Mohae 모여라 해외피플
Mohae - Fall 2021 - 2023
My Role
Design Lead/Cofounder - UX Research, User Survey, User Testing, High Fidelity Mockups, Responsive Design, Design System, Prepare Assets, QA
Collaborated with 1 Engineer.
Timeline & Status
July 2021, Launched in Feb 2022 and is ongoing.
Achievement
✔️ + 5000 signup users up to date
✔️ Featured in a local news
✔️ Meeting with South Korean Consulate General
Overview
Mohae is a city-based community platform designed to help Koreans living overseas connect with each other. The app provides a safe space for Koreans to engage with people who are similar to them, share their experiences, and build new relationships.
With features such as chat rooms, feeds, and groups, Mohae enables Korean expats to stay informed about the city and connect with others who share their interests.
Screenshot of the application
Sneakpeak
✴︎ Product Journey ✴︎
How it started
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How it started ✴︎
The Challenge
Younger Koreans in Americas face a challenge when it comes to finding a suitable platform for cultural connection. Facebook group is seen as outdated and primarily used by older individuals, while internet cafes or forums heavily rely on third-party platforms, limiting the user experience of connecting + browsing information.
User Group: Age 18 - 35 Koreans living in Vancouver
Conducted with 38 participants.
Is this challenge valid? We sent out a survey.
HMW
How might we bring younger Korean generation together to build a safe place for people to share information, feeling and interests?
Competitive Analysis
Initially, I focused on two main Korean communities based in Vancouver, where the majority of the traffic is driven. As a designer, my goal was to identify pain points within these communities and reframe them as opportunities.
OPPORTUNITY
Creating an all-inclusive platform for young Koreans living abroad, offering a convenient solution to stay connected, informed about local news, lifestyle activities, and interact with fellow community members.
Within 1.5 years, acquired over 5000 users in Vancouver and Toronto with WAU of + 700.
Final Experience + Impact
Since the launch of the application, we have garnered attention from Vancouver local news and had a meeting with the South Korean Consulate General to explore opportunities for future collaboration.
✴︎ Highlights ✴︎
Widget Experience
Beyond text engagement
Through the use of various types of widgets, users can interact with others by sharing images, voting, recording voice messages, and engaging in one-on-one messaging.
Anonymity
Voice to the voiceless
Without the need for attached identities, users can freely communicate with others. Anonymity brings people together, creating a sense of vulnerability and fostering connections.
Experience
Intuitive discoverability
The feed is a space where users can organically discover new content through scrolling. With subtle prompts, users can explore updated tabs within the application without having to check each individual tab.
Categories & Filters
Organized Information
Our goal is to provide users with all the relevant shipment information they need right at our hub. By browsing local news and understanding timezones, users can stay informed and alerted about potential shipment delays and overseas communication.
Customization
Dynamic Themes
Users have the option to choose the type of themes they want to add to their space. This experience provides users with the choice to dynamically change their UI to match their personal characteristics.
Design Process
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How Did I Get Here
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Design Process ✴︎ How Did I Get Here ✴︎
Precedents
We looked into existing community-based platforms to benchmark and leverage insights.
MVP Design
After going through numerous design iterations, including internal critiques and sharing with fellow designers, I was able to hand off the MVP design to the developer. Due to our thorough communication throughout the entire process, we were fully aware of the compromises we made.
Quality Assurance
The most live communication between the developer and me occurred during the dev handoff and QA phase. Once the development was completed, I was prepared to conduct QA testing on the entire application MVP using my documented notes. I wrote down all the testing points and user stories, and checked the experiences on both iOS and Android devices to ensure there were no issues or errors.
Official Launch
Following a successful two-week beta-launch involving 24 users, during which we fine-tuned user experiences and addressed bugs, we proudly secured a spot on the App Store on February 8, 2021. Leveraging our feedback feature, we maintained daily engagement with our users. Two months post-launch, I conducted a comprehensive user satisfaction/feedback survey to validate our initial challenges, and the received feedback was overwhelmingly positive!
✴︎ Continue pushing engaging user experience ✴︎
Since the initial MVP release, we've consistently delivered monthly updates, refining specific user experiences and introducing new features. Above, you'll find examples of recent releases, as well as potential features we aspire to incorporate in the future to further elevate user engagement within the app.
Though, I am ending my journey with Mohae as of now in October 2023, I can’t wait to see how Mohae continues to thrive and make Koreans living the overseas live a different daily lives.
✴︎ Takeaway ✴︎
Other work
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Other work ✴︎
The Dashboard
Mohae Application
Help Center
Design Ops