Gurjot
UX Designer | Brand Marketer | Creative Director
Kakar
INTRODUCING
SIDE QUEST
Step off the beaten path. Side Quest helps you explore your interests, expand your circle, and make real-world moments unforgettable. Your Side Quest is waiting — whether it’s new people, new places, or just a new vibe.
THE BIRTH OF SIDE QUEST
Let's Dive Deeper Into How It Was Born...
UX CASE STUDY:
"SIDE QUEST"
MY ROLES
UX / UI DESIGNER
USER RESEARCH
BRAND DEVOLPMENT
TOOLS
FIGMA
FIGJAM
AFTER EFFECTS
TIME SPAN
10 WEEK UX BOOTCAMP
CASE STUDY
METHODOLGY
End-To-End UX PROCESS
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Identifying The Problem Space
Gen Z struggles to form meaningful in-person connections, with 54% reporting that social anxiety hinders their ability to make new friends (American Psychological Association, 2023). While social media provides online interaction, many feel unfulfilled and seek real-world experiences to foster genuine relationships. However, existing platforms fail to bridge the gap between digital connection and in-person social opportunities.
Social media makes Gen Z adults feel an overwhelming sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), with the constant information overload of people sharing the highlights of all their experiences.
How might we help Gen Z young adults feel more comfortable forming in-person connections through curated social experiences based on shared interests, while considering factors such as social anxiety and digital fatigue from social media?
How Might We?
PROJECT GOAL
To create a digital solution that helps Gen Z young adults discover and engage in curated real-world experiences based on their interests, while making it easier to connect with like-minded people. Side Quest aims to reduce the overwhelm of endless event options and social media fatigue, helping users step out of their comfort zone and build meaningful connections through shared experiences.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY
DOUBLE DIAMOND METHOD
DISCOVER
Research
Key Insights
DEFINE
Persona
User Stories
Task Selection
DEVELOP
Sketching
Wireframes & Prototype
User Testing
DELIVER
Brand Identity
Marketing
Next Steps
DISCOVER
RESEARCH
Secondary Research Findings
Gen Z is embracing activity-based hobbies that foster personal growth, mindfulness, and connection, while shifting away from tech toward real-world social experiences.
Persona Interviews
Participant Criteria:
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Age: Gen Z young adults (20–25 years old)
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Social Comfort: Has experienced social anxiety or discomfort in group settings
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Curious & Open: Interested in trying new hobbies or activities, but may hesitate to go alone
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Event Seeker: Has attended or considered attending events, but faced barriers like fear, uncertainty, or lack of group alignment
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Digital Behavior: Uses apps or platforms to explore curated events, discover new experiences, or connect with like-minded people
Interview Setting:
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Conducted remotely via Zoom and Google Meet to accommodate participant availability and comfort.
Objective:
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To understand Gen Z’s motivations, behaviors, and challenges around attending in-person events and trying new experiences.
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Goals:
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Explore how social anxiety and comfort levels impact participation in social activities.
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Identify what encourages or discourages Gen Z from stepping out of their comfort zone.
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Learn what types of curated experiences resonate most with their interests and values.
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Understand how Gen Z currently discovers events and what gaps exist in that process.
Key Insights
Affinity Mapping Pain Points, Motivations, & Behaviours
insight 1
She seeks meaningful, familiar experiences rooted in personal growth, such as fitness, wellness, and cultural activities. While she prefers organic, low-pressure social interactions over forced ones, she still experiences some social awkwardness when breaking the ice — yet remains motivated to attend events that align with her personal values and interests.
insight 3
He values events where he can connect with others who share his niche interests, like anime or specific film genres. He’s eager for a more efficient, interest-based way to discover events and meet like-minded people — ideally through a platform that feels as intuitive as a dating app, but for social experiences.​
insight 2
He’s motivated to try new experiences but feels anxious in unfamiliar settings and struggles to engage without common ground. While he enjoys solo and group activities, he feels pressure to choose something everyone will enjoy. Scrolling through TikTok to find events often feels overwhelming and uncertain, leaving him unsure if they genuinely fit his interests.
Key Insight From My Findings....
​Gen Z craves real-world connections — both with themselves and others. While social media offers endless interaction, many feel unfulfilled and are actively seeking experiences that take them out of their comfort zone. They want to explore new hobbies or dive deeper into their interests, but often lack the right people to go with or struggle to break the ice. There's also a growing desire to move away from the overwhelming pressure of social media and endless scrolling, in favor of curated, meaningful experiences that actually align with their vibe.
DEFINE
Persona
Drawing from common patterns across all interviews, I synthesized key behaviors, motivations, and pain points into a user persona that represents the core needs of Gen Z users seeking meaningful, interest-based social experiences.
Through Experience Mapping, I was able to map out Rahul’s journey as he searches for and considers attending a niche event, highlighting his motivations, pain points, and emotional state throughout the process.
USER STORIES
Defining The User's Journey
As a New User, I Want To...
1.) As a user, I want to discover events that match my interests so I can enjoy activities I like.
2.) As a user, I want to filter events by comfort level so I can find experiences that suit my personality.
3.) As a user, I want to see event details (host, reviews, vibe checks) so I feel comfortable attending.
4.) As a user, I want to know the time commitment and difficulty level so I can decide if it's right for me.
5.) As a user, I want personalized recommendations based on my past interactions so I can easily find new events.
6.) As a user, I want notifications for new events that match my interests so I don’t miss out.
7.) As a user, I want to see how many first-time attendees are going so I feel less anxious.
