University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Mobile applications as a communication space: playdate application case study

(USC Thesis Other)

Mobile applications as a communication space: playdate application case study

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content MOBILE APPLICATIONS AS A COMMUNICATION SPACE:
PLAYDATE APPLICATION CASE STUDY
by
Yumi Na
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSKI SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF FINE ARTS
(DESIGN )
May 2022
Copyright 2022 Yumi Na

ii

To my beloved husband, Luna, baby-to-be, Mom, Dad, and sister,
who always inspire and support me.

iii
Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my committee mentors, Ewa Wojciak,
April Greiman, Jason Ellenburg, for patiently giving advice and guidance on my thesis project.

iv
Table of Contents

Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ ⅲ
List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. ⅵ
Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... ⅷ
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1: Space for Mutual Exchange .......................................................................................... 3
1.1 A Place to Communicate in the Past ................................................................................. 4
1.2 The Lack of Space for Modern Communication ............................................................... 6
1.3 Usage of Smartphones Effects on People's Lives ............................................................. 7

Chapter 2: Mobile Application as a Space for Communication ..................................................... 8
2.1 Theoretical Discussion .......................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Examples .............................................................................................................................. 9
2.2.1 Baby Billy Application ................................................................................................ 10
2.2.2 Karrot – Buy and Sell Locally ..................................................................................... 11

Chapter 3: Case Study “Ideation” ................................................................................................. 13
3.1 Why Is This Kind of Work Important? ............................................................................... 13
3.2 Motivation ........................................................................................................................... 14
3.3 Concept Development ......................................................................................................... 15
3.4 Tool: Figma ......................................................................................................................... 15

Chapter 4: Case Study “Designing a Platform” ............................................................................ 16
4.1 Brand Identity ..................................................................................................................... 16
4.2 Application Features ........................................................................................................... 17
4.3 Use Cases ............................................................................................................................ 18
4.4 User Flow Map ................................................................................................................... 18
4.5 Prototype for Besite ............................................................................................................ 19
4.5.1 Onboard: Sign In/Sign Up ........................................................................................... 19
4.5.2 User Authentication ..................................................................................................... 20
4.5.3 Authentication Confirm and Interests Settings ............................................................ 22

v
4.5.4 Main Screen: Automatic Recommendation ................................................................. 24
4.5.5 Search Users ................................................................................................................ 24
4.5.6 Detail View: Showing Matching Rates and Request Playdate .................................... 25
4.5.7 Chat and Schedule Meeting ......................................................................................... 27
4.5.8 Local Community ........................................................................................................ 27
4.5.9 Account Settings .......................................................................................................... 28

Chapter 5: Evaluation ................................................................................................................... 29
5.1 Usability Test Questionnaires ............................................................................................. 30
5.2 Quotations from Participants ............................................................................................. 30
5.3 Critical Feedback from Users ............................................................................................. 31
5.4 Discussion and Limitation .................................................................................................. 32

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 34
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 35

vi
List of Figures

Figure 1: A Reading in the Salon of Mme Geoffrin, 1755 ............................................................. 5
Figure 2: The Madison Avenue Park and Community Garden ...................................................... 9
Figure 3: Basic Pregnancy/Birth/Childcare Information Screens ................................................. 10
Figure 4: Community Screens ...................................................................................................... 11
Figure 5: Buy & Sell Screens........................................................................................................ 12
Figure 6: Local Community Screens ............................................................................................ 13
Figure 7: Design System for Bestie .............................................................................................. 17
Figure 8: Key Features for Bestie ................................................................................................. 17
Figure 9: Use Cases for Bestie ...................................................................................................... 18
Figure 10: Design System for Bestie ............................................................................................ 19
Figure 11: Bestie Sign In/Sign Up ................................................................................................ 20
Figure 12: Bestie Authentication 1 ............................................................................................... 21
Figure 13: Bestie Authentication 2 ............................................................................................... 21
Figure 14: Bestie Interests Settings 1............................................................................................ 22
Figure 15: Bestie Interests Settings 2............................................................................................ 23
Figure 16: Bestie Interests Settings 3............................................................................................ 23
Figure 17: Bestie Main.................................................................................................................. 24

vii
Figure 18: Bestie Search Users ..................................................................................................... 25
Figure 19: Bestie Detail View....................................................................................................... 26
Figure 20: Bestie Matching Rates Gradient .................................................................................. 26
Figure 21: Bestie Chat .................................................................................................................. 27
Figure 22: Bestie Community ....................................................................................................... 28
Figure 23: Bestie Account Settings............................................................................................... 29

viii
Abstract
It has always been important to have a space for people to gather, exchange ideas and
share information. The development of new technologies and the growing popularity of the
internet has moved this communicative space online. As a designer living in Los Angeles, the
online space provides opportunities for interaction with others. However, since I am also a new
mom, most of my time is focused on parenting. Communication is essential for new mothers like
me because they can easily and unintentionally become isolated. It is because of this that I have
designed an application that provides an online space for communication specifically for new
mothers.
My design practice and research examine the problem of isolation experienced by
mothers raising children and suggests a case study to solve it via online space. The application I
designed provides a space for young mothers to find friends and share their concerns, opinions,
and thoughts. This project examines ways to solve a mother's separation from communication by
providing a community space. This space is based on location area and groups users with
common interests. By presenting a specific prototype of the application design, I aim to solve
some of the problems mothers like me face by using my skills as an interaction designer.

