Bridge App

An app makes it easier for students to make friends

My Role: UX Researcher & UI Designer (Solo Capstone Project)

Keywords: Cross-cultural Communication, Emotional Design, Education UX

2024 Sep - May 2025

Tools: Figma, Miro, Google Forms, Canva

GENERAL INFO

My Story

When I first started college, I realized that making friends wasn’t as easy as everyone made it look:

We sat together in class, exchanged small talk, but real conversations rarely happened.

It felt awkward to take that first step, like there was an invisible barrier between “classmate” and “friend.”

Then I knew I wasn’t "alone"; many students told me about feeling stuck in their social circles, wanting to meet new people but not knowing how to start.

Bridge began with one question:

What would have made it easier for the old me (and anyone else) just to say hi?

The Problem

College is supposed to be a time for meeting new people and forming lasting friendships.
But many students said it was actually hard to break out of their circle or approach someone new.

What students told me:

“It’s awkward.”
“I don’t want to seem weird.”
“We don’t know what to talk about.”

Instead of feeling confident starting conversations, many students hold back and leave casual classmates from class or clubs feeling like strangers, creating barriers to real friendship that make college life feel lonelier and less connected than expected.

Jump To See The Final Design >

RESEARCH

Research

To better understand what students needed without assumptions, research included two phases: interviews and online surveys. 8 one-on-one interviews explored motivations and barriers in depth, while an online survey helped confirm broader patterns and preferences.

Interviews (Qualitative)

I conducted 8 one-on-one interviews with students with different personalities and social styles, ranging from outgoing to introverted, and asked open-ended questions such as:

What makes starting a conversation hard?
When do you feel most comfortable talking to someone new?
What would help you have a real conversation instead of small talk?

Recurring themes emerged:

These interviews revealed that many students felt uncomfortable approaching new people because large group settings felt forced and unnatural. They worried about seeming weird or pushy and were often unsure if others even wanted to talk. Many also described how school events often stayed at the level of small talk without helping them really get to know people.

Altogether, these insights underscore the need for more low-key, natural ways to connect that transcend surface interactions and facilitate genuine friendships.

Surveys (Quantitative)

To understand what holds students back from making new friends and what would help them feel more comfortable, I ran an online survey with over 30 students. Their responses revealed consistent patterns of barriers and clear preferences for how they want to connect.

Barriers to meeting new people:

80%

social circles don’t overlap

52%

fear of being judged

54%

lack of shared interests

40%

felt shy or lacked confidence

Preferred ways to socialize:

72%

preferred one-on-one chats

68%

wanted small group activities

42%

interested in matching apps

Survey responses reinforced these themes, showing that students want one-on-one or small-group interactions that feel more personal and authentic. Many feel stuck in tight social circles with limited overlap, making it hard to meet new people naturally. There’s also a clear desire for help breaking the ice, whether through shared interests or matching tools, to reduce the stress of knowing what to say and make connecting feel easier and more genuine.

Affinity Map & Persona

USER UNDERSTANDING

Synthesizing user interviews and survey data into themes and personas helped me identify core barriers, motivations, and user needs, providing clear direction for design.

Insights

DESIGN FOUNDATIONS

Students need low-pressure, authentic ways to connect

Students often want to make new friends but feel anxious about seeming awkward, pushy, or being judged. Large events can feel forced and uncomfortable, discouraging genuine interaction. This highlights the need for safer, more personal contexts where conversations can start naturally.

Shared interests help reduce awkwardness

Conversations often stall when people don't know what to talk about. Students reported that lacking common ground makes it hard to continue talking, while shared interests provide natural, comfortable starting points for discussion. Designing around hobbies or topics can reduce barriers and support more meaningful interactions.

Event fatigue and superficial interactions

Many students described school-organized events as repetitive or too structured, preventing genuine friendships from forming. Events often stop at small talk and fail to build trust. This suggests a need for more engaging, meaningful experiences that foster comfort over time.

Preference for small groups or one-on-one settings

Both interview and survey results show a consistent preference for smaller, more personal formats. One-on-one or small group settings feel safer, allow more honest conversation, and make it easier to build trust without fear of embarrassment.

Supporting Theory

These theories help explain the barriers students face and inform design directions.

Self-Determination Theory

Affective Filter Hypothesis

Supports autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Reduces anxiety for more comfortable interaction.

Social Constructivism

Builds understanding through peer interaction.

Cognitive Load Theory

Breaks information into manageable pieces.

How might we design a safe, low-pressure, interest-based environment that encourages students to connect naturally and meaningfully?

IDEA

Mind Mapping

Based on earlier synthesis and HMW directions, I created a mind map to explore the design directions and key experience goals. The concept naturally emerged: a low-pressure, interest-based app that fosters student connections while addressing emotional and cognitive barriers.

Arriving at the App Concept

CONCEPT

These brainstorming methods culminated in the idea of designing a social app that makes it easier for students to connect intentionally and meaningfully. Like dating apps that signal users’ openness to relationships, this app would clearly show a willingness to meet new people. Features like interest-based matching and conversation prompts address common social barriers, build trust, and reduce the hesitation or awkwardness that often prevent authentic interactions.

Design Principles

After defining the overall app concept, I established clear design principles to guide all subsequent design decisions. These principles distilled the core user needs and barriers identified earlier into actionable priorities for the product.

Create
Low-Pressure Experiences

Reduce anxiety and social fear by making interactions feel safe, natural, and informal.

