LOCL | MVP Launch for a Community App
Designing core experiences for LOCL's MVP launch—a community platform built to support real participation, not endless scrolling.
Team
Sr. Product Designer, Project Manager, 2 Engineers, Stakeholder
Role
Jr. Product Designer
Tools
Figma, Test Flight, Slack
Scope
0-1 MVP Product Design
Overview
LOCL is a location-based community platform designed to help people find and participate in local communities that matter to them.
As a junior designer, I contributed to the MVP launch by designing key user flows, creating wireframes and high-fidelity screens, conducting user research, and collaborating closely with the lead designer and development team to bring the product to life across iOS, Android, and web platforms.
My work focused on defining the foundational UX patterns that would shape early adoption and long-term engagement.
Context
LOCL was built around a core principle: location-constrained communities that support real participation, not engagement loops. Unlike traditional social platforms optimized for infinite scrolling, LOCL needed to help people find what matters where they actually live, then give community leaders the tools to keep those spaces healthy.
MVP scope constraints - Balancing feature richness with launch timeline while defining core user experiences
Multi-platform complexity - Designing consistent experiences across iOS, Android, and web with limited resources
Evolving product vision - Navigating changing stakeholder requirements while maintaining design consistency and user focus
Designing for real participation - Creating patterns that encourage meaningful community engagement, not addictive scrolling
Problem
Existing community platforms either optimize for engagement at the expense of meaningful connection, constrain users to geographic-only communities, or require existing relationships to discover communities.
Discovery friction
People struggled to find local communities aligned with their interests without downloading multiple apps or relying on word-of-mouth
Algorithmic manipulation
Users wanted platforms that surfaced relevant content without endless feeds designed to maximize screen time
Lack of community management tools
Community leaders needed simple ways to moderate, communicate, and maintain healthy spaces without complex admin interfaces
Fragmented experience
No single platform bridged the gap between discovery, participation, and real-world meetups within a specific geographic area
Design Solution
Location-based discovery with interest filtering
Users set their geographic radius and browse communities filtered by interests. The interface prioritized active, nearby communities over algorithmic recommendations.
Anti-engagement feed design
Community pages displayed chronological posts with clear event callouts and member highlights. No infinite scroll, no algorithmic sorting, no engagement optimization.
Simple moderation & communication tools
Community leaders received straightforward tools to approve members, moderate posts, and send announcements without navigating complex admin panels.
Cross-platform consistency
Designed responsive patterns that worked across iOS, Android, and web while respecting platform conventions.
Key Contributions
Focused on building systems—not just screens.
Helped design various user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity screens for user profiles, discover community pages, community pages, and direct messaging
Conducted user research and usability testing that informed key product decisions and interaction patterns
Created responsive designs for iOS, Android, and web platforms, contributing to a cohesive cross-platform experience
Collaborated with lead designer, PM, and engineers to ship core MVP features on schedule
Community Pages
Clean, focused layouts that share about the community, recent posts, media, members and affiliates of the community.
Discover Communities
Location-first browsing with interest-based filtering—helping users find relevant communities within their actual geographic area.
Messaging & Profiles
Direct messaging between community members and user profiles highlighting local community affiliations and participation
Reflection
Working on an MVP launch taught me to balance ideal user experiences with realistic constraints. Navigating evolving requirements from stakeholders strengthened my ability to stay flexible, document decisions clearly, and maintain design consistency even when the product vision shifted. Most importantly, I learned the value of close collaboration with the team—it led to better solutions and smoother implementation.