spots that are available, so you can quickly find a place that fits your vibe without the stress.

• Swiping feature: Taking inspiration from the simplicity of dating apps, we’ve added a personlised swipe feature to make finding the right space quick and fun. Just like swiping through potential matches, you can swipe through different venues and vibes—left if it’s not quite right, right if it feels like your kind of spot. Each listing shows you key info at a glance: the vibe, availability, location, and what the space is best suited for.

• Gamification: We wanted to make things more fun so we introduced our badging system. Every time you check into a space or join an event, you earn a badge—simple as that. It's our way of turning real-life experiences into something you can collect and look back on.

Problems that FindingVibes fixes:

• Simplifying discovery: FindingVibes makes it easier for individuals to discover spaces fit for them.

• Underutilised event spaces: The app gives a platform for vendors to list their spaces to attract communities wishing to find a space to use to hold meetings, events or socials. Users will be able to submit their interests in vendor spaces and vendors will be able to accept or decline their requests. If they accept, they will be matched to the event host and will be able to communicate with each other.

• Simplifying management: The app makes it easy to manage both space users and community members, while also giving vendors a seamless way to stay on top of bookings and interactions.

Implementation

How do all the pieces fit together? Does your frontend make requests to your backend? Where does your database fit in?

We implemented a functioning prototype using Figma. Through figma, we were able to develop an interface and demonstrate the interaction between each state in our app. We focused on finding a detailed and complex solution that was innovative and best suited the problem of finding community so we focused on the frontend aspect of the app. This allowed for faster prototyping as we were able to make designs and quickly refine them if necessary. Through figma, we were able to show how the user would navigate through the app, what features are avaliable to them and present a realistic simulation on the user experience.

Challenges

Challenge 1: We faced the challenge of choosing which problem to solve. We had so many ideas for all the three problems proposed and how each of us wanted to approach them.

• Solution: We decided to use problem decomposition and go through each problem and discuss a few points in detail as well ascome up with solutions. We looked into a few factors to make our decision such as identifying which user problems we wanted to prioritise. Additionally, we wanted to make sure our solution addressed each point addressed in the challenge such as how to simplify its accessibility, discovery and the management of physical spaces.​

Challenge 2: After coming up with our idea, we listed out our main features. We found that our app solved the problem well but it was lacking a unique selling point, something that would stand out. We took a while to come up with an additional feature that would set us apart.

Challenge 3: Our group lacked members that were familiar with building user interfaces. Because of that, it took a bit of time to learn Figma to make our idea come to life.

• Solution: We divided the work into features and designated roles accordingly so each member could focus on the implementation of one. For example, Deborah and Aliza focused on working on the swipe animations on the interests feature. They researched and studied the ways to implement it and with the time we had, whereas the rest of the team members focused more on

Accomplishments

What did you learn? What did you accomplish?

• We learnt new skills with Figma with using wireframes and an interactive prototype to best represent out solution

• It is because of these skills that we were able to work together effectively and come up with an idea that represents the features that we all collectively envisioned.

• Gained a better experience and outlook on the tech industry and job market and feeling a lot more positive and less nervous about it

• Gained a whole new insight to tech industry as some of us do not come from a related background

• Enhanced our team working skills

• From Rachel's product management talk with AI, we were able to decompose the problem better with the user and certain metrics in mind e.g, set number of users to target for

• Learned to design interfaces with social behaviour in mind

• Combined our different academic backgrounds for innovative solutions as we had a range of skills available from communication and teamwork to technical

• Created a prototype as a team for an app that solves the problem which shows our collective understanding of the solution melded together

Next Steps

What are the next steps for your project? How can you improve it?

Our project is far from perfect and therefore as a team we broke down goals into our short term and long term goals in order to improve and enhance the solution for the market.

Short term goals (1-3 months):

• Improve Details: We plan to include more detailed information of the venue for example whether or not the venue provides Wi-Fi etc.

• User Focused Suggestions: We plan to implement community suggestion where the users suggestions are tailored to their interests.

Long term goals (1 year):

• Expand the Reach: Right now the app is targeted at the UK however we hope to expand this​ other countries, perhaps work with state-funded organisations that need spaces to run classes e.g english conversation classes.

• Personalisation: Add features for further personalisation for example different themes themes, ​adding a friends system to increase the idea of stronger communities.

• Chatbot: To enhance the user experience, we’re introducing a smart chatbot that recommends spaces based on your interests, past activity, and vibe preferences—making it easier than ever to find the perfect spot.

• User Experience For Improvement: We want to introduce a system where users can comment on their experiences and rate each venue and community. This will help others who are trying to find the right community get a clear idea of what to expect, making it easier to discover spaces that truly fit their vibe.id in decision making of finding the right community.​