1
Introduction
The problem of disconnection of modern people- the absence of space
"Our lives are full of solitude."- Anyone who lives busy in modern times will agree with
this phrase. One of the rising issues recently is the isolation and lack of communication. Since
human beings are social animals, they desire to make relationships with others, maintaining
society within the created frame. In the past, mankind had a space where people could freely
communicate, including France's salon culture. However, people today come closer to the lives
of machines than to human lives, and no one will want to live a life like this. Social isolation and
lack of communication may be caused by technological developments and the lack of space to
communicate. On the other hand, people's increased use of mobile devices have significantly
influenced people's usability and behavior of obtaining information. It has become essential for
many people to connect with people online, such as browsing web pages through smartphones,
finding friends, and selling goods. In other words, the smartphone has become a means of
connecting people as if it reflects their desire to form a community.
Recently, efforts to form communities in various ways have been created to solve social
isolation. For example, as a service based on actual space, a “community garden” helps people
create a community by connecting residents based on the region. In addition, an example of
online space is a mobile application service that provides a community by grouping people with
similar interests or similar situations. These kinds of applications have been recognized as being
quite actively used by people today. For example, the Baby Billy application is an application for
pregnant couples and provides a community for expectant parents, and the application Karrot
Market is a region-based second-hand trading service. Also, by providing a local community
space on the application, it is possible to share news and information between neighbors so that

2
users' responses are good. As such, application services can help improve the problem of
communication disconnection for people living in modern times.
Isolated new mothers are one of the groups whose communication has been cut off in
present society. This has been a known problem for a long time. This is because pregnancy and
childbirth are physically and mentally challenging, and can bring about changes to friendships.
As a way to solve this problem, some experts have proposed that lonely mothers join a support
group of other mothers and communicate. In addition, mothers desire to find their children
playdates to help with their isolation. Because they’re so busy looking after their children, they
tend to communicate using fast-access social media. In this paper, I propose a platform that can
help with mothers' isolation and find children perfect playdates through the production of region-
based applications with good accessibility. This project uses Figma, an all-in-one tool for UX/UI
design. I think the most critical part of UX/UI design is maintaining the consistency of the screen
through the guidelines and moving between seamless screens. This tool is helpful for consistent
screen production because it allows a designer to view all screens on one screen, and to make a
color style library and a font style library.
This paper introduces playdate application design as a case study, which provides
community space for mother (or father). The application’s name is Bestie. In this application,
playdates that suit the child based on pre-collected information and location are automatically
recommended. Furthermore, it provides a local community to the user so that they can freely
share local information or concerns. Since it is an application that helps users meet in person, for
safety reasons, the registration must be approved only when it is certified through phone number,
face recognition, and ID card authentication at the initial stage of registration. When the

3
registration is approved, basic information is collected through a simple interests item check,
automatically matched with other users, and the matching rate will be shown.

Chapter 1: Space for Mutual Exchange
In the past, humanity has continuously developed civilization around the space of mutual
exchange. Since the birth of society, humans have had a community. For hundreds of thousands
of years, humankind has formed a community of families, villages, and tribes because
cooperation between people has been essential for hunting and survival in agricultural societies.
On the other hand, with the development of technology, the world has been rapidly connected
through transportation such as automobiles and aircraft. Moreover, the recent spread of
smartphones has led the world into one social network. Nowadays, 7.9 billion people
1
have
formed a virtual community through internet connections. At the same time, except for small
groups of friends, the primary community where people can feel traditional social cooperation is
almost disappearing.
According to author David Riesman, in his book The Lonely Crowd, the historical and
social characteristics of humanity can be divided into three types: tradition-directed types, inner-
directed types, and other-directed types.
2
Tradition-directed types are human types that follow
tradition in traditional society, inner-directed types follow values learned from families until the
early 19th century, and other-directed types are modern people who are based on the actions and
reactions of colleagues or friends. Outward-oriented modern people try not to be isolated from
the people around them, but they show the characteristic of living in internal isolation. Hence,

1
Current World Population (https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/)
2
David Riesman, Nathan Glazer, and Reuel Denney. The Lonely Crowd. Yale University Press, 2001.

