A multi-device platform where playful interactions evolve into real, authentic connections.

Tools Figma · Framer
Duration 4 Months
Devices Mobile & Desktop
My Role
Researcher (Discovery & Testing) UX Designer UI Designer
Know You+ — capa do estudo de caso
Overview

Designing for authentic, joyful connections

Know You+ transforms how people meet and interact by mixing collaboration, play and real-time contribution across devices. The goal: make social moments more engaging, meaningful and human.

Know You+ mockups showing multi-device interaction
Design Process

User-driven, from empathy to validation

The design process followed a structured, user-centered approach grounded in design thinking, ensuring every decision was anchored in people and their needs.

Design Stage Scope of Work
Empathize
  • Desk Research
  • Competitive Analysis
  • User Research
Define
  • User Persona
  • Empathy Map
  • Detected Problems
Ideate
  • User Flow
  • Information Architecture
  • Wireframes
Design
  • Style Guide
  • Mockups
  • Prototype
Test
  • Usability Testing
Empathize

Understanding needs, emotions & context

Desk and user research (focus group) reveal motivations, emotional drivers and friction in real interactions, showing how play can turn small moments into authentic connection.

Desk research highlights

Modern relationships
  • Risk of superficiality
  • Lasting bonds need maturity, trust, and vulnerability
Games & connection
  • Games build connection, boost social skills, and sharpen teamwork
  • Gamification boosts engagement and collaboration
  • Multiplayer and community games create shared experiences that boost well-being
Digital relationships
  • Online dating widens access to partners, supporting diverse and authentic connections
  • Matchmaking and personalization connect compatible people across distance and social divides
  • Emotional compatibility and shared interests are core to lasting relationships
Play & development
  • Play supports cognitive, emotional and social growth
  • Improves problem-solving, regulation and resilience
  • Play fosters friendships and inspires social change
Bonds & well-being
  • Strong bonds correlate with happiness, resilience and longevity
  • Shared experiences, communication and rewards deepen connections
  • Quality interactions reduce stress

Focus group – key insights

What strengthens connection
  • Shared interests & common goals
  • Sincerity & honesty
  • Empathy, kindness & genuine curiosity
  • Natural, effortless moments together
Challenges in connections
  • Lack of conversation, effort or time
  • Different personalities
  • Few shared interests or goals
  • Lack of attraction
Digital pros & cons
  • + Great alternative when meeting in person isn’t possible
  • + Offers convenient, easy access and overcomes time and distance barriers
  • − Can reduce closeness without video and be disrupted by tech failures
  • − Authenticity concerns without video due to missing nonverbal cues
Authentic Sharing: Key Enablers
  • Feeling comfortable makes sharing easier
  • Familiarity and trust increase openness
  • Icebreaker games boost engagement
  • Time together deepens connections
Games & Gamification: Connection Boosters
  • Create bonding moments with friends, family, and partners
  • Help people feel more connected
  • Preferences: competitive (n=6; excitement & challenge) and collaborative (n=7; team spirit & unity)
  • Most participants enjoy both styles (competitive & collaborative)
Know You+: Concept Highlights
  • Best moments: social gatherings; getting to know someone (e.g., a date); connecting remotely; passing time (travel/waiting); team-building at work
  • Desired features: mutual Q&A; dilemmas & challenges; “Truth or Dare” & “Never Have I Ever”; objects reflecting personality & tastes; hangman-style game
  • Platform preference: 6 prefer Desktop & Mobile; 1 prefers Mobile only
Word cloud with themes like complicity, games, laughter, friendship and joy
Define

Who it’s designed for

Using persona and empathy maps centers the user’s perspective, ensuring solutions align with real needs and fit their realities.

User Persona

Needs

  • Team bonding activities
  • Exciting group experiences
  • Interactive multiplayer games
  • Meaningful social interactions
  • Variety in daily life

Goals

  • Healthy digital-life balance
  • Attend engaging events
  • Play more with friends
  • Stay active
  • Improve work relationships
  • Name: Tim Davis
  • Age: 28
  • Status: Single
  • Profession: Developer
  • Location: London

Frustrations

  • Boring social experiences
  • Shallow conversations
  • Hard to make time for others
  • Wants more travel
  • Too much sedentary time

Interests

  • Games
  • Photography
  • Quality time with loved ones
  • Working out
  • Travel

Biography

Tim is outgoing and dynamic, valuing authentic connections with family, friends and his girlfriend. Passionate about competitive and collaborative games, fun interactions, travel and staying active, he enjoys life’s small moments.

