Tripplar
OVERVIEW
Tripplar tackled the economic challenges small businesses faced during COVID-19 by reimagining window shopping as a personalized, social, and digital experience. Inspired by dating apps like Bumble and Tinder, it let users swipe through local businesses, discover unique stories, and engage with local shops in San Jose.
PROJECT TYPE
Personal project, Student lead start-up, Mobile app
TIMELINE
2 weeks (December 2020)
SOFTWARES
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
TEAM
Cat Dinh, Justin Chan
COVID-19 significantly harmed our economy, well-being, and lives. As cases surged throughout the United States, small businesses bore the brunt.
Over 99% of businesses were small, employing roughly half of the U.S. workforce.
California witnessed over 40,000 small business closures, with ~20,000 being permanent, ranking the state third in the nation for permanent closure rates.
In the San Jose area, encompassing Santa Clara and San Benito counties, around 9 out of every 1,000 businesses permanently closed, marking the second and fifth-highest closure rates in the U.S.
We released a survey in order to gauge our local community's interest in supporting small businesses and how they currently learn about their local businesses. We received 67 respondents with ages from 18-60 years old.
With these results in mind, we determined that our audience are interested in shopping small, but find it difficult to discover these local business.
WHO'S INVOLVED
Meet Jenny
❗️CHALLENGES: Jenny, owner of a local café opened during the pandemic, faces declining sales and struggles to attract new customers due to the indefinite Stay-At-Order in San Jose.
❌ PAIN POINTS: Jenny desires a more personal connection with customers and seeks a means to compete with larger brands like Starbucks and Peet's.
✔ GOAL: Jenny aims to share her unique story with a broader market, enticing customers to shift their routine coffee shop preference and support her café.
Meet Peter
❗️CHALLENGES: Peter, a recent graduate new to the Bay Area, typically purchases furniture and decor from Amazon but aims to shift to supporting small businesses affected by COVID-19.
❌ PAIN POINTS: Peter struggles to discover local businesses that meet his needs, especially given his social distancing practices and limited interactions outside his household.
✔ GOAL: Peter seeks exposure to Bay Area local businesses without relying on word of mouth, aiming to explore and support small enterprises.
OUR SOLUTION
To stand out from competitors like Yelp, our goal was to ensure each business received user consideration. We prioritized featuring business owners to humanize each establishment, drawing inspiration from dating apps like Bumble and Tinder for a focused, swiping mechanism that engages users with one business at a time.
Registration Page
Home Page
User Profile
Friend Page
WIREFRAME
FINAL PRODUCT
Embarking on my first UX/UI project marked a huge milestone, offering valuable insights that will undoubtedly shape my approach in future endeavors. Observing the seamless transition of my 2D designs into an interactive, 3D realm affirmed the tangible impact of user experience. Working closely with our adept team lead, Cat, not only honed my skills but sparked a genuine passion for app development.
The collaborative journey with the engineering team was particularly enlightening. Navigating the delicate balance between ambitious designs and practical compromises unveiled considerations crucial for successful project execution. This experience has equipped me with a heightened awareness of the dynamics involved in turning design concepts into functional realities.