4
these outward-oriented people are referred to as the lonely crowd or solitude in a crowd.
Likewise, humans are no longer based on traditional cooperative relationships, and they live in
paradoxical situations where they feel lonely amongst countless people.
Humans have moved away from the traditional values they have been familiar with for
hundreds of thousands of years. Now, they have become unable to function as mutually
cooperative social animals. In addition, COVID-19 has introduced social distancing, which has
made some people reluctant to make physical contact with each other, resulting in many ideas
and cases of non-face-to-face spaces such as online classes and telecommuting. Basically, the
development of the internet and SNS, characterized by non-face-to-face, has made human
interrelations more indirect, and can subsequently cause various social problems accompanied by
loneliness in the crowd.
Modern people acquire much more intellectual information than humans in the primitive
or small-scale agricultural eras. They are vastly more aware of their pride and their status or
honor. They no longer accept traditional hierarchical or unilateral order systems. It seems that
humans have entered an era where a new small social community suitable for the characteristics
of modern people is needed. If values such as cooperation, care, consideration, and respect are
added to small communities based on common interests, they can create a new community with a
modern version. These small new communities are needed to increase the happiness of humans,
and the space of communication is essential for humans.

1.1 A Place to Communicate in the Past
An example of a space for mutual exchange in the past is the conversation place 'Salon,'
which became common in France in the 18th century. During the 1760s, the philosophes
gradually infiltrated the institutions of official culture, particularly the prestigious royally

5
sponsored Académie française. The influence of the philosophes also spread through the
institution of the salon. At these informal but regular meetings in private homes, writers, artists,
musicians, and scientists mingled with well-to-do members of the aristocracy and upper
bourgeoisie.
3
Salons served as a space for social exchange and, at the same time, as a refuge in a
busy reality. In other words, a salon was a "conversation" and a "discussion center" that broke
the barriers of men, women, age, status, and occupation, and played a significant role in laying
the ideological foundation of the French as a "literature space." It seems that cultural prosperity
was possible through dialogue between people in space.

Figure 1. A Reading in the Salon of Mme Geoffrin, 1755
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salon_(France)#/media/File:Salon_de_Madame_Geoffrin.jpg)

3
Popkin, Jeremy D. “Culture and Thought in Eighteenth-Century France.” In A History of Modern France, 18–24. 5th ed.
Routledge, 2020.

6
1.2 The Lack of Space for Modern Communication: the Necessity of Alternative Space
It seems that social exchange plays an essential role in human well-being. With the
recent development of technology, the concept of space that can form a primary community
where people worldwide can feel traditional social cooperation is almost disappearing as the
world's population forms a virtual community through the internet. Moreover, the outbreak of
COVID-19 restricts people from meeting with one another. Not being able to communicate
within a physical space due to social distancing has maximized isolation for many. The lack of
such spaces has caused the blockage of communication and socialization, which is one of the
essential human advantages. Social distancing, which is a physical limitation between people
maximizes loneliness in modern people and has a bad effect on their psychological health.
In this situation, the role of technology is expected to prevent the collapse, isolation, and
solitude of an individual's mental health and to promote well-being.
4
For this reason, the need for
an “alternative space” is emerging today, and people are currently using online cyberspace as a
substitute for real space. For example, students take online classes instead of going to school, and
office workers are working from home. In addition, the benefits of urban space can be replaced
online. Contents such as eBooks, online art galleries, and free bulletin boards are in people's
hands, and there are numerous other kinds of media, attractions, and entertainment. This is a gift
of development in the 21st century that has allowed people who were cut off from the world due
to COVID-19 to communicate with society again and restore their daily lives a little.

4
Saltzman, Leia Y, Tonya Cross Hansel, and Patrick S Bordnick. “Loneliness, Isolation, and Social Support Factors in Post-
COVID-19 Mental Health.” Psychological trauma 12, no. S1 (2020): S55–S57.

7
1.3 Usage of Smartphones Effects on People's Lives
Mobile devices such as laptops and smartphones that people use daily have become
necessities in modern life. In particular, smartphones represent a variety of mobile devices.
Likewise, smartphones have been rapidly spreading into the general public's lives recently.
Despite the decline in the overall growth rate of the mobile phone market due to the maturity of
said market, smartphones are expanding their influence at a rapid rate. This popular spread of
smartphones is also causing changes in people’s lifestyles and information usage behavior. The
infinite expansion of information can be explained by the connectivity and convergence of
personal media devices that individuals can carry. Along with the full-fledged use of mobile
internet, factors that cause differentiation between existing mobile phone usage behavior and
smartphone information usage behavior include the full-scale use of mobile internet and various
applications. Since the late 1990s, users have started interacting with many devices or connecting
to the internet through networks instead of one-on-one relationships with machines. In other
words, rather than reading content through the internet, behavior such as real-time data
management, photo sharing, finding new (or old) friends, selling goods, and connecting people
through content has become more important.
5
According to author Rob Huddleston, in the book,
Beginning Adobe Experience Design, many people have recently been viewing web pages by
using their smartphones rather than using their desktops or laptops.
6
With the growth of
smartphones, Smartphones seem to be gradually replacing the role of connecting people.

