2025
Bloom Social is a nonprofit platform for local discovery without ads or algorithms. I designed the Discovery tab, with a focus on search, filters, and accessibility.
Team: PM + 5 designers + CEO + lead engineer
Product Designer | Client Project | May–August 2025
Weak Signals Beneath a Strong Mission
Early research pointed in the right direction, but wasn’t enough
Bloom had early survey data showing people felt overwhelmed by social media and wanted more control.
But the data was small and insular, mostly from founders’ networks.
We needed deeper insight to confidently design for real users.
Research Changed the Audience
Discovery wasn’t just for Gen Z
Bloom initially targeted Gen Z only.
User interviews revealed something unexpected: Millennials were just as eager—especially for easier event planning.
“If I know my friends are going, I’m in. But planning is exhausting.”
This insight led us to:
Expand the target audience
Design two discovery journeys instead of one
Reframe the problem from “trendy discovery” to reliable local planning
Turning Insights Into Product Decisions
Designing discovery that actually works
With a broader audience, accessibility and clarity became non-negotiable.
Key decisions I led:
Smart filters (location, price, time, interests)
Location-first search to reduce uncertainty
Flexible price filtering (free, range, exact)
Filters that auto-populate while typing
Accessibility updates to typography, line height, and contrast (WCAG-aligned)
These changes reduced friction and gave users control—without complexity.
Impact & What This Taught Me
Insight-led design creates real product impact
Results:
100% task completion in usability testing
Zero usability flags (down from 13)
Discovery without algorithms, by design
Scalable, accessible system ready for growth
Takeaways:
Research can redefine who a product is for
Accessibility scales with audience growth
Values only matter when they shape real design decisions
