Cospace
Imagine building a network, meeting professionals, finding job opportunities, and recruiting the right candidates with augmented reality
Independence Project: Joyce Chiu
Responsibilities: UI UX Design Lead, Concept Development, Conducted Research, Ideation, Userflow Wireframes, Usability Testing, Interface Design, Prototype, and Visual Design
Timeline: 14 weeks
Illustration: Ella Lee | Illustrator
Software: Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, Flinto, Torch, and Keynote
Cospace
Cospace enables users to connect in person to discuss professional opportunities in gathering places such as coffee shops, events, and conferences. Cospace leverages AR to help users to identify people and opportunities around them.
The Challenge
Technology has made us more connected than ever, but it has also made us forgot real human connections and become less communicative. The same problem can be discovered in today’s networking.
Research
Online Networking
85% of professionals use online network platforms to expand their connection, but 27% of networkers experience uncertainty when it comes to meeting new professionals online.
Networking Events
72% of professionals attend networking events because they value face to face meetings and this will lead to meaningful business relationships. But 41% of professionals don’t have the time to attend network events.
Opportunity Space: Augmented Reality
I am inspired by Pokemon Go - an augmented reality mobile game, players are required to interact with their environment while engaging with other players to catch Pokemon and battle. This game scratched the surface of what AR can do to enhance human connections by making people go out and have physical interaction with the others and the environment.
So can we enhance the physical engagement and increase the quality of connection in networking platforms with AR?
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How can we combine the potential of AR with our smart devices to bring back real human connections in networking without it being too time-consuming?
How Cospace Works?
Cospace Key Features
Meet the Users
Cospace Video
Cospace Business Model
Design Process
Learning from Professionals
Interview Goals
I interviewed professionals from different backgrounds to gain a deeper understanding of their work routine, how they meet with other professionals and their online and offline networking experiences.
Key Findings
Many professionals like to work in coffee shops and Wework
“A lot of freelancers include myself like to work in coffee shops or Wework.” - Alice Yu
It is hard for professionals to collaborate online based on a lack of communication and trust.
“But I don’t know all of them in person and it is hard for me to know how to work with them.” - Alice Yu
Online networking platform increase the quantity connection, but loses quality connection
“We are connected online but I actually don’t know this person at all.” - Demi Lan
In networking events, many professionals find it difficult to start an initial conversation when they are meeting new people.
“It’s hard for me to start an initial conversation when meeting new professionals because I don't know what types of person he or she is like. ” - Demi Lan
In networking events, it is challenging for professionals to find other professionals with match objectives.
“It is hard for us to connect when all of us have different objectives in the networking events. Sometimes it can be time-wasting.” - Maggie Levine
Reframing The Problems
Based on the findings from interview; I was able to discover more insights about the problems that people are facing in online and offline networking events.
Online Networking Problems
Loses quality of connection
Lack of trust and communication
It is hard for professionals to collaborate online
Offline Networking Problems
• Time-consuming
• Outside of their comfort zone
• Not knowing others’ motivation and goal in networking events
Opportunities For Cospace
Design Process
Ideation Sketches
I began the ideation process with the findings and design opportunities in mind. I came up with ideas for new features that will meet the design goals.
AR + Traditional UI
It was important for me to keep in mind what I can leverage in AR, what I couldn’t, and why some features stay as traditional UI.
Explore in AR
Explore and find professionals based on the current location where the users are at.
A new way to explore and access content in a physical environment.
Explore in traditional UI
Identify and meet the right professionals based on their needs and preferences at gathered location.
Explore in traditional UI allows users to explore outside of their physical space.
User Flow and Task Breakdown
Based on each user types’ roles and needs, I created user flows that help them to achieve their goals with Cospace.
Wireframes
Ideate + Validate
The goal of the usability testing was to test the concept and clarity of components. I made a paper prototype that demonstrates the key user flow of the Cospace app to test with three professionals (networker, freelancer, and an employer) where I recruited them at coffee shops.
Visual Design
I developed a visual language for Cospace. I wanted something that felt simple, clean, professional, social, trust, and collaborative.
Onboarding
Users can use their LinkedIn or Upwork account to sign into Cospace.
Newsfeed
Users can stay connected and updated with their connections through the newsfeed.
Explore
Explore helps users to find the right professionals they are looking for and shows where they are currently at. Users can choose to meet with the people who share the same purposes and motivations. For example, if William is looking for employers in Explore, he will tap on the “hire” button and a list of employers who are hiring will show up. The employers with tick marks are matches.
Explore AR
Explore AR helps users find out what types of professionals are currently in a location by scanning the place with AR. Users can see other users’ profiles and pins inside the space.
Wave
Users can greet the people who they would like to meet by waving at them through the app. When both users wave at each other, they are ready to meet in person!
Schedule Meeting Chatroom
When users are not in the same space, a chat room will be available to facilitate scheduling a meeting.
Busy Mode
When both users wave at each other, Cospace will change the users’ statuses from available to busy in order to inform other Cospace users that the user is currently occupied.
Connect
The connect button will only appear when both users wave at each other.
Job Pin
Employers can post their job offers in the job pin.
Drop A Job Pin
Employers can drop their job pin into the hire pin in a location through AR.
View Job Opportunities
Job seekers can tap on the hire pin to view the available job posts through explore AR.
Matched Candidate Notification
Once the job pin is dropped in a location by employers, Cospace will notify the matched candidates about the job opportunity when they enter the room.
