PeopleGrove Platform Redesign – Improving Mobile Usability & Engagement
PeopleGrove is a career development and mentorship platform supporting students and professionals through networking, skill-building, and collaboration. While the platform provides value, users reported difficulty navigating it on mobile, unclear pathways to engagement, and a lack of lightweight features to support ongoing participation.
This project focused on improving the mobile experience through a user-centered redesign — increasing clarity, reducing friction, and helping users connect with opportunities more efficiently.
Problem + Users
PeopleGrove is a mentorship and career-development platform used by students and early professionals. On mobile, users were dropping off before finding real value — interviews showed a text-heavy, desktop-first interface left people unsure where to start or why to come back.
I redesigned the mobile experience to reduce that friction and help users take action faster, especially first-time users trying to figure out the platform in the middle of a busy day.
Research Approach
I interviewed users across three groups — active users, lapsed users, and first-time users — to understand where engagement broke down and why. Sessions were structured 20-30 minute conversations combined with task walkthroughs, so I could watch where people hesitated, not just hear what they said afterward.
The pattern that emerged: this wasn't a visual design problem. Users weren't confused because the app looked bad — they were confused because they didn't know what to do next.
What I Learned → What I Did About It
I considered adding stronger gamification — progress bars, streaks, badges — to drive re-engagement, but held back. The research pointed to users wanting less friction, not more mechanics layered on top of an already-overwhelming interface. Solving the core clarity problem mattered more than adding another feature.
Wireframes & Screens
From Wireframes to Screens
Early wireframes focused on three things: a clear entry point for starting a search, fewer steps between intent and action, and a scannable layout with real visual hierarchy.
Home Page/Saved Search Screens
Saved Search /Opportunity Screens
Success Stories / Tutorials & Tip Screens
Tutorial & Tip / Progress & Milestone Screens
Impact & Reflection
Impact & What's Next
I tested the redesign with the same participants from my initial interviews. The shift was clear:
Users completed core navigation tasks with less hesitation, and moved from uncertainty to a clear next step in fewer taps.
This was a capstone project rather than a shipped product, so the real test — sustained engagement over time — is still open. If I continued this work, I'd focus on lightweight personalization, test whether contextual nudges actually bring lapsed users back, and dig further into what makes mentorship pairings feel successful, since that's the moment that likely drives long-term retention.