OWWN World. Social map

About

OWWN is a dynamic social map that combines the digital and physical worlds seamlessly. With OWWN, you'll never miss out on the best places to visit, the coolest activities to do, and the latest trends in your area. We believe that the special moments we experience in real life are truly invaluable. The app is designed to help users create and appreciate these moments more often.

Our team has been dedicated to bringing this vision to life, from the initial brainstorming and ideation stages to the process of developing user stories and refining the UI/UX.

We conducted extensive research and gathered the most successful practices to find the best solution on top of them. In the wireframe prototyping stage, we devised various approaches for the structure of the whole app and put them to the test with potential users and the product team.

Explore surrounding

Our first aim was to develop an interactive map that would offer users a delightful experience while exploring the city and discovering the latest hotspots.

A visual system for pins effectively showcases all important details about a location, such as its category, image, and list of friends who have already visited the place.

For the map's unique color scheme, we conducted research on the best map apps and combined their approaches with our brand colors and gradients.

We have improved the map by adding 3D buildings, trees, lights, and subway stations to make it more engaging. The unique models were created by our team using Spline, Cinema 4D, and Blender.

Intuitive tag-based search

An intuitive tag-based search interface simplifies the experience of exploring a city. Users can input any desired parameters into the search bar, ranging from price range to specific place or city names. Furthermore, search results can be filtered to include only places visited by either one or all of your friends.

We tested multiple designs for the place cards and added a feature that allows users to swipe through nearby locations instead of tapping on each pin separately.

As a result, we have created a visually attractive map that enables users to follow their friends and trusted influencers, search for popular places, and access valuable information about those locations. The map also includes features to view genuine user ratings and reviews, ensuring users can confidently choose the perfect spot that suits their current mood and personal taste.

Genuine content

Our app is centered on the idea of "moments". We understand that our users are not only interested in discovering new places but also in collecting and sharing those moments with their friends.

To facilitate the posting of genuine content and populate our map, we have developed a process that allows individuals to capture their moments, rate their experiences, and share their thoughts with a community smoothly.

After trying out various methods for creating the moment’s entry point, we have discovered the most effective and user-friendly approach. Each item on the map, including the user's avatar, is linked to an address. Users can create a moment at any of these locations.

Users will never miss new reviews and ratings as new moments are highlighted both on the place info and the map.

Tags describe the experience one can have at a particular place. This additional information improved our ai powered recommendation system and enhances the quality of the place info provided. For instance, knowing that a cafe offers a conducive environment for learning or work can be helpful when searching for a suitable location.

System of awards

A system of awards encourages users to explore and share more moments, as well as boosts user retention. These awards can be obtained by completing various tasks, such as exploring a new city or frequently visiting the same restaurant.

Events and activities

Users can easily create events and plan activities with their friends using a convenient feature that involves just three simple steps: selecting a place and activity type, setting a time, and inviting friends. The plan can be limited to a certain number of participants or made available to everyone using the app.

The name of the event and its background image is automatically generated based on the chosen place and activity type.

Plans can be created not only at a specific location but also at the user's current location. For example, if the user is out shopping but hasn't decided on a location yet, the avatar will display an icon indicating the type of activity. Visible plans can be found on the map, in place information, and in the top left corner of the user's avatar. Upcoming events are displayed in the top right corner of the app and are sorted by date.

Favorite places

People enjoy saving their favorite places and organizing them into different lists for various occasions. We've been conducting experiments to improve the design of our list views, as well as the process of creating and saving these lists.

Throughout our experiments, we've tested various methods of differentiating between lists. This has included using different colors and incorporating beautiful cover images created from the best photos of each place.

Authentication

The final step, which is equally important, involves developing a persuasive registration process for new users. We have created a straightforward method of authentication using mobile numbers, along with offering various entry points for those who have used the previous version of the app.

In order to obtain more information about users' interests and offer improved suggestions for places, we have incorporated activity tags into the account creation process. During the design phase, we discovered a novel method of encouraging users to share their interests by generating personalized avatars using different interest combinations.

Collette Wasielewski, Creative Director
Elisabeth Greger, Copywriter
Jonathan Heuser, Lead Product Designer
Isabel Kovacevic, Senior Product Designer
Vladislav Likh, Senior Product Designer & 3D artist