sydney lai



Gather


A photo app for deepening connections through sharing and reacting.

ROLE:

UI/UX + Motion Design
 TEAM:

Individual Class Project
Overseen by Professor Axel Roesler TIMEFRAME:

Autumn 2024 | 3 Weeks TOOLS:

AfterEffects + Figma






PROMPT

Redesign a daily interaction






I began this project by exploring the interaction of sharing photo albums, an act both mundane and meaningful. Rooted in the idea that people share photos to strengthen collective memory, my goal was to create a design that would enrich this experience.













THE CHALLENGE

How might I strengthen and enhance collective memory between people through the experience of sharing photos?
















DESIGN PREVIEW

A Sneak Peek











Photos and people


The app offers the user two main functions: perusing photos and engaging with the people they care about, focusing attention towards what (and who) matters most in a photo-sharing app.








A shared space for two


People are represented by profile pictures, with size and position determined by how many photos you have together and how often photos are shared between the two of you. If the user think it’s inaccurate, they can adjust the placement of the profiles.

Clicking on a profile brings the user into their shared album with the other person.








Quick react to memories


Hold down to add a like, message, or voice note to media in your shared album. These additions are tagged to the media and can be seen and engaged with by the other person.

Deleting an image or video in this shared space removes it from this space, allowing the user to revoke its access.






IDEATION

What could this look like?








To the sketchbook!


I started with broad brainstorming, considering various features for photo-sharing. During this phase, a challenge I faced was trying to let go of mobile app conventions to open myself up to the possibilities of a handheld interface, but I had a hard time parsing what was novel and fresh vs. what had been done before (and proved to not work).
Exploratory sketches of possible photo-sharing interactions

















ITERATIONS & EXPLORATIONS

Development






An almost feature


I considered a feature where users could share a photo or contact someone by utilizing face recognition technology and connecting contact app data to photo app data. However, this idea didn’t stand alone as the sole design interaction nor did it feel natural to add it as an additional feature on top of another design. As such, I ended up not going forward with this idea.
Sharing feature—faces that aren’t mine are blurred for their privacy
















More features ≠ Good design


I also experimented with alternative photo organization methods, like location-based or frequency-based views. In these views, users could look through photos differently. For example, in the frequency-based view, users could navigate photos by seeing which photos they’ve gone back to the most, mimicking how memories grow stronger the more they’re recalled. However, these features felt superfluous and were not in the final design.
Frequency-based view mock-up



















Less is more


When refining the design, I restructued my concept around simplicity, focusing on two main sections: photos and people. To make the app feel more personable, I envisioned people as bubbles, dynamically sized to represent personal closeness.
Wireframe of the people section






As the project evolved, I realized I needed to dig deeper into the “why” behind photo sharing. Sharing photos isn’t just about memory preservation—it’s about eliciting reactions that build collective memory. This insight shifted my focus to designing reactions that supplement a photo. The final design incorporates reactions in shared albums and collaborative access to albums.  













THE DESIGN

Gather



Gather is a photo-sharing app that humanizes the sharing experience by focusing on people and memories. The app reimagines photo sharing as an opportunity to deepen connection by creating a space where people can converse about their shared experiences through voice notes, written messages, and reactions.  


VIDEO












NEXT STEPS

What’s next?





With more time, I would develop the sharing action itself and explore how to create shared group albums. Additionally, if the time frame had been longer, I would have conducted more formal user research, as my lack of research led me to speculate my users’ wants.













TAKEAWAYS

What I Learned



Know your design history.





Before deciding whether to adhere or move away from conventions, you must first know what they are. Without consulting design history, it’s easy to fall into the trap of designing what has already been done.

This became increasingly clear while working on this project. Consulting the teachings of time not only informs how to design, but also how not to design.

Use the right tools at the right time.




Throughout this project, I learned to balance rapid and slow prototyping tools. Figma was excellent for creating wireframes and quick screen mock-ups, whereas AfterEffects was great for fleshing out the high-fidelity animations and gave me greater control over the outcome. I’m glad I used both in this project, as it helped me understand how to choose the right tools based on time constraints, fidelity requirements, and the desired level of detail.












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Let’s create something delightful together.


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