A location-based service made to help Bumble users meet in third
spaces while promoting security and privacy for all users. This
feature allows for complimentary discounts for Bumble users at
participating Bumble Partner locations as well as exclusive perks for
premium users.
This project integrated a new Bumble feature that incorporates the
Uber Design System: Base
Role
UI/UX Designer & Researcher
Project
Adv. Interaction Design Studio
Timeline
Three Weeks
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Miro
Overview
Hive is a location-based service that helps Bumble users meet one
another at third places
By turning on their location, users will be able to find participating
Bumble Partner businesses that offer exciting opportunities to meet
potential partners authentically– while also enjoying the benefits of
exclusive discounts for new budding couples.
Note: Exclusive and unlimited access is given to Bumble Premium+
Users
I utilized data from previously failed Bumble features that involved
location-based services. From their shortcomings, I analyzed the data
to figure out how to appeal to the Bumble user demographic. I also
used the Uber design system to create my new features to practice
working with a design system and creating components that fits both
the design system and Bumble aesthetic
The problem I was trying to solve was how Bumble can create a location
based service that can attract more users to become paying users. In
addition to this, I wanted to motivate users who already have their
location notifications turned on to become subscribers but also
hopefully motivate users who do not have location notifications on to
turn them on specifically for Bumble. To continue, my idea can easily
be converted to match both BFF and Bizz because of its flexibility and
there is no strong emphasis on necessarily meeting people to date
them.
Design System
I was given Base as a design system to work with. The components were
fairly easy to use as they were sleek, simple, and provided good
insights on how to implement them into Bumble. However, it was tricky to
make a mostly black and white aesthetic to fit a yellow
'bumblebee'-esque theme
Research
Data Driven Insights
I first brainstormed a few ideas on the given prompt to
"correlate usage frequency, location and social drivers to gain
insights about the circumstances that motivate users who
experience precise location notifications to convert to
subscribers. "
From this, I chose an idea that revolved around having people meet one
another "authentically" where everyone around is a Bumble user
actively looking to meet like-minded others
Analyzing the Data
From the given data of the two failed features, the adoption rates
declined but the “Map Integration for Nearby Events” seemed to be more
successful compared to the “Proximity Alert”.This helped influence me
to use the map integration component to enhance the social aspect of
the app. By adding upon that feature with discounts and having the
ability to see people in the area, it may keep adoption and retention
rates high.
I believe that designers should rely on data to make their decisions
to some extent. Data can only bring designers so far and they should
rely on their creativity and also utilize their own tests, strategies,
and interviews when designing.
There are times where it is more appropriate to use data. For example,
if there are overwhelming large numbers of positive or negative data
points, it signals to the designer that something about the feature is
extremely good or bad. However, data that seems mixed (which it
usually is), should help the designer think about the issue at hand
rather than immediately shutting something down.
Pain Points
○ " How can locations be used to benefit users? "
○ " How would we make sure all users are safe? "
○ " What if users don't want to turn on their location? "
○ " How can we have free users switch to premium? "
○ " How can we place women first with this feature? "
How Can Locations Be Used To Benefit Users?
I decided to incorporate a map feature that shows users where Bumble
Partner locations are. Within these locations, users can see:
○ The venue address, rating, and pictures
○ The busiest times when most Bumble users gather at that location
○ The tags that line up with the user's personal preferences
○ A button to enter the event (only available when at the venue)
Clicking the 'Enter Event' button takes the user to the different
discounts offered and shows them the total number of Bumble users at
that area
How Would We Make Sure All Users Are Safe?
To help mask users and keep their privacy, I introduced single bee
placards. These placards will include the person's name, age, a picture,
and an icebreaker. The user does not need to use a picture of
themselves. Instead, they can create alternative placards for people of
a certain gender catergory to view. Users can even opt out of showing
their placard if they truly want to remain anonymous
Users have the ability to choose their placards within their user
settings, where they will usually go to to change their regular Bumble
profile.
Working with a Design System
The most challenging part of making a new component for a Design System
was making it fit in with the design theme. I had to reuse some icons
from my Design System (Base) and built them into new components.
For example, to demonstrate that something is a Premium feature, I used
a ribbon icon– which might mean something different in the Uber app. The
very limited amount of icons made it hard to design because I had to
make new icons or reuse ones that already existed.
The most surprising thing I learned about Design Systems was how
structured they were. There are so many components and parts that go
into Design Systems that I never thought about. It made me value the
amount of work that goes into it. When designing with a Design System,
it makes it easier to create as the overarching themes are already built
in.
Design Decisions
○ Used Uber’s Design System: Base
○ Creation of a new icon within navigation bar just for this feature
○ New location related questions when first creating account
○ Creation of Bumble Partner: a distinct section of Bumble for
businesses who opt into being a Hive for Bumble
○ No desktop website feature offered. Due to this feature being
location based, bringing a laptop to venues will be challenging. This
will also help motivate users to use the app more to have the full
experience
○ Although not seen in the demo, Hive can easily be transferred to BFF
and Bizz
From this project, I learned how to integrate new components and work
with existing ones in an already built design system. If I had more time
or more resources, I would definitely spend more time learning about
micro interactions within Figma. This would help my app feature flow
more smoothly and seem like a real feature integrated within Bumble. I
would also want to run interviews and user tests with my feature to see
how other people would react to it. Since most of my critiques came from
other designers, I want to see how non-designers or non-HCI people would
critique my work.
If I were to strictly follow the requirements as written, I would have
missed out on multiple key features I added within my design and it
would have been missing a lot of design considerations. For example, the
brief mentions nothing about security and safety for the users when they
have their location turned on. If I were to not consider this, my
service would have been a liability to the users and may potentially put
them in danger of harassment. My service gave the users the option to
hide themselves or provide an alternative way for people to see them on
the app to help give them safety via anonymity. To continue, my service
utilized third parties and the design brief did not say anything about
how to handle third parties. For this, I had to come up with my own
ideas on how third parties would view the Bumble app as a partner and I
settled on creating a separate app called Bumble Partner for them to
view analytics and create discounts for users.
