2026
Davis Design Fest
As part of Davis Design Fest 2026, I worked with a team of designers to create a proximity-based career development app designed to help individuals exploring career changes connect through local career building events, shared activities, and supportive community networks.
Overview
Goals
If working professionals navigating career transitions are given access to a proximity-based platform that prioritizes real-time, in-person conversations over online self-branding, then they will feel less intimidated, more grounded, and more willing to seek and offer support.
Problem
Networking
Networking has become a digital chore, convenient but sterilizing many of the in-person mentorship benefits. Many networking apps feel daunting or intimidating due to the nature of "announcement culture" that ultimately isolates individuals.
Research
Competitive Analysis
We conducted a competitive analysis to understand how existing platforms support career exploration, local event discovery, and community networking for people considering a career change.
Reddit: Anonymous threads don't build real-world trust or friends to turn to when you need consistent support.
Skillshare: Skillshare (and other online learning communities) are fully virtual and don’t promote in-person interaction.
Pain Points
Career transitions are lonely, and polished online profiles make people feel behind, so they hold back from asking for help.
Forums and courses offer anonymous answers or one-way content, with no one nearby to follow up with or turn to again.
Cold networking feels transactional, meeting strangers raises safety concerns, and paid programs add cost when income is uncertain.
Core Needs
To feel less alone, without having to perform. A way to connect with others in transition without presenting a polished identity.
Trusted, two-way support from people nearby. Real people they can return to, who respond to their specific situation.
Low-pressure, safe, and affordable access. Easy ways to start or decline a conversation, control over visibility, and free or low-cost entry.
Design Process
Affinity Map
We created an affinity map to organize the research we gathered from interviews, surveys, and observations into clear themes.
By grouping similar feedback, we could see the patterns behind what people exploring a career change actually need
Feedback
Discovery is fragmented: Users want one dedicated place to find events instead of stumbling across them.
Trust and safety matter: Background checks, verified profiles, and seeing who else is going help people feel comfortable.
Low effort wins: Casual, convenient events (including transportation and short-notice options) are more appealing than high-commitment ones.
Interest-driven and social: Events tied to learning a skill or a personal interest, with social icebreakers built in, encourage attendance and connection.
User Flow Design
Low-Fi: Mapping out the layout and flow of the app.
Branding
We experimented with different color palettes and ultimately designed a logo that reflects the app's goals.
High-Fi
We combined our low-fi wireframes with the finalized branding, applying the color palette, logo, and typography to create a polished design.
Final Solution
Final App Features!
Presentation
Pitching the project to industry professionals!
We presented our app to industry professionals to get expert feedback on our concept and design decisions. We walked through the problem we identified, our research insights, and how the app works. Their feedback helped us see how our solution would hold up in the real world and showed us where to refine our features and messaging before finalizing our design.
We were honored with the Best Beginner Design award at Davis Design Fest 2026, recognizing our team's career development app. The award celebrated our thoughtful research process, our clear focus on helping people exploring career changes build local connections, and the strong design we delivered in just 2 days as newer designers.
