
HULA

How do we eliminate the hassle of finding new buddies to attend events with?

Ever miss out on an event because you A) Did not have anyone to go with or B) Did not want to risk going alone or C) Had no idea it was even going on?
Hula is an app that brings people together through the discovery of community-based cultural events. It is a social platform that connects users with other like-minded individuals to go to events together.
We are currently live on the Apple App Store - download our app!
Overview
Hula is a platform that connects users based on their shared event interests and encourages users to attend new events together, while also curating a handpicked multicultural selection.
The younger generation loves going to entertainment events and it can be frustrating for event-goers to find the right people to go with. How might we build upon genuine connections to assist shared experiences?
As this is a living project, there are constant moving parts. Stay connected at:
Scope
Social App
Role
Lead UX Designer
Focus
Buttom-up end-to-end design
The Challenge
I joined the start-up with the same value and vision as the team - to connect users to share new experiences.
Goals Included:
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Seeing a product from concept to launch.
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Create a successful app that fulfills the founders' vision.
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Develop a unique product to merge business goals with customer needs.
Keeping the above goals in mind, I needed a starting point to understand the direction of what we are hoping to accomplish.
How Might We:
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Personalize event recommendations based on personal interests?
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Create an organic, friendly, and trusting matching system?
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Direct in-app ticketing?
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Represent a new brand?
My Role
As a "Day 1" UX Designer, to now lead UX designer with a team, I built the design groundwork of the product well through the public launch of HULA. I worked closely with our product manager and engineers to make the team's conceptual product idea into a reality. I am also assisting in branding and marketing assets found on our various social platforms and website.
The Research
Missed an event?
FOMO is Real
Jumping into user research, there was a mountain of data to unearth.
We wanted to understand the current status of the market. Which apps are currently available and align closest to our app's core intentions: to explore, connect, and resonate

Quadrant with closest competitors
User Interview InsightsFOMO is Real



Among the users interviewed, the following were consistant pain points users faced during making the decision to to attend an event. What stood out as being the top reason was users had no one to attend an event with.

Pain Points:OMO is Real
Survey InsightsFOMO is Real



To assist the research and reach a broader audience, a survey was conducted. With over 900 respondants, 58% were generation Z and millenials and 65% of the users attend an event 1-3 times every 3 months to 1-3 times per week.
The greatest takeaway was: