top of page

Gatherly

Digital Concept Product: Professional Networking Platform

Role: Lead Product Designer / Content Designer / UX Designer & Researcher / Brand Designer

Tools: Figma, FigJam, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
 

Brief Project Overview

Gatherly is a professional networking platform designed to make event connections effortless for both attendees and organizers. The product reimagines how professionals discover, join, and manage networking events—bridging the gap between in-person and virtual engagement through intuitive, accessible design.

​

As the lead UX/UI designer, I created a cohesive experience that streamlines the entire event journey. Attendees can easily browse events, RSVP, and build connections before and after they attend. Organizers gain a powerful dashboard to create events, track RSVPs, manage attendees, and analyze engagement metrics in real time—all within a single interface.

​

The project focused on clarity, accessibility, and information hierarchy to reduce friction in networking interactions. My design process involved user flow mapping, interface design, and usability testing to ensure both sides of the platform felt intuitive and visually unified. The result is a polished, scalable product that demonstrates my ability to design for two distinct user types while maintaining a seamless and visually consistent brand experience.

Full Case Study

The Challenge

Professionals struggle to discover relevant networking events, while organizers face complex, costly tools that don’t foster real connections.

The Solution

Gatherly is a streamlined platform for professional networking events.

​

  • For attendees: Browse by industry/interest, RSVP in seconds, and connect through curated suggestions.

  • For organizers: Create events with intuitive tools, flat-fee publishing, and built-in engagement analytics.

​

The Outcome
A clean, accessible experience designed to reduce event fatigue and make meaningful networking simple for both sides.

GatherlyImage.png

Research Summary

Approach
Competitive audit of platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup, evaluating UX, accessibility, navigation, pricing, and audience targeting.

​

Findings

  • Eventbrite: strong visibility, but overly transactional.

  • Meetup: supports communities, but weak onboarding and dated UX.

  • Gaps across both: personalization, pre-event networking, and simple event creation.

​

Opportunities for Gatherly

  • Cleaner, intuitive RSVP flow

  • Personalized attendee recommendations

  • Streamlined organizer dashboard with analytics

​

Impact
These insights shaped Gatherly’s user flows and features, positioning it as a more engaging, human-centered alternative.

Link to Competitive Audit PDF HERE

User Personas 

To ensure Gatherly met user needs, two user personas were created based on the competitive audit and initial research:

 

Jordan Mitchell

(Attendee Persona)
Age: 32 | Job: Senior Product Manager | Pain Points: Hard to find relevant networking events.
Needs: A streamlined way to RSVP and connect with other professionals.
 

User persona profile for Rachel Carter, a 27-year-old event director based in San Francisco, CA. The profile includes a smiling portrait of Rachel on the left and on the right, details such as background, goals, frustrations, and skills in communication, organization, technology, and networking. Rachel seeks efficient tools for planning events and boosting attendee engagement.
User persona profile for Jordan Mitchell, a 32-year-old senior product manager based in New York, NY. The profile includes a portrait of Jordan on the left, and on the right, details such as goals, frustrations, skills (communication, organization, technology, networking), and a background summary describing his challenges with finding meaningful networking events.

Rachel Carter

(Organizer Persona)
Age: 27 | Job: Event Director | Pain Points: Struggles with event promotion and attendee engagement.
Needs: A simple platform to create, manage, and track networking events.
 

Task Flow & User Journey

Based on User Persona needs and insights, I made a user task flow in FigJam to ensure a smooth user experience from event discovery to attendance.

The key flows include:

For Attendees:

• Browse Events – Users search for events based on industry, location, or format.
• RSVP & Profile Setup – Simple RSVP process with optional profile completion.
• Networking & Engagement – Attendees can connect with other guests before, during, and after the event.
• Event Attendance & Follow-Up – Users receive reminders and post-event materials.

 

 

​
 

Attendee user flow diagram for the Gatherly website. The chart starts with a user visiting the homepage, then branching into sign-up, sign-in, and event browsing pathways. It illustrates steps such as selecting events, viewing event details, RSVPing, receiving confirmations, browsing connections, and adding events to a calendar. Final steps include confirmation screens, saved event options, and pre-event email reminders.ow.png

For Organizers:

• Create an Event – Organizers fill in event details, add speakers, and set RSVP limits.
• Pay to Publish – A flat fee per event ensures accessibility while maintaining quality.
• Manage Attendees – Track RSVPs and engage with attendees.
• Event Analytics – View insights such as attendee engagement and event performance.
 

Organizer user flow diagram for the Gatherly platform. The chart outlines steps from an event organizer visiting the website to signing up or signing in, accessing the dashboard, and setting up an event. It includes event creation steps such as filling in event details, uploading banners, enabling networking features, selecting listing type, entering payment, publishing the event, and managing RSVPs and engagement stats via a live dashboard.

Information Architecture

Gatherly information architecture diagram created in FigJam, mapping attendee and organizer flows from sign-up through event discovery, RSVP, and participation, using clear color-coded stages for easy navigation.

I mapped Gatherly’s information architecture in FigJam to define clear user journeys for both attendees and organizers. By separating the two paths while keeping them visually connected, the flow ensures:

​

  • Attendees can quickly browse events, RSVP, and connect with other professionals.

  • Organizers can easily create, publish, and track events.

​

This structure allowed me to spot gaps early and ensure every screen supported a clear user goal, keeping the experience intuitive from the first click.

Wireframing & Prototyping 

 

After the IA was mapped out, low-fidelity wireframes were created in Figma to map out user flows before refining into mockups and high-fidelity designs. The wireframing process included:

• Homepage layout with clear navigation and CTA buttons.
• Event listing page featuring search filters and event cards.
• Event details page displaying speaker info, agenda, and RSVP options.
• User dashboards tailored for both attendees and organizers

Wireframe flow diagram showing the user journey across multiple screens of the Gatherly web platform. Pages include the homepage, event listing, event details, creation and RSVP pages, attendee and organizer sign-up screens, login, and dashboards. Blue connector lines illustrate interactive navigation paths between screens, representing both attendee and organizer user flows.

Usability Testing & Feedback

Approach


Moderated tests with 4 professionals (software engineer, marketing manager, entrepreneur, HR director) using a mid-fidelity prototype. Tasks covered event discovery, RSVP, pre-event prep, and organizer workflows. Findings were synthesized via affinity mapping.

Affinity map displaying color-coded sticky notes grouped by user personas and prompts. Each column represents a different user: Michael (software engineer), Emily (marketing manager), Daniel (entrepreneur), and Sophia (HR director). Notes capture their event planning and networking needs, such as filtering events, viewing attendee job titles, RSVP tracking, suggested events, and UI preferences. The activity focuses on identifying themes across user insights to inform product features.
Affinity Mapping Process

Key Findings

​

  • Event relevance & filtering: Users need faster ways to narrow by industry, role, location, format, and keywords; a curated “Featured Events” area helps.

  • Pre-event networking: Seeing attendee job titles/company/industry and the ability to mark people to meet increases perceived value.

  • Organizer tools: Expect lightweight RSVP tracking, attendee check-in, and a clear, real-time dashboard.

  • UX expectations: Clean UI, straightforward navigation, and transparent details build trust.

Design Decisions Implemented

​

  • Advanced Filters: Added industry, job title, location, format, and keyword filters to speed discovery.

  • Attendee Profiles: Surfaced job title/company/industry + a “Mark to Meet” action for pre-event planning.

  • Organizer Dashboard: Introduced RSVP status, digital check-in, and simplified event creation steps.

  • Featured Events: Curated, industry-focused highlights on the homepage.

"Affinity map showing sticky notes organized into four theme-based groups derived from user insights. Group 1, ‘Event Discovery,’ includes needs for better filtering and structured, relevant events. Group 2, ‘Event Management Tools (for Organizers),’ highlights the need for RSVP tracking and check-in features. Group 3, ‘Pre-Event Networking & Attendee Info,’ focuses on attendee job titles, industry matches, and saved contacts. Group 4, ‘UX Design,’ includes notes about clean UI and profile customization. Each group is visually color-coded and rated with star icons to indicate importance."

Impact

​

Clearer paths for both audiences: attendees reach relevant events faster and prepare to network; organizers publish and manage events with fewer steps.

Design System & Brand Identity

Approach


Created a custom design system to ensure consistency, accessibility, and scalability across Gatherly’s interface. This guided decisions from typography to buttons, making the product feel polished and cohesive.

​

Key Elements

​

  • Typography: Figtree for headings and Inter for body text, balancing hierarchy with readability.

  • Color Palette: Semantic colors for information, success, warning, and error states to support clarity and accessibility.

  • Iconography & Imagery: Minimal line icons and professional event visuals to reduce clutter and enhance navigation.

  • Wordmark: Bold, geometric design reflecting structure and community—the core of Gatherly’s vision.

  • Buttons: High-contrast with generous tap targets and subtle shadows to support users with visual or cognitive impairments.

