synopsis
Relocating to a new city can be exciting but also challenging, especially when language barriers and cultural differences make it harder to connect with others. Navigating a new city and forming connections can take time, but having the right guidance is essential to unlocking all that the city has to offer.
As a result of extensive research, user-centered design principles, and an iterative development process, MalmöLink was created to offer a centralized platform where non-Swedish speaking residents can find everything they need—all in one place.
This was my final assignment for the Design a User Experience for Social Good module in the Google UX Design Program as well as a passion project fueled by a desire to foster inclusive, accessible, and community-oriented digital experiences.
Following the Design Thinking process, the app was developed through the Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test stages to meet the needs of expat professionals, international students, new residents, and local entrepreneurs. It is designed to offer curated events, discussion forums, and networking opportunities that facilitate meaningful connections and a smoother transition into life in Malmö.
research
As part of the preliminary user research phase of the project, a survey was conducted with 36 participants to gather demographic insights and understand the needs and preferences of the target audience. The survey aimed to identify key user characteristics, including age, country of origin, time spent in Malmö, language proficiency, event preferences, and desired app features. By analyzing these responses, I was able to gather valuable data on user motivations, engagement barriers, and reactions to the app concept, which are essential for developing a user-friendly and inclusive platform.
The results reveal a diverse, international user base, predominantly in the 20-39 age range, with participants from countries such as Mexico, Greece, Türkiye, Russia, and Pakistan. This suggests the app should cater to both recent arrivals and long-term residents. While most respondents are fluent or conversational in English, proficiency in Swedish varies, highlighting the need for English-based content with some support for Swedish integration. The survey also highlighted fragmented information regarding event availability on other platforms, where event details were often incomplete or missing. As a result, respondents expressed a strong preference for a centralized, English-friendly event platform to easily find social gatherings, cultural events, and networking opportunities as well as language exchange and Swedish learning support.
Some suggested extending the app’s scope to include events in Lund, further expanding its relevance to a broader audience. Desired features included clear event details, easy navigation, personalized event recommendations, and the ability to submit user-generated events. Barriers to engagement included the lack of accessible English-language events and unclear event descriptions, while motivators included budget-friendly events, networking opportunities, and events that matched personal interests.
Below are the detailed survey results, including demographic insights and participant responses:
To ensure GDPR compliance and protect participant privacy, personally identifiable information is not shared. All responses are anonymized, and the data is analyzed in aggregate to identify trends and insights rather than individual responses. Findings are presented in a way that reflects overall patterns while maintaining participant confidentiality.
empathize
empathy maps
personas
user journey maps
define
problem, goal & hypothesis statements
storyboard
Scenario: Sofia, an international student new to Malmö, feels lonely in an unfamiliar city. Eager to build a social circle, she seeks a welcoming space to make meaningful connections and feel at home.
ideate
competitive analysis
- Competitor type: Direct
- Location(s): Malmö
- Product offering: Comprehensive city event calendar
- Website: https://malmo.se
- Business size: Large
- Target audience: Residents, visitors, families, tourists
- Unique value proposition: Official city event listing and local cultural information
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Okay – Clean but somewhat outdated design
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Okay – Simple navigation, but limited interactivity
- Interaction – Features: Good – Functional but not very engaging
- Interaction – Accessibility: Event listing, search, filters
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Easy to access on any device
- Interaction – Navigation: Okay – Basic navigation flow
- Visual design – Brand identity: Okay – Clear categories but lacks depth, functional but not modern
- Content – Tone: Neutral, Descriptive – Good event details and information listing
- Content – Descriptiveness: Strong – Recognized city resource
- Competitor type: Direct
- Location(s): Global
- Product offering: Social gathering and group event platform
- Website: https://www.meetup.com
- Business size: Large
- Target audience: Communities, hobbyists, professionals
- Unique value proposition: Connects like-minded people for social activities and events
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Good – Easy to navigate and sign up for events
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Good – Clear event categorization and group creation tools
- Interaction – Features: Good – Functional mobile app for event notifications
- Interaction – Accessibility: Event discovery, group creation, RSVP
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Mobile-first, easy to use
- Interaction – Navigation: Good – Simple event registration and group joining
- Visual design – Brand identity: Good – Clear layout with search filters, Modern but with room for improvement
- Content – Tone: Friendly, Descriptive – Informative group and event details
- Content – Descriptiveness: Strong – Popular among social groups
- Competitor type: Direct
- Location(s): Malmö
- Product offering: Tourism guide for Malmö with event listings
- Website: https://malmocity.se
- Business size: Medium
- Target audience: Tourists, residents, culture enthusiasts
- Unique value proposition: Local tourism guide offering events, activities, and experiences
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Okay – Simple but limited features
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Okay – Clean layout but lacks interactive features
- Interaction – Features: Okay – Basic mobile optimization
- Interaction – Accessibility: Event listings, recommendations
- Interaction – User Flow: Okay – Easy to use but not fully optimized for mobile
- Interaction – Navigation: Okay – Straightforward but limited in depth
