Hamayal

Muslim app
10,000 + downloads in 1st Quarter

Muslim app
10,000 + downloads in 1st Quarter

Redefining the way Muslims community is engaging with each other over the internet

Redefining the way Muslims community is engaging with each other over the internet

Role: Senior Product Design Analyst

How we came across building this idea

We have an mobile app called Athan app with a million plus active users that was dedicated to provide Athan timings, Qibla directions, Holy Quran along with a discussion forum for its users.

It all came to one place when our product team visited New York during an annual meeting of Athan community. Where it was discovered that there is a serious need of global muslim community that is centered around discussion forums & providing curated content to its users.

Problem Statement

  • As of 2019, there was no global internet community, discussion forum for the Muslims that was dedicated for helping their Muslim brothers in the finding the right and curated content and schedule meet ups.
  • Research, strategize and design a mobile app with easy to use interface that would allow Muslims community to interact, discuss and connect with each other.

What is the success criteria?

The success goal for the application is to achieve a substantial number of downloads and foster an active and engaging user community through the creation of numerous discussion threads within the first month of its launch.

The definition of success for the application entails a robust initial reception, within the first month of its launch. This signifies not only a substantial user base but also a vibrant and dynamic user community that's actively interacting and using the Muslim app's features and services.

Lacked Understanding in customer wants, needs and expectations.

What are current frustrations and pain points?

10 + user interviews

What did they really want?

Mapped out a competitor and SWOT analysis

Why do they really need it?

Investigated forums, reddit and FB groups

Insights from user interviews

Conducted 10+ user interviews, researched forums, Reddit, and Facebook groups, and completed a comprehensive competitor analysis with SWOT assessment.

There was an issue of finding the relevant islamic content online and then finding the right interpretation of it. People had different interpretations and to know which one is correct is difficult

There was an issue of unavailability of online Muslims forum with a good audience to discuss issues faced by other Muslims - leading to limitted and slow replies from users.

The need is especially high need of such online community when you are living in abroad. The challenges are quite different, because people would be actually looking for the community to help them for finding even small things such as hallal food etc.

Based on our research we grouped our notes

Let’s move forward with some basic features and then release the new features in incremental cycles.
Strategize those features as a basic that allow maximum value creation and not cross dependent on other features.

So in order to prioritised the features we utilized
MoSCoW model

Overwhelmed with insights, we needed to start prioritizing to form a strategy

So in order to prioritised the features we utilized MoSCoW model

Overwhelmed with insights, we needed to start prioritizing to form a strategy
  • Classify all insights gathered.
  • Understanding the key pain points, wants and needs.
  • Present our synthesis to stake holders.

We were on a very tight deadline and the developers needed to start building soon

  • Should we design mobile first?
  • Do we need a design system right now?
  • What will be our visual language?

Design System

So we decided to go with finalising some initial components of the design system such as some basic typography, primary, secondary and neutral colors.

Accessibility

Over 19% of the U.S. population is disabled. Accessibility and device compatibility were crucial to all of Muslims team. The design needed to perform across multiple different devices by utilizing a fully responsive design and stable code. This code would then need to hold up well in devices built for accessibility purposes, like screen readers.

Designing for responsiveness and accessibility

For the design system and component design we decided to go with the atomic design.

In the development of our app, we've leveraged the power of an Atomic Design System. By breaking down our user interface into its fundamental building blocks — atoms, molecules, and organisms — we've created a cohesive and consistent design language that ensures a seamless user experience.

Sizing and spacing

We applied a meticulous approach to maintain consistent spacing and sizing for development and responsiveness. This dedication to precision ensures that the 'Muslims' project offers a visually pleasing and user-friendly experience across various devices and screen dimensions

User flows

In our design process for the Muslims app, user flows are meticulously planned to ensure that users can navigate, engage, and connect within the global Muslim community effortlessly.

Internationalization and Localization

As a global app, our platform for the modern Muslim world demanded a truly global presence. In addition to English, our app accommodates translations into languages such as Arabic, Turkish, Malay, Urdu, and Bengali, with plans to add more languages in the future.

This multilingual approach was a pivotal aspect of our design strategy, considering that foreign translations may expand content dimensions by up to 100% compared to their original English versions. We are committed to fostering connections and inclusivity among modern Muslim societies worldwide, and our design reflects this dedication to a diverse and interconnected global community.

To validate the designs we created, we conducted usability testing across various screens, iterating quickly for optimal user experience.

Conduct moderated remote usability testing for valuable user insights from the comfort of anywhere.

One of the things that was highlighted during the
usability testing was

We need a dedicated portal for the content moderation.
We need proper feedback for the input fields.
In app ads displayed in the feed need to be controlled so that inappropriate does not reflect in the feed of users.

One of the things that was highlighted during the usability testing was

We need a dedicated portal for the content moderation. We need proper feedback for the input fields. In app ads displayed in the feed need to be controlled so that inappropriate does not reflect in the feed of users.

The Biggest Win

So we launched the app within 4 months and during the first month, we got 10,000 + downloads and 6,000+ discussion threads. Moreover, a lot of the users from various regions of the world started requesting features.

Conclusive Thoughts and Future Plans for the App

As we wrap up the MVP phase, we're dedicated to refining user experience through bug fixes and minor improvements.

Our vision for this app extends far beyond its current scope. We're excited to announce our plans for expansion, taking our community from New York to a global scale. This expansion will enable Muslims from around the world to connect, share, and thrive together. Additionally, we're excited to enhance engagement by adding valuable video content within the app, fostering even stronger connections within our diverse community.