​

Impact


This system streamlined design decisions, supported accessible interactions, and provided a strong foundation for high-fidelity prototypes.

Gatherly design system showing button colors, card components, typography with Figtree and Inter fonts, form fields, color palettes, the Gatherly wordmark, and simple icons.
Color styles chart for the Gatherly design system, showing swatches organized into five categories: Primary (warm greys), Neutral (white to black), Semantic Information (shades of blue), Success (greens), Warning (oranges), and Error (reds). Each category includes five shades labeled from 50 to 950, moving from lightest to darkest.
Logo Creation 

Designed Gatherly’s logo in Illustrator to reflect simplicity, professionalism, and connectivity.

​

  • Circular form: conveys inclusivity and community.

  • Dynamic elements: suggest forward momentum and innovation.

  • Overall identity: modern and sleek, aligning with the product’s vision of engaging professional networking.

Screenshot of Adobe Illustrator 2025 displaying a vector-based logo design for Gatherly. The logo features a bold, black circular ‘G’ with a stylized arrow shape cut into the center, pointing right. Anchor points and path outlines are visible, indicating the object is in editing mode. The Illustrator interface shows active tools, path settings, and design alignment options.

High Fidelity Prototype & Takeaways

The final design delivers a clean, minimal interface informed by user research and testing. It prioritizes ease of use, relevant event discovery, and intuitive attendee previews for a seamless networking experience.

​

Key Takeaways

​

  • Clarity & simplicity: Users preferred straightforward navigation and event flows.

  • Customization & filtering: Essential for both event discovery and attendee lists.

  • Organizer efficiency: Streamlined event creation and RSVP management were critical.

​

This project reinforced the value of designing with users throughout the process, ensuring solutions address real pain points rather than assumptions.

LINK to the Figma Prototype HERE
High-fidelity mockup of the Gatherly web platform displaying a full set of desktop UI screens. The image includes the homepage, events listing, event details, RSVP, login, attendee and organizer sign-up pages, event creation and payment pages, dashboards for both attendee and organizer, and an attendee profile page. The design uses a sleek, modern aesthetic with light neutral tones, dark UI accents, and large imagery for events and networking.
Screenshot of the Gatherly homepage, a modern networking web app focused on effortless professional connections. The header includes a black “G” logo on the left and navigation links on the right for Home, Events, and Organizers. Below is the bold title “Gatherly” with a tagline “Effortless Networking. Powerful Connections.” set against a blurred background of people at a networking event. Two buttons, “Sign Up” and “Learn More,” appear below the tagline.
Composite screenshot of Gatherly’s event discovery, event details, and RSVP pages. The first section shows a grid of networking events with images and dates. The middle section displays details for the Tech Leaders Summit 2025, including schedule, location map, and attendee list. The final panel shows the RSVP page with a concert image and registration form beside the Gatherly logo.
Screenshot of the Gatherly Attendee Dashboard, a user interface displaying personalized networking information for a logged-in attendee named Jordan Mitchel. The page header includes the Gatherly “G” logo on the left and navigation links for Home, Events, and Organizers on the right.
Gatherly Organizer Dashboard showing Rachel Carter’s profile, calendar, upcoming Marketing Summit event, attendee count, event performance chart, saved draft events, and a Create Event button on a sleek gray background.

Personal Reflection

Project Scope & Firsts:
Gatherly was my first opportunity to take a product from concept to high-fidelity prototype, owning every step — from branding and wireframing to creating an interactive design system. This gave me a holistic view of how design decisions connect across the UX process.


Challenges & Growth:
There were moments of frustration and trial-and-error, especially when refining interactions based on user feedback. Those challenges taught me how to stay flexible, adapt quickly, and avoid getting too attached to early design ideas.


Key Learning:
The biggest takeaway was gaining confidence in making decisions backed by research rather than assumptions. Conducting usability testing, affinity mapping, and prioritizing feedback helped me build a product that felt intuitive for real users.


Personal Takeaway:
This project reminded me why I love UX — it’s not just about aesthetics, but about solving real problems in ways that feel natural and useful. I’m excited to carry these skills and insights into future projects, where I can continue designing with both empathy and precision.

Mockup of a laptop resting on a dark concrete floor against a light wall, displaying the Gatherly website homepage. The screen shows the Gatherly logo with a large 'G' icon, the tagline 'Effortless Networking. Powerful Connections.', and call-to-action buttons labeled 'Sign Up' and 'Learn More.' The interface has a clean, modern aesthetic with a top navigation menu.
bottom of page