5
Saffer, Dan. Designing for Interaction Creating Innovative Applications and Devices. 2nd ed. Berkeley, Calif: New Riders,
2010.
6
Huddleston, Rob. Beginning Adobe Experience Design: Quickly Design and Prototype Websites and Mobile Apps. 1st ed.
Berkeley, CA: Apress L. P, 2017. 8. Designing for Mobile.

8
Since the creation of smartphones, numerous types of default or downloadable
applications have diversified, and people's lifestyles have changed a lot. As a result, people
began to interact and communicate with each other through mobile applications. These days,
people have become used to communicating and establishing relationships with people through
their mobile devices.
In other words, smartphones are not just devices, but have become a new space that
people use to connect with each other. People seem to desire to form a community by searching
for applications to get the information needed for their situation. This may be due to the easy
access and usability of mobile applications. It is thought that community revitalization is
necessary to increase the human happiness index. Still, I expect that the advantages of
applications such as easy accessibility and usability can solve the disconnection of modern
people.

Chapter 2: Mobile Application as a Space for Communication
2.1 Theoretical Discussion
As discussed before, modern people began to interact and communicate with others
through SNS, message applications, or other mobile community applications. It seems that
people have become used to communicating and establishing relationships with people through
their mobile devices. As humans are social animals, the frequency of contact and relationships
with others greatly influence happiness. In this regard, community activation is necessary to
increase the human happiness index. To revitalize the community, some groups pay attention to
making ‘community gardens’ where neighbors can naturally meet to form social networks and
increase community bonding and harmony. It is a region-based activity, increasing the number

9
by the desire of people to connect with the community.
7
In this context, the number of
applications that provide communities by similar groups has recently increased, and many users
are using them.

Figure 2. The Madison Avenue Park and Community Garden
(https://la.curbed.com/2019/7/2/20677911/east-hollywood-park-community-garden-open)

2.2 Examples
As an example of an application that provides a community, I would like to look at two
widely used applications in Korea. The first is Karrot Market, a second-hand trading application
that forms a community based on the region. The other is Baby Billy, an application for pregnant
mothers and fathers that groups users based on the expected date of childbirth and make their
community.

7
Firth, Chris, Damian Maye, and David Pearson. “Developing ‘Community’ in Community Gardens.” Local environment 16, no.
6 (2011): 555–568.

10
2.2.1 Baby Billy Application
The Baby Billy application is for pregnant women's families, and 150,000 parents use it.
This application provides pertinent information about various issues concerning pregnancy,
childbirth, and childcare.
Provide Basic Information to Parents
This application uses friendly illustrations and UX/UI and provides primary pregnancy
step-by-step information and childbirth and childcare information. They employ experts as
editors to share only reasonably reliable information.

Figure 3. “Basic Pregnancy/Birth/Childcare Information Screens” in the Baby Billy Application

Forming a Consensus Among Users in Similar Situations
The Baby Billy application provides a community bulletin board called “My Baby Billy
Community,” creating a community among users with the same expected baby delivery date.

11
Pregnant women have different symptoms, discomforts, and concerns for each stage of
pregnancy, which continue to change. This application groups users with similar periods so that
they can write, read, or comment with each other, gain consensus, seek advice, and share their
tips to comfort each other. Providing this kind of community helps pregnant women enjoy the
period of pregnancy, which can be frustrating and scary.

Figure 4. “Community Screens” in the Baby Billy Application

2.2.2 Karrot – Buy & Sell Locally
Karrot Market is a local-based second-hand transaction application service that allows
trades only between people within a radius of 6km. Karrot Market is a trading items platform
and a local community platform connecting people in the same neighborhood.

12
Improving Trustworthiness Based on the Local
The system, which allows only local people can trade, played a significant role in
enhancing the reliability of the Karrot Market to users. Karrot Market has the advantage of safer
transactions because it is easy to trade directly with people nearby by preventing fraud.

Figure 5. “Buy & Sell Screens” in the Karrot Market Application
(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.towneers.www&hl=en_US&gl=US)

Role as a Neighborhood Community
Due to the advantages of these location-based services, this application plays a role as a
local community. In the "Neighborhood Life" menu, there are several categories where users can
exchange news or interact with neighbors, such as "Our Neighborhood Question,"
"Neighborhood Restaurant," and "Neighborhood News." Even at a time when the locality, which
is perceived to be relatively less dense and safer than the downtown area where an unspecified
number of people gather due to COVID-19, is emerging as a new keyword, Karrot Market
revived the concept of "neighborhood" that had disappeared. In modern society, where the
neighborhood concept has disappeared, users can experience a new fun of meeting neighbors
living in the neighborhood at Karrot Market.