8.) As a user, I want to join a pre-event group chat so I can connect with others beforehand.
9.) As a user, I want post-event recommendations so I can continue discovering new experiences.
10.) As a user, I want icebreaker suggestions so I can engage more easily at events.
Task: Finding & Joining a Side Quest Event
Core Epic: Curating Interests & Finding the Right Side Quest
Based on Rahul’s experience map and user stories, I crafted a Task Flow to visualize his journey through discovering and committing to a curated event that aligns with his interests.
DEVELOP
Design Development Process
To support Rahul’s goals—discovering niche events and connecting with like-minded people—I researched apps with strong search, filter, and social features. Drawing inspiration from event platforms and dating apps, I explored key UI patterns and sketched out core features, which evolved into full-screen wireframes. These designs were tested and refined through multiple rounds of iteration.
ui inspiration
I began by gathering UI inspiration from apps with strong event discovery, personalization, and social connection features to guide my design direction before moving into exploratory sketching.
Exploratory Sketching
When approaching my exploratory sketches, I experimented with a range of layout variations inspired by my UI inspiration board, focusing on creating an intuitive and efficient user flow aligned with my user’s needs.
Solution Sketches
After exploring multiple layout directions, I narrowed down my favorite ideas into a focused 7-screen flow, translating key features into solution sketches that laid the foundation for my grayscale wireframes.
VERSION 1 PROTOTYPE
Building on my solution sketches, I created an initial interactive grayscale prototype that focused on seamless navigation, visual consistency, and bringing the core user flow to life ahead of usability testing.
User Testing Plan
Docs Include 2 Rounds of Testing For Both Version 1 & Version 2
Goals & Objective:
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Evaluate the clarity, functionality, and overall user experience of the SideQuest prototype through a first-time user flow—from interest selection to event signup.
Interview Setting:
-
Conducted remotely via Zoom and Google Meet to accommodate participant availability and comfort.
Objective:
-
To understand Gen Z’s motivations, behaviors, and challenges around attending in-person events and trying new experiences.
​
Goals:
-
Explore how social anxiety and comfort levels impact participation in social activities.
-
Identify what encourages or discourages Gen Z from stepping out of their comfort zone.
-
Learn what types of curated experiences resonate most with their interests and values.
-
Understand how Gen Z currently discovers events and what gaps exist in that process.
Objective:
-
Evaluate the clarity, functionality, and overall user experience of the SideQuest prototype through a first-time user flow—from interest selection to event signup.
Goals:
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Assess how easily users can navigate the app as new users
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Identify pain points in the event discovery and selection process
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Understand how intuitive the interest-based recommendation system is
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Gauge how effectively the app supports connection with like-minded individuals
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Observe if the design helps reduce uncertainty or hesitation related to social interaction
User Testing Setting:
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Conducted remotely via Zoom and Google Meet to accommodate participant availability and comfort.
Based on the feedback gathered during usability testing, I organized insights into a Design Prioritization Matrix to identify which issues to address first, balancing user impact with implementation effort to guide my next iteration.
VERSION 2 PROTOTYPE
I was excited to implement feedback from usability testing into my second iteration. While many of the changes were subtle, they made a noticeable impact on improving navigation and overall ease of use for new users.
DELIVER
Brand Development
In the final phase of the project, I focused on building a strong visual identity for Side Quest. Through brand exploration, moodboarding, and wordmark development, I established a look and feel that reflects the app’s adventurous, curated, and community-driven spirit. This identity was carried into the high-fidelity prototype through intentional color injection, typography, and layout decisions. I also built a UI library to ensure consistency and scalability across the design system.
Began Establishing Brand Identity
by creating a more A than B list
I designed my moodboard to capture the overall vibe and built-in intrigue of doing what excites with Side Quest. It reflects a sense of exploration, individuality, and cultural connection—elements core to the brand’s identity and purpose.
In building my brand identity, I pulled the most eye-catching tones from my moodboard to create a visual style that evokes a dream-like night out—one that sparks curiosity and encourages users to step out of their comfort zone to explore and experience something new. These colors were carefully applied to the high-fidelity prototype to enhance mood, cohesion, and brand recognition.
After exploring a range of brand-name ideas, I landed on Side Quest—a term rooted in Gen Z slang and gaming culture that represents stepping off the main path to explore something new. It perfectly captures the app’s purpose: encouraging users to discover niche experiences, meet new people, and grow beyond their comfort zones.
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With the name finalized, I began exploring icon concepts that reflected movement, exploration, and individuality—designing visuals that could live both as a recognizable app icon and a strong extension of the brand identity.
I created a UI library to document key components like typography, color styles, buttons, and icons, ensuring consistency and cohesion across the Side Quest interface.
FINAL PRODUCT & DESIGN IMPACT
Final High Fidelity Prototype
FUTURE THINKING
As Gen Z continues to seek deeper, more meaningful real-world experiences, Side Quest has the potential to become a go-to hub for connecting people through shared interests. With the right curation and community, this tool can help users move past surface-level socializing and into more authentic connections.
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KEY LEARNINGS
Good design doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel—through testing, I learned that familiarity in UI often builds trust and ease. I also realized the importance of staying flexible; the best solutions came when I followed user insights.
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NEXT STEPS
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Conduct another round of testing with a broader, more diverse group of users
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Explore deeper integration of social connection features (e.g., interest-based group matching)
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Refine the event recommendation algorithm for stronger personalization
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Expand the platform concept to include web-based discovery alongside the mobile app