ConNet, Building Community Through Expression

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The biggest challenge was designing a social media experience that encourages people to step outside their comfort zone without making the experience feel uncomfortable or confusing. Most platforms are designed to keep users engaged with content they already like, so creating a system that rewards curiosity and discovery required rethinking common social media patterns. Another challenge was promoting individuality through profiles and content customization while keeping the interface intuitive. The goal was to create something different, but not unfamiliar to the point where users would feel lost.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
The biggest aha! moment came during the research phase. It became clear that people were not only frustrated by specific features on social media, but by the feeling that every platform was starting to look and behave the same. That realization helped define the entire direction of the project. A low point came during user testing when participants struggled with some icons, terminology and navigation elements that initially seemed obvious. It was frustrating at first, but it became one of the most valuable moments of the process because it highlighted the gap between my design assumptions and real user behavior.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
In five years, the project could evolve beyond a prototype into a platform that further explores alternative approaches to social media. There is still a lot to test, especially around content discovery, community building and healthier engagement patterns. The hope is that ConNet can contribute to conversations about what social media could look like if individuality and meaningful connection were prioritized over endless repetition. Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine how ConNet could look like in the future, since it would be built by the community and their future interests.