13

Figure 6. “Local Community Screens” in the Karrot Market Application

Chapter 3: Case Study ‘Ideation’
3.1 Why Is This Kind of Work Important?
As everyday life becomes relative to mobile, the importance of UX/UI, a contact point that
connects users and machines, is growing even more. As a result, attempts of change are emerging here
and there to understand the user's natural communication method and connect with device manipulation.
However, this kind of change should not be considered simply as changes in the interface.
In the past, downloading and using applications was recognized as the user's ability. Still, now
that users' needs have diversified more than ever, the speed of change in devices and UI is also
accelerating. However, rather than paying attention to what kind of UI world will unfold in the future,
users want to use it without learning and the most convenient way to manipulate it in any situation.

14
Therefore, as a designer, I believe that UX/UI designers are obligated to provide UX/UI, which pays
more attention to changes in user value.

3.2 Motivation
As a designer who is raising a child and pregnant with a second child, I think “maternity” is an
area that has not yet been fully explored in seeking a space for various communication. The isolation
issue of new mothers has been discussed for quite some time in North America.
8
The process of having
and raising a child requires a very high level of empathy and support. Nevertheless, in raising children,
mothers' feelings of isolation continue to appear, and it seems that they cannot easily find a solution.
While parenting, new mothers can feel isolated. Pregnancy and childbirth are physically and
mentally tricky because they have to see their children while recovering. At the same time as
childbirth, friendships can also change due to changes in the mother’s priorities, areas of interest,
and time constraints.
Also, since networking between mothers does not occur immediately, they may feel that
connection with people decreases.
9
So, to obtain a connected feeling, it has been suggested in
many articles that they tell someone about their lonely feelings, join an existing support group of
mothers, or start their own support group of mothers.
10
As the child grows up, mothers have
often seen that they want to resolve their isolated feelings, and at the same time, they worry
about their child's sociality and desire to find a playdate that suits them well. However, contrary

8
Overcoming Isolation of the New Mother (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595174/)
9
Why You’re Feeling Isolated as a New Mom (https://www.verywellfamily.com/why-you-re-feeling-isolated-as-a-new-mom-
and-what-to-do-4769084)
10
New moms, here's how to feel less isolated despite the pandemic https://www.todaysparent.com/family/womens-
health/pandemic-activities-for-new-moms-to-feel-less-isolated/

15
to what they think, it is not easy to find the expected playdate due to distance or personality
problems.

3.3 Concept Development
According to existing research, creating new communication channels can help relieve social
isolation and loneliness.
11
Basically, mothers are busy looking after their children, so there is a limited
amount of free time that they have. The research found that new mothers tries to maintain or form social
communities through social media and relieve parenting frustration by communicating with strangers in
the blog and web community. They also read postings from other parents in similar situations to help ease
their depression. As a result, they form a bond or share information under a common category of women
who gave birth.
For this reason, I want to produce a solution to the isolation that comes with motherhood and the
mother’s needs to find a child's friend through the mobile application, Bestie. This application will play a
role in connecting real life and the function of online space for people in a region-based dating app. It
would be a space that automatically matches the proper user for the child and provides a local community
space to freely talk or create gatherings.

3.4 Tool: Figma
In designing this project, I used Figma, one of the UX/UI design tools. Figma is an all-
in-one tool from planning to design, such as ideation, wireframe, prototype, design system, and
handoff. The most crucial thing in UI design is the unity/consistency between screens. Figma
helps a designer design a consistent screen by allowing them to see every screen in one canvas,

11
7 WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH (https://paintedbrain.org/editorial/7-ways-social-media-can-
benefit-mental-health-2/)

16
and it is easy to designate components and styles. In addition, since all UIs can be expressed on
one canvas, it benefits the designer by intuitively checking and understanding the user flow.
Also, since it has the advantage of making a prototype, it is considered an easy program to work
on alone, so I decided to use this tool for the project mainly.

Chapter 4: Case Study ‘Designing a Platform’
The platform designed as a case study is a location-based service application that finds a
child's playdates and forms a local community.

4.1 Brand Identity
While creating the Bestie application, I design the brand identity to accomplish harmony
and consistency throughout the app screen. Bestie is an expression that people call their favorite
best friend informally and friendly. I use this term as an application name to show that parents
and children can form a community and find best friends via application.
The design system includes fonts and color systems. For the font, Avenir Next, a san
serif font, was used to give a friendly feeling. For the color system, a bright pastel red palette
was used as an accent color to give a bright and cheerful feeling, and a pastel mint color was
used for buttons that induce action such as the command button.