Personality — ESTP

  • Extraverted (E)
    Introverted (I)
  • Sensing (S)
    Intuitive (N)
  • Thinking (T)
    Feeling (F)
  • Perceiving (P)
    Judging (J)

Turning challenges into opportunities

📍 Problem
✕ Impact
✓ Opportunity
Games do not encourage genuine social connections
Lack of personalization and emotional depth in in-game interactions
Redesign games to serve as catalysts for meaningful relationships
Lack of engaging and varied social experiences
Leisure activities feel predictable and do not strengthen relationships
Diversify entertainment with meaningful interactions beyond casual play
Lack of integrated solutions in the market
Current offerings do not facilitate genuine social interaction
Unified solution blending entertainment, personalization, and connection
Lack of social life due to time constraints
Difficulty gathering people and maintaining relationships
Flexible social activities that fit busy lives and connect anywhere
Shallow connections and lack of meaningful interactions
Many interactions remain surface-level, lacking emotional resonance
Strengthen emotional connections through immersive social interactions
Struggles in balancing social life and well-being
Routine limits dynamic and interactive moments because of repetitive days
Encourage easy and natural social interactions within daily routines
Ideate

Insight-led structure and flow

Experience organised to feel effortless: clear information architecture, intuitive onboarding, and engaging paths that invite interaction and presence.

Pencil First, Pixels Later

Quick, low-fidelity paper wireframes validate flows, wording, and feel across desktop and mobile, reducing risk and sharpening decisions before visual design begins.

Desktop wireframes
Desktop Wireframes
Mobile wireframes
Mobile Wireframes
Design

Friendly Looks, Clear Purpose

Simple, interactive design with engaging details pairs with a psychologically tuned palette (warmth, vivacity, emotional depth) to create an inviting, playful atmosphere that supports genuine connections. Desktop mockups illustrate the path from creating a profile to the start voyage screen, while mobile mockups trace the journey from sign-in to disembark.

70+ Screens Desktop & Mobile
Onboarding
Create Profile: Sailor’s ID
Create Profile: Set your coordinates - Core Values
Create Profile: Set your coordinates - Personality
Create Profile: Set your coordinates - Life Goals
Create Profile: Set your coordinates - Interests
Create Profile: Navigation Plan
Main Hub
Start Voyage
Desktop mockups
Test

Test, tweak, level-up

One usability round (8 people) validated the core loop and confirmed that gameplay was fun, intuitive, and helped participants get to know others, while also revealing the need for a few quick adjustments. These were implemented promptly and are reflected in the final mockups and prototype.

Usability findings

Profile Setup

Profile Setup

63% found the profile setup tiring

Suggestions
  • Remove Energy & Vibe
  • Reduce Set Coordinates 10 → 5
“Too many choices, I wasn't focused on the important ones for me anymore, I was just filling in to reach the 10 required”
Gameplay

Gameplay

100% found the game fun and intuitive

Highlights
  • Unlocks conversations
  • Reveals common ground
  • Facilitates sharing

All felt it encouraged self-reflection and helped them know others

Observations

Observations

Usability issues noticed during testing

Findings
  • Navigation Plan menu unclear on mobile
  • Selection dots unused
  • Onboarding screen not understood (needs clarity)
  • Interests “Playing sports & Working out” felt redundant
Desktop vs Mobile

Desktop vs Mobile

Mobile chosen for ease and practicity

Preferences
  • 3 preferred desktop (larger screen, more immersive)
  • 6 preferred mobile (daily convenience)

Experience perceived as intuitive on both platforms

Suggested Improvements

Suggested Improvements

Key changes requested by users

Suggestions
  • Lobby: option to play with/without camera (all users)
  • Player photos/avatars next to answers after each multiple-choice question (all users)
  • Remove confirmation dots
  • Remove “Random pick intimacy” option
Closing & beyond

Real Connections, One Game at a Time

Designed for mutual discovery, built for real connections

Impact A playful, multi-device game platform fosters genuine interactions and deeper mutual understanding.
Outcome True connections form in a natural, fun, and consistent way, countering superficial and meaningless exchanges.

What’s next

  • Broaden research to more diverse groups
  • Ship Main Hub areas: Crew Mates, Milestones, Sailing Setup, Docking Point
  • New games by mode & intimacy levels
  • Smarter matchmaking & personalization
  • Refine mobile-first while keeping desktop immersion
  • Scale multiplayer up to 8 users
Beyond usability, meaningful design makes space for authentic human connection
View full case study on Figma