Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba by Junjie Xu

Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba by Junjie Xu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Theknoloji ya Mehala, Diaplikeishene le Softwere Competition Category.

TšepeMohala· 2025

Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba

by Junjie Xu

Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award Winner in Mohala Category

11,705

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #171868

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba

Mongolo wa Buka: Splash ke sesebediswa sa marang-rang a sechaba se entsoeng ho thusa baithuti ba k'holejeng ho kopana le metsoalle e mecha ka sebele. Basebedisi ba ingodisa ka nomoro ya mohala mme ba bona liketsahalo tse tlang leqepheng la lapeng. Ho tobetsa hanngwe ho kenela ketsahalo, mme mekopano e mecha e ka thehwa ka metsotswana. Ho tsamaisana ho itshetlehile ho nako, sebaka le lithahasello tse arolelanoang. Dikamano tsa boemo ba bobedi le phapanyetsano ya diinomoro tsa mehala tse sa buleheng bakeng sa bohle di tshehetsa tshepo le tshireletseho. Dikgopotso di kgothaletsa ho ba teng. Splash e hahilwe bakeng sa iOS le Android mme e tlosa mathata a tshenyehelo le nako ho boitlosong bo bosoeu bo etsahalang k'hampaseng.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award

Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang e fuoang meralo e metle e finyellang litlhoko tsa porofeshenale le tsa indasteri tse lebelletsoeng ho lintho tse hlahisitsoeng tse entsoeng hantle. Bahapi ba Tšepe ba bontša bokhoni bo boholo, bokhethehi bo phahameng, kutloisiso ea litsebi le bokhoni ba boqapi ba baqapi ba bona. Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlahisitsoeng e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e sebetsang le e nang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa ea indasteri mme o na le litšobotsi tsa theknoloji tse nang le bokhoni tse amanang le tsebo le talenta. Ka lebaka la botlalo ba eona, Splash Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sesebediswa sa Marang-rang a Sechaba e tšoanelehela tlhompho mme e entsoe ho fana ka ntlafatso ea bophelo e thusang ho etsa hore lefatše le be sebaka se molemo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Splash is an instant offline social networking app designed for college students to seamlessly meet new friends with one-click matching based on time, location, and preferences. Unlike traditional apps, Splash removes financial and time barriers to socializing, leveraging real-time event creation, smart notifications, and second-degree connections for trust. The design prioritizes speed, spontaneity, and safety, ensuring frictionless interactions that foster real-world friendships.
Dimensions & Packaging: Platform: iOS (Swift), Android (React Native)
Backend: Firebase (Firestore, Authentication), Google Cloud Functions
Event Matching Algorithm: Real-time interest and availability-based pairing
User Authentication: Phone number-based login with OTP verification
Privacy & Safety: End-to-end encryption for phone number exchanges
Data Storage: Cloud-based with GDPR compliance
Package Size: 40MB initial app download
Tags: social networking, campus friendship, offline socializing, real-time event matching, college networking, friend meetup app, spontaneous meetups, Firebase app, community building, event-based networking
Production Technology: Splash was built using Swift for iOS development with a Firebase backend for real-time event matching and authentication. We employed React Native for cross-platform scalability, leveraging Google Cloud Functions for instant event processing. The UI was crafted using Figma, focusing on minimalistic yet engaging interaction flows. Our design methodology followed Lean UX and rapid prototyping, allowing for iterative user testing and agile improvements.
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge was balancing spontaneity with user safety and trust. Unlike traditional networking apps, Splash required instant but meaningful social matching, ensuring low drop-off rates while maintaining a seamless UX. We tackled this by leveraging second-degree connections for social proof, implementing privacy-first phone exchange, and designing a minimal-input event creation process. Rapid iteration and real-world testing allowed us to optimize engagement.
Research: Research Type: Market & UX Research
Objective: Validate the demand for frictionless campus socializing
Methodology: Surveys, interviews, prototype testing
Data Collection: 500-person survey at CMU, 100+ user interviews
Participants: College students (18-24)
Results: High interest in a free, instant social meetup app
Insights: Users prioritize low effort, real-time availability, and social safety
Impact: Splash removes financial/time barriers to forming friendships, making socializing more accessible
Inspiration: Splash was inspired by the struggle of making real-life friends on campus without investing excessive time or money. We saw a gap—students craved spontaneous, effortless social interactions. Drawing from Uber’s instant matching model, we designed Splash to remove the friction in meeting new people. Our research included a 500-person CMU survey and 100+ user interviews, refining our MVP for real-world needs. With fast iterations and data-driven UX, we built a seamless, intuitive experience.
Project Duration: Pittsburgh PA, Sep 2023 - Mar 2024
Operation Flow: Users sign up with their phone number and sync contacts to discover friends. The homepage displays upcoming events, allowing users to join with one click. Event initiators can create meetups in seconds, while AI-powered notifications increase engagement. Users confirm participation by exchanging details and uploading a profile image. Smart reminders ensure attendance. The app fosters real-world connections effortlessly, reducing social friction.
Team Members: Junjie Xu
Image Credits: Junjie Xu