17

Figure 7. “Design System for Bestie” by Yumi Na

4.2 Application Features
The Bestie application's key features includes an automatic playdate recommendation
based on location, age, and interests, a search function that allows users to directly search for
other users based on a map of their local community, and a chat function between application
users.

Figure 8. “Key Features for Bestie” by Yumi Na

18
4.3 Use Cases
Designing the use case is a great way to divide functions and show what the system
should do. I organized the use case for each step based on the key features of the Bestie
application.

Figure 9. “Use Cases for Bestie” by Yumi Na

4.4 User Flow Map
I designed a user flow map before designing the screen. It helps me understand the order
of application proceeds by organizing the work order of the functions and systematizing the
structure.

19

Figure 10. “Design System for Bestie” by Yumi Na

4.5 Prototype for Bestie
4.5.1 Onboard: Sign In/Sign Up
The onboarding of the Bestie application is divided into two routes: sign in and sign up.
For the sign in and sign up, users can also use an SNS account to easily join. To prevent
duplicate subscriptions and identity theft, users who sign up for the app for the first time can sign
up after verifying their mobile phone numbers.

20

Figure 11. “Bestie Sign In/Sign Up” by Yumi Na

4.5.2 User Authentication
Due to Bestie being an application for parents and children, safety issues are important
because users can meet in person. Therefore, self-certification steps are added at the subscription
stage.
First, the user will take a photo of their face using a camera, and then an ID card with
their face and name will be required to be taken for authentication. The Bestie application will
use the taken pictures only for authentication purposes.

21

Figure 12. “Bestie Authentication 1” by Yumi Na

Figure 13. “Bestie Authentication 2” by Yumi Na

22
4.5.3 Authentication Confirm and Interests Settings
Once the user’s personal information is authenticated, the subscription will be approved,
and the user can use the application’s services. After showing the approval confirmation screen,
the application requires basic child information and interests for matching an appropriate
playdate.
Collective basic information includes the child's name, date of birth, gender, and
interests, such as preferred play places, preferred play types, used languages, and preferred
meeting times. After registering a simple introduction and a photo to show other users, the initial
application subscription stage is completed.

Figure 14. “Bestie Interests Settings 1” by Yumi Na

23

Figure 15. “Bestie Interests Settings 2” by Yumi Na

Figure 16. “Bestie Interests Settings 3” by Yumi Na

24
4.5.4 Main Screen: Automatic Recommendation
When entering the main screen for the first time, the initial help is provided to explain
the main screen's function. On the main screen, the child's playdate partner is automatically
recommended based on the collected basic information by the user. The suggested user's name,
age, region, and the matching rate are displayed with the picture of users. Through the filter,
users can select the distance, gender, and age of the user to be recommended. Three buttons are
located at the bottom of the suggested user; a user can dismiss a playdate, request a playdate, and
save one in the list for easy and convenient usability.

Figure 17. “Bestie Main” by Yumi Na

4.5.5 Search Users
The Bestie application automatically recommends users and provides the function which
helps to find the desired users directly. The location-based service will show nearby users

25
through map view or allow users to view information through the list view. Like the user
recommendation on the main screen, the name, age, location information, and matching rate with
a percentage are shown. In addition, the list will show evaluated stars from other users after the
playdate.

Figure 18. “Bestie Search Users” by Yumi Na

4.5.6 Detail View: Showing Matching Rates and Request Playdate
If the user has a preferred user for a playdate, the user can press the request button on the
main screen to request a playdate by entering a simple message or directly applying for a
playdate by pressing the request playdate button in the detail view that provides detailed
information about the user. In the case of a user receiving a request, a pop-up indicates that a
request has been received. The other user's information may be provided on the detail page about
self-introduction, the matching rate for each item, and the preferred time zone.

26

Figure 19. “Bestie Detail View” by Yumi Na

Bestie Matching Rates Gradient
The matching steps were divided into four categories in the Bestie application to
intuitively show the matching rate between users, and the color gradient was applied. #FF621F
color was used for 0-24%, #F88922 color for 25-49%, #F6BE23 color for 50-74%, and #16D49F
for 75-100%.

Figure 20. “Bestie Matching Rates Gradient” by Yumi Na

27
4.5.7 Chat and Schedule Meeting
Bestie provides a particular chat function. If both users accept a playdate through
“playdate request,” the user can chat with each other. In addition, by providing a schedule in the
chat function, users can easily set and share a date and place to meet for a playdate.

Figure 21. “Bestie Chat” by Yumi Na

4.5.8 Local Community
The Bestie application expands the communication between users by providing a
community space based on region. Contents primarily provide two spaces: Talk and Group. Talk
is a space where local users can freely share their opinions or thoughts. Group is a space where
users can recruit and join regular playgroup meetings that they meet on a regional basis.

