Circa

Challenge

Students are have the recurring challenge of loneliness and negativity in existing online communities, we set out to create a platform that prioritizes local connection, shared interests, and user control.

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Research & Insights

We began by researching college online communities to uncover pain points and patterns. User interviews with 25 participants (ages 18–37) revealed a recurring theme: negativity and a lack of true community. Students described unfriendly interactions, competition, and a sense of isolation.

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"Users are not friendly. There is not enough emphases on building community."
-John

"People being negative. Characterized version of themselves. There are no repercussions for actions."
— Jabari

"I don’t feel a part of anything."
— Gibeom

Competitor analysis of platforms like Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram helped us understand existing mental models and informed our design approach, blending familiar social patterns with iOS guidelines to reduce learning curves.

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Strategy & Planning

We defined clear problem statements:

1. Students need a local community feed to meet peers with shared interests and discover nearby activities.
2. Online communities should empower users to curate positive experiences and build meaningful connections.
3. Our MVP focused on essential social network features and mapped user flows to ensure every process, from onboarding to posting, was intuitive and complete.

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Solution

Circa’s solution centers on a customizable local community feed, giving users control over what they see and how they interact. Key features include:

1. Personalized channels for shared interests
2. Streamlined onboarding process
3. Positive reinforcement and moderation tools

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Impact

Circa has redefined how students connect on campus, fostering a more welcoming and positive online environment. Early feedback highlights increased engagement, reduced negative interactions, and a stronger sense of belonging among users.

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Next steps

Building on initial success, Circa is expanding features to further enhance community building and support student wellbeing. Future plans include advanced customization, event integration, and broader campus partnerships.

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