October 13, 2024

October 13, 2024

How I helped the Lyft Co-Founder with his new project

How I helped the Lyft Co-Founder with his new project

How I helped the Lyft Co-Founder with his new project

Redesigning Tribe from scratch. From a basic MVP to release the market.


Redesigning Tribe from scratch. From a basic MVP to release the market.


Redesigning Tribe from scratch. From a basic MVP to release the market.


Bmw Drifting
Bmw Drifting
Bmw Drifting

Year

2024 - 2025

Client

Rajat Suri

Category

Real Project

Product Duration

6 Months
Case Study
Case Study
Case Study

Tribe is a private group chat app built for people who share specific interests—whether it’s gaming, geopolitics, or football...whatever. Unlike other platforms, Tribe keeps groups small and exclusive: to join, users must answer questions and justify their spot.

But while the idea is great, the current design is not. Poor UX and unclear navigation make it hard to engage and retain users. Some cool features are not clear enough.

That’s why Tribe urgently needs a redesign—one that improves usability, clarity, and aesthetics to create a smoother, more engaging experience.


But before we begin: What is Tribe, and what makes it different?
But before we begin: What is Tribe, and what makes it different?
But before we begin: What is Tribe, and what makes it different?

Tribe is a place where small, private communities come together to chat about the things they care about—whether it’s geopolitics, gaming, or anything else, without all the noise. Unlike other platforms where anyone can join and the quality of conversations gets lost, Tribe makes sure people are actually there for the right reasons. You can only join a group after answering some questions, keeping things focused and fun.


Would you invite the guy who never talks to your party?
That's exactly what Tribe thinks.


What makes Tribe stand out? It’s all about specialized groups that actually care about the topics they’re discussing. No big crowds here—just people who are passionate and know their stuff. Plus, Tribe keeps things fresh with gamification features like trivia and challenges to keep the community engaged. It’s all about competing, learning, and sharing knowledge with like-minded people.

Want a place to talk about football? Love the Premier League? Still remember Rivaldo's bicycle kick against Valencia? Tribe is your spot.

Step 1: UX Research – Learning from the Competition
Step 1: UX Research – Learning from the Competition
Step 1: UX Research – Learning from the Competition

Before jumping into the redesign, I put on my detective hat and did some serious research on other closed-community apps and niche forums. I wasn’t just looking at what they did well—I wanted to see where they struggled so Tribe could fill the gaps. So, I dove deep into Discord, Reddit, Geneva, and WhatsApp to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Discord – Originally built for gamers, Discord is a real-time chat app where communities (servers) have different channels for discussions, voice chats, and bots. It’s highly interactive and keeps users engaged.
✅ High engagement, feels alive
❌ Overwhelming UI, too chaotic

Reddit – A massive forum platform where communities (subreddits) are organized by topics. Users upvote or downvote posts, keeping the best discussions visible.
✅ Great discussion quality, strong moderation
❌ Not private, some toxic communities

‍Geneva – A newer platform designed specifically for private communities. It offers structured discussions in a clean, modern interface, positioned as a more organized alternative to Discord.
✅ Clean design, built for communities
❌ Low user activity, feels empty

‍WhatsApp – A messaging app that people often repurpose for group discussions, even though it wasn’t designed for that.
✅ Familiar, easy to use
❌ No structure, messages get lost



Then, I created a detailed document with notes on features I loved, and others that I felt didn’t add much value.  I noted things like 'clean design' or 'good community engagement,' and also highlighted areas where apps fell short.

Armed with this data, I put all the good stuff into one big list of adjectives and mapped them on a scale from 'bad' to 'good.'  It helped me understand what works, what doesn’t, and what Tribe could totally own. If they are big apps doing things wrong... why we can't be like much bigger?



The next step was to imagine who would be attracted to Tribe. With the help of AI tools and some data (because who doesn’t love a good AI-powered deep dive?), I created a study of the ideal user persona. Here’s a peek at who they are:
‍
‍🧑🏽 20-40 years old – They’re in the golden age of knowing how to use technology, but still remember the joy of flipping through a real magazine. They care a lot about the UI.
‍
💻 Tech-savvy – They’ve probably built their own PC, but they’re also fluent in emojis. They know their way around the web like it’s their second home.

🔒 Value privacy – These users wouldn’t even share their Wi-Fi password unless absolutely necessary. They’re all about keeping things locked down and secure.

🔍 Interested in niche topics – Whether they’re into gaming, tech, or obscure conspiracy theories, they love deep, meaningful discussions with people who actually get it.This persona helped me fine-tune Tribe’s design, ensuring it’s tailored for those who want a cozy, distraction-free space to chat with people who won’t judge them for their weird interests.



With all this data, we’ll focus the app’s design on simplicity—big images take center stage, bold titles stand out, and a clean layout ensures that content remains the star.

The Problem: A Design That Didn’t Measure Up
The Problem: A Design That Didn’t Measure Up
The Problem: A Design That Didn’t Measure Up

Here’s a spoiler: Tribe’s design already existed. Well… kind of. It was there, but with a flawed design that made it harder to use and didn’t showcase its full potential. In fact, some basic design principles weren’t even followed.

What do I mean? Well… let me show you.



The challenge is clear: upgrading Tribe’s entire look and feel. Not just with a new branding or design system, but by crafting a whole new experience. Challenge accepted.

Here’s a spoiler: Tribe’s design already existed. Well… kind of. It was there, but with a flawed design that made it harder to use and didn’t showcase its full potential. In fact, some basic design principles weren’t even followed.

What do I mean? Well… let me show you.



The challenge is clear: upgrading Tribe’s entire look and feel. Not just with a new branding or design system, but by crafting a whole new experience. Challenge accepted.

Here’s a spoiler: Tribe’s design already existed. Well… kind of. It was there, but with a flawed design that made it harder to use and didn’t showcase its full potential. In fact, some basic design principles weren’t even followed.

What do I mean? Well… let me show you.



The challenge is clear: upgrading Tribe’s entire look and feel. Not just with a new branding or design system, but by crafting a whole new experience. Challenge accepted.

Discover Page: One of the most crucial screens.
Discover Page: One of the most crucial screens.
Discover Page: One of the most crucial screens.

This is where users explore and find new Tribes (groups). Initially, the PM’s idea was to keep it super simple—just a search bar, Google-style, where users would type what they were looking for.

But here’s the thing: users don’t want to think—they want to discover! They want to browse, get recommendations, and stumble upon interesting groups without effort. Netflix does this brilliantly, curating content so users don’t have to search manually.

Here’s a glimpse into the creative process: The founder would send me sketches of what he had in mind. I’d design exactly what he asked for—because, let’s be honest, ideas always seem perfect in our heads. But once you see them on the screen, reality kicks in.

With that design in place, I added elements that I believed would enhance the experience—like filters. Over time, the idea evolved into showcasing the most relevant groups upfront, so users could focus entirely on discovering instead of searching.



So, after some prototypes and calls, I took that idea and redesigned the Discover page:
‍
✅ Kept the search bar, but made it secondary.
✅ Introduced personalized group recommendations powered by an algorithm.
✅ Added generic filters (topics, trending, etc.) + advanced filters (group size, location, recency).
✅ Created a visual hierarchy similar to the App Store, where groups appear as you scroll.

The result? A frictionless, engaging experience that makes discovering new Tribes effortless. 🚀


This is where users explore and find new Tribes (groups). Initially, the PM’s idea was to keep it super simple—just a search bar, Google-style, where users would type what they were looking for.

But here’s the thing: users don’t want to think—they want to discover! They want to browse, get recommendations, and stumble upon interesting groups without effort. Netflix does this brilliantly, curating content so users don’t have to search manually.

Here’s a glimpse into the creative process: The founder would send me sketches of what he had in mind. I’d design exactly what he asked for—because, let’s be honest, ideas always seem perfect in our heads. But once you see them on the screen, reality kicks in.

With that design in place, I added elements that I believed would enhance the experience—like filters. Over time, the idea evolved into showcasing the most relevant groups upfront, so users could focus entirely on discovering instead of searching.



So, after some prototypes and calls, I took that idea and redesigned the Discover page:
‍
✅ Kept the search bar, but made it secondary.
✅ Introduced personalized group recommendations powered by an algorithm.
✅ Added generic filters (topics, trending, etc.) + advanced filters (group size, location, recency).
✅ Created a visual hierarchy similar to the App Store, where groups appear as you scroll.

The result? A frictionless, engaging experience that makes discovering new Tribes effortless. 🚀


This is where users explore and find new Tribes (groups). Initially, the PM’s idea was to keep it super simple—just a search bar, Google-style, where users would type what they were looking for.

But here’s the thing: users don’t want to think—they want to discover! They want to browse, get recommendations, and stumble upon interesting groups without effort. Netflix does this brilliantly, curating content so users don’t have to search manually.

Here’s a glimpse into the creative process: The founder would send me sketches of what he had in mind. I’d design exactly what he asked for—because, let’s be honest, ideas always seem perfect in our heads. But once you see them on the screen, reality kicks in.

With that design in place, I added elements that I believed would enhance the experience—like filters. Over time, the idea evolved into showcasing the most relevant groups upfront, so users could focus entirely on discovering instead of searching.



So, after some prototypes and calls, I took that idea and redesigned the Discover page:
‍
✅ Kept the search bar, but made it secondary.
✅ Introduced personalized group recommendations powered by an algorithm.
✅ Added generic filters (topics, trending, etc.) + advanced filters (group size, location, recency).
✅ Created a visual hierarchy similar to the App Store, where groups appear as you scroll.

The result? A frictionless, engaging experience that makes discovering new Tribes effortless. 🚀


50 Members? No Problem. 50 Hours of Scrolling? Fixed.
50 Members? No Problem. 50 Hours of Scrolling? Fixed.
50 Members? No Problem. 50 Hours of Scrolling? Fixed.

And what about data-heavy screens? They’re usually a usability nightmare. How did you handle them?



Super easy. The design system follows clear guidelines that ensure every screen looks good, no matter how much data it holds.

This is the group host’s screen, where they can see members, track activity, access settings… you know, all the important stuff.

But the current design? Not great. The image doesn’t integrate well, and there’s basically an endless scroll just to reach the management options. If there were 50 members, you’d need an entire afternoon just to scroll through them.

I fixed this by adding a dedicated “Members” section, where a “See more” button takes you to a separate page with the full list. No need to cram everything into the main screen. I also improved the activity graph by adding time filters and reorganized the Manage Group options to create a clearer hierarchy.

Much better. 🚀


And what about data-heavy screens? They’re usually a usability nightmare. How did you handle them?



Super easy. The design system follows clear guidelines that ensure every screen looks good, no matter how much data it holds.

This is the group host’s screen, where they can see members, track activity, access settings… you know, all the important stuff.

But the current design? Not great. The image doesn’t integrate well, and there’s basically an endless scroll just to reach the management options. If there were 50 members, you’d need an entire afternoon just to scroll through them.

I fixed this by adding a dedicated “Members” section, where a “See more” button takes you to a separate page with the full list. No need to cram everything into the main screen. I also improved the activity graph by adding time filters and reorganized the Manage Group options to create a clearer hierarchy.

Much better. 🚀


And what about data-heavy screens? They’re usually a usability nightmare. How did you handle them?



Super easy. The design system follows clear guidelines that ensure every screen looks good, no matter how much data it holds.

This is the group host’s screen, where they can see members, track activity, access settings… you know, all the important stuff.

But the current design? Not great. The image doesn’t integrate well, and there’s basically an endless scroll just to reach the management options. If there were 50 members, you’d need an entire afternoon just to scroll through them.

I fixed this by adding a dedicated “Members” section, where a “See more” button takes you to a separate page with the full list. No need to cram everything into the main screen. I also improved the activity graph by adding time filters and reorganized the Manage Group options to create a clearer hierarchy.

Much better. 🚀


🎉 The Grand Finale: Tribe 2.0 is Here!
🎉 The Grand Finale: Tribe 2.0 is Here!
🎉 The Grand Finale: Tribe 2.0 is Here!

After 100+ screens (yes, I counted) and countless iterations, Tribe now feels like a whole new product. I redesigned everything—from onboarding and profiles to host views, in-app games, and even the group creation flow. Every corner of the app got a fresh coat of UX magic.

But beyond the visuals, the impact is real:
‍
🚀 Clarity wins – Users were initially confused about some features (especially the games), but now we see more and more people engaging with them.
‍
📈 Engagement boost – The redesigned Discover page makes it easier to find groups, leading to an increase in user participation.
‍
🎮 Gamification success – Interactive elements like labels and challenges are making groups more dynamic.

This wasn’t just a UI refresh; it was about creating a better experience from the ground up. Now, Tribe truly feels like the platform it was meant to be—a place where passionate people can connect effortlessly.

And with that… drops mic 🎤💥

After 100+ screens (yes, I counted) and countless iterations, Tribe now feels like a whole new product. I redesigned everything—from onboarding and profiles to host views, in-app games, and even the group creation flow. Every corner of the app got a fresh coat of UX magic.

But beyond the visuals, the impact is real:
‍
🚀 Clarity wins – Users were initially confused about some features (especially the games), but now we see more and more people engaging with them.
‍
📈 Engagement boost – The redesigned Discover page makes it easier to find groups, leading to an increase in user participation.
‍
🎮 Gamification success – Interactive elements like labels and challenges are making groups more dynamic.

This wasn’t just a UI refresh; it was about creating a better experience from the ground up. Now, Tribe truly feels like the platform it was meant to be—a place where passionate people can connect effortlessly.

And with that… drops mic 🎤💥

After 100+ screens (yes, I counted) and countless iterations, Tribe now feels like a whole new product. I redesigned everything—from onboarding and profiles to host views, in-app games, and even the group creation flow. Every corner of the app got a fresh coat of UX magic.

But beyond the visuals, the impact is real:
‍
🚀 Clarity wins – Users were initially confused about some features (especially the games), but now we see more and more people engaging with them.
‍
📈 Engagement boost – The redesigned Discover page makes it easier to find groups, leading to an increase in user participation.
‍
🎮 Gamification success – Interactive elements like labels and challenges are making groups more dynamic.

This wasn’t just a UI refresh; it was about creating a better experience from the ground up. Now, Tribe truly feels like the platform it was meant to be—a place where passionate people can connect effortlessly.

And with that… drops mic 🎤💥

A crucial element: The text input field in chats.

As you can see in the image below, the old design didn’t have a proper hierarchy. What’s the most important part of a text field? Exactly, the text field itself (point for you). But here, the “Hold to talk” feature gets all the attention because it’s highlighted in purple—yet it’s a feature that’s barely used. It doesn’t make sense to give it that much importance. A better approach is to move the “talk” icon inside the button, saving space. Once the user starts typing, that icon disappears and turns into an "X," allowing them to quickly clear the text.

The send button is too small, so we’re going to scale it up for better visibility and to improve visual harmony.

The "+" button for adding media will also be placed inside the text field. This way, we create a sense of space and reinforce that users can type long messages without issues.In short, you can see the difference in shape and hierarchy between the two versions: one with poor visual organization and another that’s much simpler and more functional.

Let'S WORK

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CONTACT NOW
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Let'S WORK

TOGETHER

CONTACT NOW
Instagram
Dribbble
Twitter

Let'S WORK

TOGETHER

CONTACT NOW
Instagram
Dribbble
Twitter

Let'S WORK

TOGETHER

CONTACT NOW
Instagram
Dribbble
Twitter