28

Figure 22. “Bestie Community” by Yumi Na

4.5.9 Account Settings
The account settings screen shows the information of the registered child and the
upcoming event. The user can change the basic information previously registered on the child
information setting screen. For example, users can edit their name, date of birth, preferred place,
favorite activities, languages, preferred meeting time, and a brief introduction on this screen.

29

Figure 23. “Bestie Account Settings” by Yumi Na

Chapter 5: Evaluation
This part contains the contents of the usability test to verify and evaluate the usability of
the Bestie application. I created a digital prototype for Bestie's usability test and conducted
interviews with ten aging thirty to forty-five year old users with children suitable for a target
user. People participating in the test were allowed to freely use the Bestie application prototype,
and share their personal thoughts and opinions.
The items to be verified are summarized as follows, to find out whether or not the user,
the primary target of the usability test, can successfully perform the application’s key functions
and understand the application's process as intended:
✓ Can users who use Bestie application for the first time request a playdate to
automatically suggest users?

30
✓ Can users enter the Search User screen and find playdates based on their location?
✓ Can users find the information they want or write on the Community page?
✓ Can users talk to other users and schedule using the Chatting function?

5.1 Usability Test Questionnaires
I created several usability test questionnaires to determine whether users who use the
Bestie application for the first time achieved their goals successfully:
Q1. What do you think about the overall design of the application? (color, image, layout,
font, icon, contents, etc.)
Q2. Who do you think is the target user of this application? What's the reason?
Q3. What do you think is the primary function of this application?
Q4. Did you have any difficulties using this prototype when performing the requested task?
Q5. How was the overall user experience of the application?
Q6. What do you think should be improved in the Bestie application?

5.2 Quotations from Participants
“My husband often works on weekends, so I have to take care of my child alone. If I can
use this application, I will find a local friend who can do a playdate with us to ease the burden of
childcare.”
“Before I went out to the park with my child, I always wondered if friends of my child's
age were outside. It would be nice to know who will be outside by using the ‘Playdate Near Me’
function.”

31
“I really love the concept of the Bestie application! The overall design style and color
are stunning, and I like it.”
“I always thought there was no suitable space to share my concerns while raising a child.
It seems to be a great application to communicate with other mothers. I want to use it when it
comes out.”
“Since I moved to this area recently, it was challenging to find a suitable friend for my
child because I didn't know anyone. So, if there is an application like this, I want to download it
right away and make a friend for my child.”

5.3 Critical Feedback from Users
“It can be a privacy issue to take pictures of users' faces and share ID cards to
authenticate.”

“It is an application for finding children's playdates, and it is pretty strange to mark the
matching rate in numbers as %.”

“With the ‘Playdate Near Me’ function, I am quite worried about safety if the name and
location of my account are exposed to others. So, it would be better if there's a function that
blocks some of my information.”

32
5.4 Discussion and Limitation
User Authentication Privacy Issues in the Sign Up Stage
Since the Bestie application is a service provided to children and parents, safety issues
are considered critical, so I added face authentication and ID card authentication steps to the
subscription stage. There were opinions that there were concerns about the exposure of personal
information. However, general dating applications on the application market are often self-
certified through ID cards to prevent theft of their names. In addition, the Bestie application
guides users to cover essential information except for names and photos when taking ID cards, so
I think that there will be no significant privacy problems.

Shows the Matching Rate
The Bestie application shows the matching rate between users based on the user's basic
Interests to find the optimal playdate. There was an opinion that it was strange to mark kids
matching rates in figures. However, it can be the best way to find similar users is by showing
them in numbers. With the matching rate between users is shown in numbers, basic introductions
written by users can be seen. I think providing user information in various ways is one of the
ways to increase the range and validity of choices to users.

Location Exposure Problem
The “Playdate Near Me” function displays nearby users based on the map. This function
indicates the user's picture, name, and age to choose a user nearby. However, some people are
worried about safety problems if their location and information are exposed to unknown people.

33
These concerns can be improved by adding a list that allows the application’s settings to limit the
amount of personal data being shown for these users.

34
Conclusion
This thesis design project studies how to solve the lack of communication and alienation,
which has emerged as a problem for modern people in modern society. Considering that the lack
of communication is caused by a lack of mutual space, I studied whether or not design could help
modern people overcome their feelings of alienation and provide a space for communication.
As a case study, I proposed Bestie, a playdate recommendation application for maternity,
one of the modern marginalized groups. The Bestie application allows users with common
interests to be connected by the application's automatic recommendation function. In addition, it
expands opportunities for users to communicate freely by providing chat functions and
community spaces based on the region.
The need for online space as an alternative to communication space continues to rise,
and mobile applications' role as an alternative mutual space will be further highlighted in the
future. This is because as technology advances, inevitable individual disconnection will occur. It
is meaningful that this project finds that application design can expand the space of
communication for groups with disconnected communication.

