When hosting feels like a second job,
we made it a party starter instead.
My Hats
UX & Interaction Designer
Visual Design Lead
Pitch Strategist
Duration
7 Days
SCAD Start Up 2026
Competition Entry
The Squad
Hailey Dang
Sean McAteer
Hazel Do
Diana Vasconcelos
An event-planning app designed to lower the barrier to hosting for young adults who crave connection but lack the time, confidence, or structure to bring people together meaningfully.
How Might We
How might we transform hosting from an overwhelming chore into an effortless catalyst for authentic connection — making it so simple that anyone can turn their living room into a space where strangers become friends?
American young adults say that saving money is their top priority.
—MRI-Simmons Trending Topics Study
American young adults express that the "mental labor and physical preparation" of hosting is a major deterrent.
—Thumbtack 2026 Home Trend Predictions
American young adults who are actively shifting their social lives into their homes.
—MRI-Simmons 2026 Consumer Mindset Report
Hesitant Hosts
Socially motivated but hosting-anxious young adults who lack structure, confidence, or tools.
Community Builders
Organizers and group leaders responsible for bringing people together at scale but lacking engaging interaction frameworks.
Hosts don't lack ideas, they struggle with a blank canvas.
Navigating ambiguity leaves hosts unsure their idea is executable.
The best host is one who's free to be a guest.
Hosts often manage the experience instead of enjoying it.
Party energy, memories, and connections fade fast without support.
The window to act on a connection is short.
Invite Platforms
Offer strong pre-event customization, but don't offer strong support during or after events.
Saturated Market, unclear growth.
Interactive Party Games
Gathers people around an interactive activity, but it centers screens and doesn't focus on new connections.
We build connections IRL
Physical Icebreaker Exhibits
Gathers people around a guided, sensory, physical experience, creating a unique memory to bond over.
Difficult to scale / limited flexibility
NFC Accessories
To support human connection after the party, we ideated around frictionless and customizable contact sharing.
We'll offer support in each phase.
Hosts don't lack ideas, they struggle with a blank canvas.
Navigating ambiguity leaves hosts unsure their idea is executable.
We began exploring guided templates — not to remove creativity, but to lower the energy barrier to start.
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Initial Concept
Pivoted Concept
Usability Heuristic Audit:
Match Between System & World
Many events take place at night, so the light theme was harsh on the eyes.
Aesthetics & Minimalist Design
Some info on the initial home screen was not needed, and was removed to prioritize clarity.
Consistency & Standards
Across the early design system, we hadn't settled on cues that indicated a CTA, or how we would communicate event data.
The results?
🥁We made Finalists!
