Thëe Ḧubsp̈ot

Thëe spot for hubs that allow you to express yourself & feel valid as a human being.

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💡Inspiration

  • Being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community comes with a lot of risks for such a crucial period of development.
  • Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are prone to discrimination and hate, there is a lot of vulnerability that comes with it, emotionally and physically—the dangers of being outed or coming out, having difficulty accessing LGBTQ+-specific healthcare, and more.
  • This is, in part, due to a general lack of safety because of poor education and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and health, as well as a lack of visible and accessible community.
  • This all translates to a lack of self-confidence and self-acceptance that can harm LGBTQ+ youth & adults.

🌈💬What it does

Thëe Ḧubsp̈ot is a web application to empower & celebrate ALL sectors of the LGBTQ+ community via 3 interactive, educational, and expression forms: Triviä Ḧub, Säfe Ḧub, Mediä Ḧub.

  • Triviä Ḧub. helps allies and members of the community learn more about different LGBTQ+ topics (i.e. historical events, fun facts, etc.) through interactive daily, fun trivia questions. It also can help people learn LGBTQIA+ terminology, instead or spreading misinformation or getting overwhelmed.
  • Säfe Ḧub. provides users with a way to engage with their local LGTBQ+ community in a judgment-free zone. They can ask about anything from favorite coffee shops to the most taboo topics. They can share and express themselves (art, poetry, short stories, etc.). LGBTQIA+ members and allies can share stories & uplifting messages & posts. Any negative comments will be removed!
  • Mediä Ḧub. is where users can be empowered and learn more about fresh TV shows and movies, music, and news celebrating & representing the LGBTQ+ community—tailored to their media platform preferences.

Validation: Our application makes the LGBTQIA+ community and other minority groups feel valid by providing trivia questions to all users about various sectors of the LGBTQIA+ community. We also make them feel valid in their identity by having a media hub that shows themselves represented in new & old shows/movies, pieces of music, and other forms of media. All these features allow various members of the LGBTQIA+ community to feel empowered, seen, and represented in the world they live in.

Self Expression: Though, in one community (LGBTQIA+), everyone has different identities and experiences with dealing with changes. Our Säfe Ḧub allows our users to express themselves, rant/vent, share fun/sad stories, or any queries they have on any topics!

🛠️ How we built it

This was a one-woman show! I was the ideator, designer, researcher, and hype woman! Process

I used a design thinking framework.

  1. Empathize
  2. Define the problem
  3. Ideate
  4. Prototype
  5. Test

Technologies Used

Google Docs & Draw

  • We used google docs during the ideating & brainstorming phase.
  • We used Google draw to map out features & MVPs.

Figma

  • We made the design system & branding on Figma (color, typography, etc.).
  • Then, we made low & high-fidelity.

😤 Challenges we ran into

  • Finding teammates to create a project with.
  • Trying to learn code and implement my designs into code.
  • Working on the hack alone, as I am a beginner.
  • Time constraints (Started on June 15)

🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Becoming more educated about issues in the LGBTQ+ community through in-depth user research.
  • Creating an application to help educate and inspire young people to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community & make members of the LGBTQ+ Community feel validated and have a place for self-expression.
  • Completing this application solo, despite all the above-stated challenges.

📖 What we learned

  • I learned a lot about the LGBTQ+ community through in-depth user research.
  • I not only learned about educational gaps but also aspects of learning that fit the needs of our target audience (Millennials/Gen-Z) in order to create a more user-centric product.
  • I learned more about user personas & user research
  • I learned more about app design and UI
  • I learned about using my research to create the UX
  • I learned about design systems (typography, color, branding, etc.)
  • I learned a little bit about HTML & CSS even though we weren’t able to implement them during this hackathon

🚀 What's next for Thëe Ḧubsp̈ot

Thëe Ḧubsp̈ot does not & will not stop at the end of this hackathon! It will continue with the help of developers & investors. So if you, judge, or hackathon participant know anyone wanting to join in the creation of an LGBTQIA+ app, let me know! Here's our launch plan:

Part I:

  • Finalize platform and educational/forum functionalities.
  • Initiate outbound marketing and sales.
  • Leverage Gen Z & LGBTQIA+ ambassadors.

Part II

  • Pilot test in colleges & inclusivity programs
  • Integrate user feedback
  • Integrate new features
  • Monetize further

Key Tactics (will be used during the execution in both part I & II)

  • A/B testing of our features
  • Gradual roll-out (test market)
  • Interactive user feedback cycles

Built With

  • figma
  • slide
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