\

35
Bibliography

[1] Current World Population
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

[2] David Riesman, Nathan Glazer, and Reuel Denney. The Lonely Crowd.
Yale University Press, 2001.

[3] Popkin, Jeremy D. “Culture and Thought in Eighteenth-Century France.”
In A History of Modern France, 18–24. 5th ed. Routledge, 2020.

[4] Saltzman, Leia Y, Tonya Cross Hansel, and Patrick S Bordnick. “Loneliness, Isolation, and
Social Support Factors in Post-COVID-19 Mental Health.” Psychological trauma 12, no. S1
(2020): S55–S57.

[5] Saffer, Dan. Designing for Interaction Creating Innovative Applications and Devices. 2nd
ed. Berkeley, Calif: New Riders, 2010.

[6] Huddleston, Rob. Beginning Adobe Experience Design: Quickly Design and Prototype
Websites and Mobile Apps. 1st ed. Berkeley, CA: Apress L. P, 2017. 8. Designing for
Mobile.

[7] Firth, Chris, Damian Maye, and David Pearson. “Developing ‘Community’ in Community
Gardens.” Local environment 16, no. 6 (2011): 555–568.

[8] Overcoming Isolation of the New Mother
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595174/

[9] Why You’re Feeling Isolated as a New Mom
https://www.verywellfamily.com/why-you-re-feeling-isolated-as-a-new-mom-and-what-to-
do-4769084

[10] New moms, here's how to feel less isolated despite the pandemic
https://www.todaysparent.com/family/womens-health/pandemic-activities-for-new-moms-
to-feel-less-isolated/

[11] 7 WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH
https://paintedbrain.org/editorial/7-ways-social-media-can-benefit-mental-health-2/

Abstract (if available)

Abstract It has always been important to have a space for people to gather, exchange ideas and share information. The development of new technologies and the growing popularity of the internet has moved this communicative space online. As a designer living in Los Angeles, the online space provides opportunities for interaction with others. However, since I am also a new mom, most of my time is focused on parenting. Communication is essential for new mothers like me because they can easily and unintentionally become isolated. It is because of this that I have designed an application that provides an online space for communication specifically for new mothers.
My design practice and research examine the problem of isolation experienced by mothers raising children and suggests a case study to solve it via online space. The application I designed provides a space for young mothers to find friends and share their concerns, opinions, and thoughts. This project examines ways to solve a mother's separation from communication by providing a community space. This space is based on location area and groups users with common interests. By presenting a specific prototype of the application design, I aim to solve some of the problems mothers like me face by using my skills as an interaction designer.

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

Existence and response: living in quarantine during a pandemic

PDF

My spaces (2020-2021)

PDF

Lost and found: escape from the longing past towards the uncertain future of art and design

PDF

Designing with the moon as inspiration

PDF

Space/home: rethinking space in a 2D context

PDF

Past imagination, present creation and the reality of tomorrow: explore the impact of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) design

PDF

A sense of joy

PDF

Bento: space design

PDF

Memories of the scent of orange blossoms

PDF

Foodable: a voice to fight food waste with digital design solutions and sustainable minds

PDF

Accept yourself, respect yourself, love yourself: a film letter to myself

PDF

Remember what you truly want to remember: souvenirs, nostalgia and Route 66

PDF

Visualizing the effects of cultural communication on the individual: Confucianism and new family structure

PDF

Digital pollution: social media's carbon footprint

PDF

The application of photography technology in modern graphic design: the beauty of astrophotography

PDF

Family legacy and the evolution of contemporary Chinese youth

PDF

Growing up in a patriarchal society

PDF

Revving up: exploring the intersection of automobile racing and graphic design

PDF

Designing a personal narrative through collaged mass-market images: traditional collage and digital collage

PDF

Object stories for social connectivity: a digital service that improves social interactions through object’s storytelling

Asset Metadata

Creator Na, Yu Mi (author)

Core Title Mobile applications as a communication space: playdate application case study

School Roski School of Art and Design

Degree Master of Fine Arts

Degree Program Design

Publication Date 03/28/2022

Defense Date 03/25/2022

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag communication,community,design,GUI,mobile application,motherhood,OAI-PMH Harvest,parenting,UX/UI

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Wojciak, Ewa (committee chair), Ellenburg, Jason (committee member), Greiman, April (committee member)

Creator Email yumi.na.official@gmail.com,yumina@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC110843563

Unique identifier UC110843563

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Na, Yu Mi

Type texts

Source 20220331-usctheses-batch-918 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu