Gamified Social Platform
My startup that ranked #73 in the App Store, raised $150K in funding
Company
Starvikk
Type
B2C App
Role
Founder / Product Designer
Year
2020 - 2022
Starvikk is a social networking mobile application that hosts various creative games and events, both online and offline.
As the Product Designer and Founder of the platform, I designed it from inception of the idea to validation.
Growing up in a social media generation, I believe there are better ways for people to connect online – a place with excitement, fun, and engaging interaction.
How fascinating would it be, if we could build an online theme park?
A lot has changed since the Pandemic. New solutions arise for the way we work, dine, and shop...But NOT for the way we socialize.
Scrolling through Instagram doesn’t make up for the hanging out and fun we used to have. This is especially true for the younger generation, who started and ended their semester via Zoom. We are isolated and alienated more than ever.
That is why we need a fundamentally new approach: to connect better with friends, and to meet new ones more easily.
The vision was to gamify social interaction, and we landed on an event/game-based chat app positioning that gained significant traction.
The "Instagram" Approach
The Instagram Page of Starvikk
Research Rationales
Through direct experimentation on Instagram, I aimed to achieve three goals:
Observed direct user behavior
Nothing demonstrated user needs better than actual action. If there was a need for online interaction through Games and Events, users signed up. If not, the numbers told us.
Established a user pool to facilitate research
Our target users (page followers) were within reach, and we ran interviews, used Instagram Stories to collect feedback, and designed well-crafted sign-up forms to reveal user goals.
Shortened iteration cycle
We evaluated performance and talked to users after each game, then incorporated our findings to make things better. The next batch of game tests could be out in 7 days to start a new cycle. Even when we failed, we failed quickly.
User feedback was gathered to better reflect their experience and true user goals.
We did interviews, surveys and made use of Instagram stories to understand thoughts and motives.
Continuously experimenting and iterating based on user feedback to pinpoint real user needs.
The image shows me hosting our first Live Game experiment during the time of Covid-19.
Key Findings
Lack of options
Most social networking platforms were dating apps with strong intention
Conversation starters
Users found it hard to start conversations and make new friends without a shared topic or goal
Ability to connect
Pairing users through Instagram limited their ability to connect with other like-minded people
Lack of continuity
Users disliked it when games on Instagram ended (especially if they won), because it left no trace behind
With better-defined design problems from the Discovery phase, I moved on to create design solutions.
There Lies The Opportunity
As we improved our game design with each research and testing cycle, the performance started to take off and reflected in numbers. Our participants go from 20 to 100, and to nearly 400 per game.
Solid user needs have been identified.
Till this point, the game process was still handled by me manually, and all games were completed on Instagram using its functions entirely.
From a business perspective, we also need automation to expand capacity.
Core Features
By identifying user and business needs, we decided to focus on three core features for the product.
Direct messaging
Chat function that allowed users to connect freely. We still introduced new friends to users through Pairing, but users could also explore and start conversations with anyone else.
Automated sign-Up
This enabled users to join our games and events effortlessly, while adding automation to improve efficiency and create the capacity to scale.
User profile and rewards
User profiles helped facilitate new connections. They also provided a sense of continuity for the time spent on games with Starvikk. Rewards served the same goal and boosted stickiness.
Low-fidelity Wireframe
Using wireframes, I mapped out the basic structure and framework of the product. The tool is also used for identifying development requirements, as well as gathering feedback from key stakeholders.
Before moving on to high-fidelity prototypes, usability testing and in-person focus group were conducted to ensure the product was useful and usable.
Usability Testing
By conducting usability tests, the team was able to identify and refine what users were finding useful.
We also discovered designs with usability issues that can be adjusted accordingly to better meet the needs of users.
Positive findings
Users were able to complete tasks quickly
Users liked the simple interface, found it easy to navigate and the process straight-forward
Users liked the Event Page the best as it was organized and all games were clear at a glance
Friction points
Users had trouble locating Profile information
Users were confused by the wording we used to name other app users
Users found the icon for Rewards hard to relate
Focus Group
As we move from Instagram Page to an App, it is important to understand user expectations towards the product. We want to know their experiences, perceptions, needs, and even their fantasies when using similar platforms.
Given our nature of social networking, a mixed-gender group setting was established to observe group dynamics and how they think about meeting new friends.
Key Insights
Users liked staying anonymous at first, it felt mysterious
Users still wanted small personality hints (e.g. unique IDs like game avatars).
The space theme felt over-branded and excessive
A simple conversation starter was enough, games didn’t need to be massive or complex.
Notes taken during usability testing and an in-person focus group of four
Key Design Changes
A high-fidelity prototype was created based on user feedback and after careful consideration of future scalability. The following changes were featured:
Simple wordings
Removed the space theme and related copy, replacing it with direct, user-friendly language.
Starvikk characters
Let users choose character avatars to express personality while staying anonymous, supporting brand identity
Re-design user profile
Simplified the Profile page by removing non-essential fields, while keeping optional details (e.g. hobbies, school, zodiac)
We beta launched on March 23, 2021, iOS only, as our first real test to see if the experience could create repeatable, fun social interaction beyond Instagram.
Never Ceased Listening
After launch, we continuously observed user behavior and incorporated feedback. It became an ongoing loop of research, learning, iteration, and improvement.
Both the app and the Instagram page ran in parallel, Instagram for experimentation and reach, and the App for retention.
Here is a video demonstration of the App by the time of Mar 2022.
New features were added, including theme-based pairing, group chat, and more detailed profile editing.
During my startup journey, one idea really stuck with me:
“Before computers, stock trading was done with pen and paper, and people still went crazy over it.”
It captured something I’ve come to believe. If you can pinpoint a real user need through research, the business can thrive even when the MVP is simple. From there, the work is to keep improving the experience so users can reach their goals more easily. That’s what impactful design looks like. It doesn’t just elevate the product, it elevates the business, and sometimes even changes the world.
This journey shaped how I think and how I work today.
Thank you for reading!
