Event based local app
A Social Isolation “Re-entry” Companion
Product Design · Mobile App · Social Impact · Branding
Project description
BounceBack is an app designed to help people who have been in social isolation for various reasons, such as having an illness or being in the military, rejoin society through personalized challenges. The app breaks down bucket-list activities into manageable steps, encouraging users to rebuild confidence, develop positive habits, and connect with others through activity groups along the way.
Timeline
September – December 2024
Tools
Figma · Adobe Illustrate · User Research · Cross-functional collaboration · Adobe Photoshop · Canva
Background
Many people, such as recovered patients, military veterans, former convicts, single parents, and the elderly have missed out on meaningful experiences in their lives, and don't know how to "gain back" those moments or where to start. Our solution was to create a personalized, gamified, bucket list that breaks big goals into achievable steps and connect people through their shared struggles and progress.
Process
This project followed an end-to-end design process, from concept definition to feature planning and UI development.
Users and Research
Why it Started?
It started with the idea of creating a product that could have a social impact. Conversations with college students, professors, and individuals with unique perspectives revealed a common feeling caused by the problem of social isolation.
Ideation & Low Fidelity
Based on our user research insights, we focused on catering our apps MVP to specific user groups. After coming with the the priority features required in our product, I began low- fi wireframing of screens, continuously testing the features and gathering feedback each iteration.
Branding
The BounceBack brand needed to feel encouraging, safe, and non judgmental. Since the product is designed for users easing back into social life, the visual identity avoids pressure, urgency, or comparison based language. Instead, the brand needed to support slow progress and self-paced growth in a positive way
Development and High Fidelity
Moving on to the high fidelity phase, we upgraded our initial screens with color, typography, and details as well as prototyping the final Figma design so our tech team could make it into a useable product.
Results
BounceBack reframes socializing as something you can rebuild through small, doable steps, not a huge leap. Instead of pushing users into overwhelming goals, the product guides them through structured challenges and group based support tied to the user’s own bucket list.
How might we make returning to social connection feel safe, manageable, and self-paced for people coming out of isolation?
