Places
Case Study of Product Design
Enabling Community in an Increasingly Digital World
Did You Know...
3 out of 4 Americans report feeling a lack of belonging in their local community
Our sense of community is dying. It’s time to
re-connect.
Introducing Places.
An innovative mobile app revolutionizing human connection in the digital age. Places is dedicated to supporting the development of physical, interest-based communities, making it possible for everyone to discover their community.
Key Features
Interest and Location Based Group Chats
Places. makes it easy to discover and join group chats based on both shared interests and physical proximity. Whether it's hiking, food spots, parenting, or nightlife, users can connect with like-minded people in their area.
Each group chat supports:
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Real-time messaging
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Image sharing
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Reactions and threaded replies for deeper conversations
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Member visibility, so users can see who’s in the group and form connections
Discover and Create Local Events That Matter
In Places., users can explore and share local events that align with their interests and communities. Events are prioritized based on smart tags and social activity, making it easy to find meaningful experiences nearby.
Users can:
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Browse events in selected locationsSee events tailored to their interests through tagging and group activity
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Search by keyword or category
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View full event details (time, location, description)
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Share events with friends or group chats
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Comment on events, mark interest, and create their own
Project Overview
Places is an innovative startup revolutionizing human connection in the digital age. Places is dedicated to supporting the development of physical, interest-based communities, making it possible for everyone to discover their community.
My Role
Owned the full design process, including discovery, prototyping, user testing, and refining features based on feedback.
Company
Places.
Tools
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Miro
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Figma
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Google Forms
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Firebase
The Process
Discover
Initial Surveys
We conducted early surveys to deepen our understanding of the core problem and validate the need for a more intentional way to build in-person communities.
Market Research
We analyzed existing platforms to identify gaps in how they foster real-world connection. This helped us uncover unmet needs and strategically position Places as a more human, community-first alternative in the market.
User Discovery
To ground our design decisions in real user needs, I conducted interviews with individuals in our target market.
These conversations helped me uncover not only what users wanted from a community-based app, but also the emotional drivers behind those needs.
I explored questions like:
• What makes people feel truly connected to others?
• What barriers keep them from joining or starting communities?
• What would make them trust—and return to—an app like this?
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Through these sessions, I identified common themes: users craved authenticity, low-pressure ways to meet like-minded people, and a sense of belonging that felt organic, not engineered. These insights became the foundation for both our feature set and experience design strategy.
Persona Creation
To ensure our decisions stayed user-centered, I synthesized findings into a detailed persona that embodied our core audience—highlighting their motivations, frustrations, and expectations. This persona guided design choices throughout the product lifecycle.
Design
Developing a Design System
Logo
Style Guidelines
Comprehensive Component Library
Examples of Components
High Fidelity Mockups
