Pulpup

About the Project

We noticed that coordinating hangouts is a surprisingly mundane and stressful task. Messages get ignored, replies are slow, and people hesitate to initiate plans because it feels awkward. This inspired us to redesign the process so that asking friends to hang out feels simple, playful, and socially comfortable.

Inspiration

Our inspiration came from real conversations. Many people said they want to spend more time with friends, but they avoid initiating because they worry about interrupting someone or being ignored. The problem is not finding time. The problem is the emotional friction of starting the conversation.

How We Built It

We began by mapping the current experience of planning a hangout. We identified key pain points such as uncertainty, slow replies, and messy group chats. We created wireframes that focused on one core flow. Then we built a high fidelity prototype in Figma that included a shared social calendar, availability indicators, and playful invite interactions. We kept the scope small and focused on one strong user journey.

What We Learned

We learned that emotional design matters. A mundane task can become enjoyable when it feels safe, simple, and expressive. We also learned the value of rapid prototyping, reducing complexity, and communicating ideas clearly in a short timeframe.

Challenges

Our main challenges were staying focused, avoiding feature overload, and designing gamification that felt friendly instead of competitive. Working under time pressure also forced us to prioritize clarity over quantity.

Built With

• figma