- Visual design – Brand identity: Okay – Easy access to different event types, Basic design with some cultural elements
- Content – Tone: Informational, Descriptive – Focused on tourist-related events
- Content – Descriptiveness: Medium – Local but not widely known outside of Malmö
- Competitor type: Direct
- Location(s): Global
- Product offering: Event management and ticketing platform
- Website: https://www.eventbrite.com
- Business size: Large
- Target audience: Event organizers, attendees, professionals
- Unique value proposition: End-to-end event management with ticketing and promotion tools
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Good – Seamless user experience with intuitive design
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Good – Comprehensive features for attendees and organizers
- Interaction – Features: Good – Well-integrated ticketing experience
- Interaction – Accessibility: Event discovery, ticketing, event creation tools
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Easy access across devices
- Interaction – Navigation: Good – Simple registration process
- Visual design – Brand identity: Good – Well organized, clean and modern design
- Content – Tone: Professional, Descriptive – thorough details for organizers and attendees
- Content – Descriptiveness: Strong – Dominates event industry
- Competitor type: Indirect
- Location(s): Global
- Product offering: Networking and event platform for expatriates
- Website: https://www.internations.org
- Business size: Large
- Target audience: Expats, global professionals, social groups
- Unique value proposition: Social networking for expats, with meetups and community-building events
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Good – Simple and welcoming interface
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Good – Easy to navigate for expats
- Interaction – Features: Good – Mobile-friendly with notifications
- Interaction – Accessibility: Networking, meetups, groups, events
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Accessible on various platforms
- Interaction – Navigation: Good – Easy event sign-ups and community building
- Visual design – Brand identity: Good – Well organized with easy event filtering, clean and friendly design
- Content – Tone: Friendly, Descriptive – Focused on expat life
- Content – Descriptiveness: Strong – Well-established among expat communities
- Competitor type: Indirect
- Location(s): Global
- Product offering: Weekly curated newsletter and podcast on events happening in Malmö
- Website:https://nomo.substack.com
- Business size: Medium
- Target audience: Residents, travelers experience seekers
- Unique value proposition: Simplifies finding local experiences, including events on a weekly basis
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Good – Clean, simple layout with easy subscription access
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Good – Responsive and well-optimized for mobile reading
- Interaction – Features: Medium – Standard Substack features (subscriptions, comments, archives)
- Interaction – Accessibility: Medium – Readable text and contrast, but limited accessibility enhancements
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Straightforward navigation from posts to subscriptions and, links
- Interaction – Navigation: Good – Minimalistic, easy to find content and sign-up options
- Visual design – Brand identity: Medium – Simple and clean but lacks strong unique branding
- Content – Tone: Friendly, Informative – Professional yet approachable.
- Content – Descriptiveness: Medium – Emerging but well designed
- Competitor type: Indirect
- Location(s): Global
- Product offering: Booking platform for tours, activities, and events
- Website: https://www.getyourguide.com
- Business size: Large
- Target audience: Tourists, travelers, adventure seekers
- Unique value proposition: A wide variety of local tours and activities available for booking
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Good – Smooth user experience with strong filtering tools
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Good – Easy to search and book activities
- Interaction – Features: Good – Fully functional mobile app
- Interaction – Accessibility: Event and tour booking, recommendations
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Optimized for all devices
- Interaction – Navigation: Good – Smooth process from search to booking
- Visual design – Brand identity: Good – Filters and categories are easily accessible, attractive visuals for each event/activity
- Content – Tone: Professional, Descriptive – Thorough and enticing event details
- Content – Descriptiveness: Strong – Well-established globally
- Competitor type: Indirect
- Location(s): Malmö
- Product offering: Official tourism guide for Malmö, with event listings
- Website: https://www.visitmalmo.se
- Business size: Large
- Target audience: Tourists, residents, culture seekers
- Unique value proposition: The official tourism resource for exploring Malmö
- First impressions – Desktop website experience: Good – Informative, clean, but simple
- First impressions – App or mobile website experience: Good – Easy navigation and event details
- Interaction – Features: Good – Optimized for mobile users
- Interaction – Accessibility: Event listings, tourism recommendations
- Interaction – User Flow: Good – Easy to access for tourists
- Interaction – Navigation: Good – Simple and straightforward
- Visual design – Brand identity: Good – Easy to explore local activities and events, minimalist and informative design
- Content – Tone: Informational, Descriptive – Focused on cultural and tourist events
- Content – Descriptiveness: Strong – Well-recognized tourism resource
hmw ideation questions
user flow diagram
sitemap
paper wireframes
lo-fi prototype
test
usability study overview
key findings & user feedback
The usability study provided valuable insights into how users navigate and interact with MalmöLink. Feedback was prioritized using the P1-P4 system, which considers urgency and impact. Hence, the critical usability issues are addressed first while maintaining a structured approach to ongoing improvements:
the product
onboarding, profile and settings
home page and event sign up
find group
create group
create event
community forum & create new post
guide & inbox
hi-fi prototype
This interactive prototype showcases the app’s key features and is mainly designed around Sofia’s choices and interests, reflecting her user journey within the app. Feel free to navigate through the screens to experience the user flow.
Note: This prototype is a work-in-progress, and certain features are for demonstration purposes only. For best results, view on desktop or tablet in full screen.