Circles by Diseo App Redesign

Circles by Diseo is a social media and commerce application designed to empower communities by facilitating services, communication, and member engagement.

UI/UX DESIGN
MOBILE
available on Andriod & IOS

Project Summary

Success Criteria

Lead UI/UX Designer

ROLE

Lead UI/UX Designer

TEAM

2 UI/UX Designers,
2 Developers,
1 Project Manager,

Duration

01.08 .2024 - 02.12 .2024

Tools Used

Figma, Notion, Slack,
Typeform

Problem Statement

Why the Re - Design was necessary

Circles by Diseo is designed to be a secure, community-driven social networking app, allowing users to connect through private invites, encrypted messaging, and business networking. However, despite its strong privacy-focused features, the app faced several usability and engagement challenges that called for a major UX redesign.

Key Challenges Identified

Through user feedback, internal discussions, and analytics, we uncovered several pain points that affected user engagement, onboarding, and messaging experiences. These included:

1. Friction in the Onboarding Process

  • Many users who received private invites did not complete registration, leading to high drop-off rates.

2. Poor Invitation Flow & Follow-Ups

  • Users forgot to respond to invites, as there were no proper follow-up notifications via SMS or email.
  • Business invitations required recipients to download the app first, causing friction. Instead, allowing them to preview the profile via a web page could provide a smoother experience.
  • Many users who received private invites did not complete registration, leading to high drop-off rates.

3. Weak Profile Engagement & Completion

  • Users lacked motivation to invite others, as they weren’t reminded of the platform’s benefits, such as data protection, earning opportunities, and community growth.

4. Messaging & Chat Issues

  • Users struggled with unread message tracking, making conversations feel disconnected.
  • There was no option to edit or correct messages in 1-on-1 and group chats.
  • Users couldn’t pin important chats or manage archived messages efficiently.

5. Permission & Notification Issues

  • Users had limited control over message and invite permissions—there was no way to filter notifications to only receive invites from verified profiles.
  • Android notifications were less visible than on iOS, causing some users to miss important messages.
  • There was no “silence time” feature to allow notifications to be muted between 12 AM – 8 AM without completely turning them off.

Redesign Goals & Objectives

To address these challenges, we structured the redesign around five key focus areas:

1. Streamlining the Onboarding Process

  • Making the welcome page more engaging and informative with clearer messaging.
  • Introducing pre-registration (capturing user details before they download the app).

2. Optimizing the Invitation Flow

  • Adding follow-up reminders via SMS and email for unanswered invites.
  • Allowing business invite recipients to view profiles on a web page before downloading the app.

3. Enhancing Messaging & Chat Experience

  • Improving unread message tracking and prioritization.
  • Adding message editing, pinning, and improved search features.

4. Improving Profile Management & Engagement

  • Designing a new verification icon to highlight trusted users.
  • Introducing achievement medals (e.g., “Most Active Profile”) to boost engagement.

5. Refining Notification & Permission Controls

  • Implementing better notification settings, including silent hours (12 AM – 8 AM).
  • Adding sub-permissions for advertising preferences based on industries (finance, education, travel, etc.).

Research & Discovery

To better understand the user experience issues in Circles by Diseo, I conducted user interviews, surveys, and competitive analysis. This research helped identify the pain points and areas of improvement for the redesign.

User Interview

After surveying a total of 50 users and documenting 10 users and their responses, I discovered four main reasons users encountered frustrations while using the app.

Key insights from survey responses

  1. Onboarding issues: Users struggled with understanding what to do after signing up.

  2. Notification problems: Android and IOS users reported missing important notifications.

  3. Invitation flow issues: Users found the invite messages impersonal and unengaging.

  4. Profile completion challenges: Many users did not see the value in completing their profiles.

  5. Chat & Messaging concerns: Users had difficulty tracking unread messages and needed better organization.

View Survey Results on Miro

competitors analysis

To benchmark Circles by Diseo against similar platforms and identify best practices, I conducted a competitive analysis of major players in the social networking and business communication space. The focus was on onboarding experience, engagement features, messaging system, and notification reliability.

Discord

Community Engagement & Messaging

  • Strong voice, video, and text communication features.
  • Highly active and engaged communities.
  • ❌ Overwhelming UI for new users.
  • ❌ Lacks structured business networking.
  • 💡 Key Insights: A well-structured onboarding process and clearer UI organization could improve Circles by Diseo’s user experience.
Facebook

User Engagement & Notifications

  • Familiar social networking experience.
  • Engaging notifications drive user activity.
  • ❌ Privacy concerns and data tracking issues.
  • ❌ Less focus on invite-only communities.
  • 💡 Key Insights: Implementing personalized notifications and privacy-centric engagement features could enhance Circles by Diseo’s appeal.
LinkedIn

Professional Networking & Profile Completion

  • High engagement among professionals
  • Encourages full profile completion.
  • ❌ Lacks real-time chat functionality.
  • ❌ Overwhelming amount of notifications.
  • 💡 Key Insights: Encouraging users to complete their profiles through progress tracking and incentives would improve Circles by Diseo’s networking potential.

user personas

Katija

To better understand users who run independent businesses and use Circles for networking, we developed Katija’s persona.

Details

  • Age: 31

  • Location: Croatia

  • Occupation: Ceramist

  • Annual Salary: $50K

Use Case

1. Uses social platforms to  promote her handmade ceramic products.

2. Finds onboarding confusing and struggles to find relevant communities.

3. Needs better profile completion prompts to showcase her work.

Emmanuel

Emmanuel’s persona represents fresh graduates entering the professional space and looking for networking opportunities.

Details

  • Age: 24

  • Location: Poland

  • Occupation: Project Management

  • Annual Salary: $30K

Use Case

1.Wants to build his professional network and connect with mentors.

2.Feels overwhelmed by the app’s interface during onboarding.

3. Seeks a clear structure for discovering networking communities.

Wireframes

COLORS

TYPOGRAPHY

DESIGN SYSTEM

USER FLOW

UX Solutions & Design Improvements