Support 1-on-1
and Small-Group Interactions

Prioritize intimate settings that foster trust and honest dialogue.

Enable
Interest-Based Matching

Help students discover shared interests to spark meaningful conversations.

Reduce
Cognitive
Load

Make participation easy with clear guidance and small, manageable steps.

Limitations of Existing Solutions

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Existing efforts offer valuable starting points but fall short in promoting sustained, low-pressure, interest-based connections. These gaps informed the conceptual direction of this project.

From this, I realized why I couldn’t fully enjoy my college life: these products and programs failed to address my need for deeper, ongoing connections.

❌

✅

PROPOSED SOLUTION

MVP Scope

I used a value-feasibility matrix to prioritize MVP features. The selected functions, like matching by interest, anonymous space for expressing, and event discovery, are all high in user value and easy to implement. This helped keep the product focused while still addressing the key user pain points.

✅

OVERALL STRUCTURE

User Flow

I designed this user flow to outline the app’s overall structure and main pathways. It helps visualize how users move from onboarding to core features, ensuring intuitive navigation and supporting the app’s goal of lowering barriers to meaningful interaction.

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

PROTOTYPE

These drafts show the main screens and flow of the app: onboarding, Say Hi, Whisper, Events, Library, and Profile. At this stage, I wasn’t focused on colors or visuals, but on making sure the layout and steps made sense. I shared the wireframes with classmates to spot anything confusing, then adjusted button names, navigation, and steps to improve clarity.

Jump To See The Usability Test >

Once the structure felt clear, I moved on to the final design. This stage focused on adding colors, icons, and styles to make the app feel engaging and real, while keeping the flows simple and intuitive.

Branding Decision

BRANDING

I designed Bridge’s branding to feel warm, approachable, and memorable. From the app name that highlights connection, to the inclusive color palette, and the logo shaped as a smiling handshake, every element works together to tell the story of turning classmates into friends.

Bridge - A Better Way To Connect

FINAL DESIGN

Bridge is a safe, low-pressure, interest-based app that helps students connect.

By combining interest matching, event discovery, friendly prompts, and anonymous whispers, Bridge gives students simple ways to break the ice and build meaningful friendships.

Welcome Page: A Warm, Campus-Only Start

Personalized Greeting: Each user is welcomed by name, creating an immediate sense of belonging.

Campus-Only Space: Users can only connect with peers from their own school, ensuring safety and familiarity.

Onboarding (Part 1): Share Your Interests & Photos

Interest Tags: Users choose 3+ interests from music, movies, hobbies, food, and more, helping the app suggest meaningful matches.

Photo Upload: Adding photos allows others to recognize users and get a sense of their vibe, creating familiarity from the start.

Onboarding (Part 2): Express Yourself & Define Connections

Intro & Motto: Optional fields where users can add a short self-introduction or a personal quote, letting their personality shine.

Connection Preferences: Users indicate the type of connections they seek (e.g., study buddy, workout partner, deep conversations).

Languages: Selecting spoken languages ensures smoother communication and inclusivity in diverse communities.

Home Page: A Snapshot of Connection

The home screen provides a quick snapshot of all key features - from friend suggestions and campus events to anonymous posts and conversation starters.

A small daily kindness message at the top sets a welcoming, supportive tone.

Say "Hi": Low-Pressure First Connections

Matches students by shared tags and goals, making it easier to break the ice and start conversations naturally.

Shared Interests: Highlights hobbies and likes in common.
Connection Goals: Let users state what they’re looking for (e.g., study buddy, concert buddy).

Events: Join or Create Low-Pressure Activities

Casual events, hosted by students or faculty, make it easy to meet, join, or start something new.

Student-Led: Events are initiated by peers, keeping them casual and relevant.

Inclusive: Faculty-hosted options add variety and openness.

Easy to Join: With just a tap, students can see details, RSVP, or host an event.

Whisper: An Anonymous Space

No Names: Every post is anonymous, lowering social pressure.

Open Sharing: A place for casual thoughts, small moments, or honest feelings.

Safe Environment: Encourages openness and reduces fear of judgment.

Library: Tips & Tools for Easier Connections

A pocket of prompts, including icebreakers, cultural clues, and fun questions, that help students start and sustain conversations with less pressure.

Try the prototype! >

NOTES

Reflection

This project reminded me what UX truly means. To me, it isn’t just about roles in tech companies; it’s about solving real problems we experience in everyday life.

As an international student, I often felt isolated in subtle ways. I wondered: if classmates could see who I was beyond language or appearance, through my interests or personality, would it have been easier to connect? That question became the seed of this design.

Through Bridge, I realized UX is not only about designing for others, but also for my past self. It taught me to listen, to notice, and to create spaces that reduce barriers. More than a discipline, UX feels like a mindset: one that also fuels entrepreneurship by helping us identify problems and design thoughtful solutions.

Maybe I didn’t just build an app, I built a bridge for someone who used to feel invisible. And for now, that feels like enough.

Future Direction

If given more time, I would continue developing Bridge beyond a prototype into something students could truly use. I’d refine the onboarding, add lightweight chat, make events more interactive, and expand the Library into a more dynamic tool with conversation games and adaptive prompts.

More importantly, I hope to see Bridge in the hands of students who feel isolated and are still looking for their people. Whether through partnerships, competitions, or further development, this project has the potential to grow beyond the classroom.

Bridge is more than a class assignment - it’s a reminder that design doesn’t need to be large-scale to be meaningful. It’s the start of something real.

​Bridge App