Rory MasonInteraction designer
All work
UX & ProductResearchMobile app

Experiencing Agency

An app for neighbourhood action groups that helps newcomers feel welcome and keeps everyone in the loop. It grew out of two rounds of interviews and three prototypes.

Role
Solo project: research, concept, prototyping and testing
Methods
Interviews, clustering, storytelling, paper and hi-fi prototypes
Tools
Figma
Timeline
February to August 2025
Three iPhones showing the welcome screen, the meetings list and a meeting discussion, all in the group's green

The challenge

People felt they could make the biggest difference in small, local groups. But the group chats those groups relied on were messy and confusing, sometimes even alienating, and newcomers found it hard to keep up or feel part of things.

The outcome

A prototype that brings some of the warmth of meeting in person into an app. It greets you with a friendly summary of what's changed, makes meetings easy to find, puts names and faces to members and thanks you when you contribute.

  1. Interviews
  2. Clusters & stories
  3. Prototype 1
  4. Interviews, round 2
  5. Prototype 2
  6. Final prototype
Research

When do people feel they can make a difference?

I spoke to people involved in DIY art collectives, neighbourhood groups, student activism and community archives about times they'd felt good about taking part. I transcribed and tagged each interview, then clustered what I found into themes.

Local feels possible

"It was much more local... something that you felt like you could actually have some impact on."

Taking part is the reward

"I am happy even if it had no impact, because I got to participate."

Online feels messy

Members preferred talking in person, where it's easier to read someone's tone. The chats they used instead felt confusing, and nobody knew of anything better.

Insight board clustering findings into information, familiarity, communication, goals and purpose, with participant quotes
Insights grouped into five themes (information, familiarity, communication, goals and purpose) alongside the quotes behind them.
Iteration

The first prototype proved my assumption wrong

My first prototype assumed people struggle to find groups to join. Testing showed the harder part actually comes after joining: feeling welcome and keeping up. So I went back for a second round of interviews about community and communication, and rebuilt the idea around them.

Paper prototype 1: a petition flow, with notes from testing underneath
Prototype 1: a paper petition flow, with notes from testing underneath.
A participant holding paper screens for meeting notes and a discussion while testing prototype 2
Prototype 2: a participant working through the paper screens, guided by prompts.

What round 2 showed

The second round pointed to four themes: communication and clarity, familiarity, positive associations and how an experience begins. Feedback on prototype 2 then shaped the final high-fidelity version.

Final design

Bringing the in-person feeling online

I've redrawn the final prototype here with the three changes testing pointed to (see the reflection below): the group's own colour and symbol, meetings in the main menu, and a welcome summary you can tap straight through. The flow and content are the ones participants tested.

Welcome back screen listing new replies, a new meeting and announcements, with the next meeting below
1. Catch up at a glanceA welcome screen sums up replies, meetings and announcements since your last visit, and each line takes you straight there.
Meetings screen filtered to the next two weeks, with an open topic for today and two upcoming meetings
2. Meetings you can findMeetings now have their own place in the main menu. Filter by topic or date, and see who's already talking about each one.
Meeting discussion with comments from Zahra and Jan and your newly posted comment
3. Feel knownReal names and faces, plus the group's name, colour and motto on every screen, instead of anonymous threads.
Thank-you screen after suggesting a topic for tonight's meeting
4. Feel heardA clear thank-you whenever you post or suggest a topic, warmer for a thank-you and plainer for updates.
Reflection

What testing taught me

  1. Being upbeat all the time felt unrealistic. The friendly tone worked, but it should change with what each message is about.

  2. Meetings belong in the main menu. Upcoming meetings were still too hard to find, and the welcome summary should link straight to them.

  3. Give each group a stronger identity. Its own colours and symbol would build more of a sense of place.