The Challenge
How might we create a community platform that encourages meaningful sharing without the overwhelming complexity of traditional social media? The goal was to test whether simplicity and constraints could lead to better quality interactions.
The Concept
The Wall is built around a simple premise: projects as the unit of conversation. Instead of endless scrolling feeds, everything is organized around specific projects or ideas. Each project becomes a wall where people can post updates, questions, or thoughts.
This constraint was intentionalâby centering everything around projects, the platform encourages focused discussion rather than random social chatter.
Key Features
- Project-based organizationâeverything lives within a project context
- Simple post interface with title and question format
- Clean, distraction-free reading experience
- Clear visual hierarchy to separate different types of content
Design Decisions
Every design choice was made to reduce friction and encourage clarity. The interface uses a card-based layout that's easy to scan, with clear typography and generous white space. Colors are used sparingly to indicate state and status, not decoration.
The posting interface asks "What's your question?" rather than "What's on your mind?"â a subtle shift that encourages more thoughtful, discussion-worthy content.
Testing and Iteration
Early prototypes revealed that people appreciated the simplicity but needed better context about what each project was for. Adding project descriptions and clear status indicators helped users understand where to contribute.
What I Learned
Sometimes the hardest design challenge is knowing what to leave out. This project taught me that constraints can be liberatingâboth for designers and users. By limiting what's possible, we made the remaining interactions more intentional and valuable.
