UX/UI Research + Product Design
5 Months | January - May 2024
ROLE
TEAM
UX/UI Researcher
Digital & Graphic Designer
Motion Designer
3 Designers
3 Developpers
FIGMA
ILLUSTRATOR
AFTER EFFECTS
Circles
01.
Overview
Circles is a dedicated photo-sharing app designed for close friends who want to share meaningful moments without the noise of traditional social media. Unlike public platforms where posts often get lost in large feeds, Circles provides an intimate, private space where users can create exclusive group albums to relive their shared experiences.
By focusing on trusted connections, Circles combines the ease of modern photo-sharing with the nostalgia of private photo albums, making it effortless to capture, organize, and cherish group memories.
02.
Challenge
Photo-sharing with close friends should be effortless and enjoyable, yet existing platforms create barriers to preserving meaningful moments. Messaging apps cause quality loss and disorganization, while social media platforms bring privacy concerns and social pressure.
How might we design a private, high-quality photo-sharing space that makes it easy to organize and relive moments with close friends?
03.
Designing Circles for Seamless Sharing
Research revealed three major obstacles in how friends currently share photos:
Key Findings
Messaging apps like iMessage and WhatsApp compress images, making them blurry or pixelated when retrieved later. Deleting photos after sending them often leads to lost memories.
01. Photo Quality Loss
Friend groups use multiple platforms, causing fragmented conversations. Some photos are in chat threads, others in social media stories, making it difficult to keep everything in one place.
02. Scattered & Disoriented Sharing
Posting personal moments on public platforms feels uncomfortable. Users want a safe, private space to share without worrying about likes, followers, or judgment.
These insights shaped Circles into a private, high-quality photo-sharing space designed for effortless group memory-keeping.
03. Social Pressure & Privacy Concerns
04.
Solution
Circles eliminates compression issues found in messaging apps, ensuring photos are always stored in full resolution. Users can revisit and download images without losing quality.
01. High-Quality Photo Storage
All photos are organized in private albums, keeping shared moments easy to find. Friends can contribute, view, and comment in one dedicated space instead of searching across multiple apps.
02. A Centralized Space for Group Memories
Circles provides a safe and intimate space for sharing memories without the pressures of social media. Users can share moments with close friends, free from algorithms, likes, or public scrutiny, making every interaction feel personal and meaningful.
03. Private & Pressure-Free Sharing
05.
Wireframing & Initial Iterations
Circles was built to make sharing memories with friends feel simple and natural. Early wireframes focused on keeping the experience effortless, from creating private albums to browsing shared moments without digging through endless chat threads.
Every iteration refined the little things that make sharing feel more personal and intuitive. A clean, clutter-free layout keeps the focus on the photos, while seamless uploads and group interactions ensure sharing moments is just as fun as reliving them.
06.
Branding & Styleguide
Circles’ visual identity is designed to feel warm, inviting, and effortlessly connected to friendship. Every element, from colours and typography to the logo, works together to create a brand that feels calm, personal, and timeless.
The colour palette reflects the joy of shared memories, using a mix of deep blues for trust and connection and soft neutrals for warmth and simplicity. The logo, an asterisk, represents the network of friendships within Circles. Each point symbolizes an individual, while the centre represents the shared space where their lives intersect.
Typography is kept modern and minimal, making everything easy to read while adding personality. Light and dark mode variations ensure Circles feels just as comfortable in any setting, maintaining a seamless and enjoyable user experience. This style guide keeps everything consistent, reinforcing Circles as a safe and thoughtfully designed space for capturing life’s best moments with friends.
07.
Final Iterations
The final design of Circles brings everything together into a clean, simple, and inviting experience. Every detail was refined to keep the focus on effortless photo-sharing and genuine connections.
Colours, typography, and layout were adjusted to feel calm and familiar, making sure the app is easy to navigate without distractions. Small tweaks to interactions and flow helped streamline the way friends create and browse shared albums.
The result is a polished, thoughtful design that feels natural to use, making it easier than ever to share and relive moments with close friends.
08.
Promotional Video
The Circles promotional video is designed to be energetic and engaging, with upbeat music and dynamic animations that immediately capture attention. Every scene reflects the heart of Circles, making meaningful connections effortless and enjoyable.
From fast-paced visuals to smooth transitions, the video highlights how Circles brings people together in a way that feels natural and seamless. Whether it’s staying in touch with close friends or expanding your network, Circles ensures that every interaction has purpose.
Because in Circles, every connection matters.
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