Sena Kim
Sphere
University Student-Exclusive
Anonymous Community & Marketplace & Career Info App
Sphere
The Exclusive Social Networking Platform for University Students
Overview
"Bridging the gap between academic collaboration, social networking, and personal growth in a safe, verified environment."Â
In an era saturated with general-purpose social media and dating apps, students lack a safe space dedicated solely to their campus life. Sphere is a hyper-local social platform exclusively for verified university students. By requiring student verification, we ensure a genuine community where users can balance anonymity for casual talk with real-name profiles for professional networking and safe transactions.Â
OverView
Background
The Problem: A Fragmented & Unsafe Digital Campus
Fragmented Experience : Students are forced to juggle multiple apps—Tinder for dating, LinkedIn for careers, and generic tools for schedules—lacking a single 'All-in-One' ecosystem.
Trust Deficit & Toxic Anonymity
Fully anonymous platforms like Blind often suffer from hate speech and unreliable information due to a lack of accountability.
Broad & Risky Transactions
General platforms like Facebook Marketplace are too broad, posing safety risks and scams for students seeking roommates or textbooks.
Design Process
I approached this project strategically: first by identifying market gaps through competitor analysis, then formulating a 'Hybrid Identity' hypothesis, and finally validating it through user research before diving into design."
Market Analysis
Strategy Definition
Hypothesis Validation
Information Architecture
Design
Research & Competitor Analysis
Blind
Verified Anonymity
Adopting the structure of a trusted anonymous community where accountability is guaranteed through authentication, fostering honest yet responsible discussions.
Tapple
Safe Interest Matching
Prioritizing privacy by connecting users based on shared interests and hobbies rather than personal data, ensuring a secure social environment.
Every Time
Utility-Driven Engagement
Leveraging essential academic tools (like class schedules) as a hook to attract students, naturally expanding into a hyper-local campus community."
Tinder
Pain Point to SolveThe Limit of Closed 1:1 InteractionMoving beyond the isolation of closed, one-on-one dating apps by creating an open 'Community Square' where students can mingle freely before connecting privately."
Core Strategy
The Hybrid Model
Anonymous for Comfort, Real Name for Trust
Start Anonymously: Users can post freely on general boards to discuss sensitive topics or ask questions without pressure.
Reveal Identity: When networking for jobs, team projects, or selling items, users can switch to their verified real-name profile to build credibility.
Research
Hypothesis-Driven
Research Design
My goal was twofold: to confirm if solving two co-existing pain points would satisfy user needs, and to explore beyond my initial assumptions by listening to real user stories for unexpected ideas.
I designed the user research based on a hypothesis of two hybrid strategies. The core assumption was that addressing two intersecting pain points within the same domain would effectively solve the users' underlying needs. Additionally, the interviews were structured to uncover 'unknown unknowns’ gathering authentic user voices and related insights that I had not previously anticipated.
Research GoalsÂ
After setting goals for what content to verify, we began conducting user research.
Validate the "Hybrid" Need
To verify if students truly need a flexible system that switches between 'Anonymous Comfort' and 'Verified Trust' depending on the context."
Identify Friction Points
To identify the 'Switching Costs' and frustrations students face when juggling multiple disjointed apps (e.g., Blind, LinkedIn, Facebook) for a single campus life.
Discover Hidden Needs
To go beyond known features and collect 'Unknown Unknowns'—the subtle yet critical inconveniences in daily university life that existing tools fail to address.
After setting goals for what content to verify, we began conducting user research.
Research Insights
Key Question & Voice
"I once posted about my anxiety regarding internships on an anonymous board, hoping for genuine advice. But half the comments were trolls, and the other half felt like fake information. I want honesty, not toxicity."
“It’s annoying to switch between apps constantly. I check my class schedule on one app, DM friends on Instagram, and look for textbooks on Facebook. Why isn't there one app where I can do all of this with people from my school?”
Consistent feedback from multiple participants.
“Trying to find a roommate on Craigslist was a nightmare. I had no idea if the person was actually a student or a total stranger. If I could just see a 'Verified Student' badge next to their name, I would feel so much safer.”
Expected Outcome
"Through this research, I aim to map out the 'User Journey of Trust'—identifying exactly when a student wants to wear a mask (Anonymity) and when they want to show their badge (Verification). This will help define the optimal UX flow for switching between the two modes."
Design Strategy (Solution Concept)
Core Strategy: “Dual-Identity"
- Start Anonymously: Users can post freely on general boards to discuss sensitive topics or ask questions without pressure.
- Reveal Identity: When networking for jobs, team projects, or selling items, users can switch to their verified real-name profile to build credibility.Â
“Anonymous for Comfort, Real Name for Trust”Â
Key UX PrinciplesÂ
Principle 1 : Context-Aware IdentityÂ
"The interface adapts to the user's goal. For casual community discussions, the default is anonymity to encourage honesty. For marketplace and networking, the UI prompts users to reveal their verified profiles to establish trust."
Key UX PrinciplesÂ
Principle 2 : Visualized Trust Signals
"Trust shouldn't be guessed; it should be seen. We implemented visual cues like 'Verified Student Badges', 'Major Tags', and 'Transaction Ratings' to instantly communicate credibility without compromising privacy."
Key UX PrinciplesÂ
Principle 3 : Hyper-Local & Safe Connectivity
"Unlike broad social platforms, Sphere restricts interactions to campus boundaries. GPS-based features ensure that marketplace trades and meetups happen within safe, familiar university zones."
IA
Information Architecture "A Streamlined Structure Built on Verification"
"The IA is designed to prioritize trust from the very first interaction. The Onboarding flow enforces mandatory school verification before access. The Main Navigation is strategically divided into 'Home' (Interest-based) and 'My School' (Campus-based) to seamlessly cater to both broad social needs and hyper-local academic life."
Progressive Onboarding
[One Thing per Page] Strategy
To curate highly personalized content, Sphere needs to understand the user deeply. However, detailed data entry often leads to fatigue. To mitigate this psychological burden, I adopted a 'One Thing per Page' strategy. This transforms the heavy process of data collection into a light, step-by-step journey, encouraging users to share their genuine interests without feeling overwhelmed.
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Let’s Sphere
Information Architecture "A Streamlined Structure Built on Verification"
Theme 1. Building a Trusted Ecosystem
School VerificationÂ
School VerificationÂ
Verification Profile
Set Profile
Trust starts at the door. The mandatory .edu email verification ensures that every interaction within Sphere is authentic and safe from external noise.
Theme 2. Seamless Campus Connection
Events & Community FeedÂ
My School Board
Explore
Verified Badge Profile
From casual chats to secure transactions. Users can effortlessly switch between anonymous discussions and verified exchanges based on their immediate context.
Takeaways
For me to grow further
Cultural Localization of UX
Adapting the successful model of Korea's 'Everytime' app to the U.S. market required deep cultural understanding. I realized that while the need for 'schedule management' is universal, the U.S. context required a stronger focus on 'Networking' and 'Career Growth'. This taught me that UX must always be localized to the specific lifestyle of the target audience.
Friction as a Filter for Quality
Usually, UX aims to remove friction. However, in Sphere, the 'School Email Verification' was intentional friction. I learned that meaningful hurdles can actually increase user engagement by creating a sense of exclusivity and safety within the community.
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Sphere