Algo - Group 27

Introduction Slide
Branding
Visual Identity
Mockups #1
Mockups #2

Inspiration

Our inspiration began with a shared, modern frustration: the feeling of being controlled by the algorithms that shape our digital lives. We saw a paradox among our peers, particularly young, digitally-native Australians. Despite spending over 10 hours a week on social media, they often feel powerless and overwhelmed. They are acutely aware that their actions; every like, search, and pause; influence their feeds, but they lack the agency to meaningfully shape their content bubble.

This core tension, which we came to call "Awareness Without Control," was the spark for Algo. We were inspired to design a solution that doesn't just criticize the "black box" algorithm but empowers the user to understand and interact with it on their own terms.

What it does

Social media algorithms often leave users feeling powerless and trapped in echo chambers. Algo is a digital companion that acts like a "Spotify Wrapped" for your social media feed, providing a clear summary of your algorithmic bubble. Through daily, bite-sized prompts, it helps you effortlessly discover diverse perspectives. Algo transforms a user's experience from frustration to empowerment, giving them the clarity and control to reclaim their feed.

How we built it

Our process was grounded in user-centered design. We started with extensive primary research, conducting 20+ surveys and 21 in-depth interviews. We synthesized these findings using affinity mapping to define our core insights and our persona, Matt. All design and prototyping was done in Figma, where we also developed the Algo Design System to ensure a clear, calm, and trustworthy user experience.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenge was pivoting from designing an integrated feature to a standalone app. While an integrated tool has less friction, we realized a platform-agnostic app offered far more value by allowing users to understand their entire digital footprint. This forced us to focus heavily on building a compelling brand and a trustworthy onboarding experience to overcome the higher barrier to entry.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of grounding our solution in deep user empathy, moving from raw data to a relatable persona. We successfully designed a cohesive experience that addresses the user's dual need for both periodic, deep-dive insights (the "Wrapped" story) and effortless daily habits (the "Daily Refresh"). Finally, we're proud of creating a polished and professional design system from scratch.

What we learned

Our main takeaway is that users are "curious but fatigued." The best solutions for digital literacy must provide empowerment without feeling like a chore. We also learned the power of a strong analogy "Spotify Wrapped" to guide our design decisions and keep the experience engaging. This project taught us how to build a compelling narrative that directly connects user research to an impactful solution.

What's next for Algo - Group 27

Our priority is to conduct more comprehensive usability testing on our high-fidelity prototype to validate our design decisions. We will use the feedback to iterate and refine the user experience, especially the onboarding flow and the clarity of the "Wrapped" insights.