Our client came to us with a concept for an app that would allow young people who shared the same interests to be able to find one another and connect in a given city. We leaned into the idea of people gathering around places that fit a “vibe,” rather than recommendations for places based solely on star reviews from strangers. Connecting around a specific vibe helped us strategically envision a brand and product for Gen Z that had a relational tone and felt extremely personal to each user.

A core feature of this app gives users the ability to leave a “vibe check” with quick emojis rather than words. We took that concept and looked for ways to keep things lighthearted, clear and easy to navigate across the full app experience. Everything from the gradient-colored location pins to the “hot takes” and emoji-driven vibe checks was designed with the intent of giving the user the ability to quickly and confidently know where they are and where they should go.

In order to give users specific recommendations for places that matched their vibe, we engineered an algorithm that creates a personal heat map based on the user’s background, preferences, current “vibe,” location trends and feedback. Vybe users interact with a React Native application that uses GraphQL to communicate with a Ruby on Rails Server. React Native ensures that the user experience is seamless and consistent across all devices. By reducing total requests, GraphQL enables even slow networks in spotty locations to support a snappy and responsive experience.