Gather.town
Reimagining Gather for Mobile
Companion Mobile App Design & Desktop Interaction Refinement
2021
— When Gather.town, the virtual collaboration and social interaction platform, sought to extend its experience to mobile users, they turned to Metalab. I had the privilege of contributing as an Interaction & Experience Designer, introducing intuitive solutions and innovative features that bridged the gap between their desktop-only platform and the mobile world.
SERVICES
Interaction & Experience Designer, Visual Designer
Project Overview
The primary objectives were to introduce a seamless mobile experience to Gather, refine interactions to enhance user engagement, and create innovative features like Blueprints for quick space launches. These goals aimed to increase user adoption, improve retention, and make Gather more accessible and enjoyable for users, while supporting the platform’s scalability and investor appeal.
Gather’s desktop platform offered a unique, game-like virtual environment but lacked mobile support and had room for significant UX improvements. My work involved refining the core desktop experience and conceptualizing mobile-first solutions to enhance user engagement and platform functionality.
Gather, a platform for virtual interaction, was gaining popularity for its unique spatial video chat experience but lacked support for mobile users and needed design refinements to scale effectively. When the project came to MetaLab, the goal was to transform Gather’s accessibility and usability, making it an engaging tool for remote work, social gatherings, and community interactions. As an Interaction and Experience Designer, I focused on bridging the gap between desktop and mobile, introducing new features that empowered users and improved overall engagement.
Approach
Started with Gather's existing basic brand system, which was further developed
We began by evaluating Gather’s existing desktop UX, identifying areas where interactions could be streamlined for better usability. My primary focus was on creating an engaging mobile companion app. This involved: 1. Introducing Blueprints, a feature enabling fast launches of new spaces directly from mobile, simplifying the onboarding process while reserving advanced customizations for desktop users. 2. Enhancing interactions, including the Follow Experience, where users could follow others around virtual spaces, replicating familiar mechanics like Figma’s “Follow” feature for collaborative ease. 3. Conceptualizing and refining the platform economy, inspired by Slack’s Kudos extension, allowing users to share currency as tokens of appreciation. Throughout the project, user-centric research and iterative testing ensured that these features addressed real pain points and improved cross-platform usability.
To transform Gather.town into a more inclusive and mobile-friendly platform, I focused on designing solutions that simplified complex workflows and introduced mobile-specific innovations. By prioritizing ease of use and extending functionality seamlessly across devices, the project achieved tangible results in user engagement and retention.
Process
We followed a user-centered design approach, analyzing current platform behaviors and engaging users to identify gaps and opportunities. By prioritizing intuitive mobile features like Blueprints and enhancing desktop interactions, we delivered a cohesive experience that extended Gather’s functionality and appeal across devices.
The design process began with an in-depth evaluation of Gather’s existing desktop platform to identify pain points and opportunities for enhancement. We conducted user research to understand how people used Gather, their challenges, and the potential for extending its use to mobile. A major focus was conceptualizing features like the Follow Experience, which allowed users to seamlessly follow others within a virtual space, similar to Figma’s collaborative file tracking. For mobile, we developed Blueprints, an innovative solution for launching spaces quickly without full customization capabilities, addressing technical limitations while maintaining user satisfaction. Iterative design sprints, usability testing, and close collaboration with the Gather team ensured the refinements aligned with user needs and business goals.
"Working on Gather.town was a unique opportunity to shape a platform beloved for its creativity and community spirit. By introducing mobile functionality, refining desktop interactions, and reimagining the user journey, the project successfully extended Gather’s reach and impact. It was rewarding to see these changes not only delight users but also contribute to the company’s growth and success."
Final Design
The culmination of extensive research, creative design, and technical precision resulted in a visually breathtaking film. The designs exceeded the studios' expectations, setting a new benchmark for sci-fi movies.
The final design included: • Blueprints for Mobile Space Creation: Pre-designed templates enabling users to quickly launch spaces on the go. • Follow Experience: A collaborative feature allowing users to tag along with others seamlessly, enhancing navigation and group interactions. • Platform Economy Features: Concepts for peer appreciation using tokens, adding a layer of gamification and positive reinforcement. • Interaction refinements across desktop and mobile to ensure consistency and usability.
Product Images
"Working on Gather.town was a unique opportunity to shape a platform beloved for its creativity and community spirit. By introducing mobile functionality, refining desktop interactions, and reimagining the user journey, the project successfully extended Gather’s reach and impact. It was rewarding to see these changes not only delight users but also contribute to the company’s growth and success." — Eric
Achievements
As a frequent Gather user, I loved the new mobile experience. Launching spaces with Blueprints made everything so easy, and the Follow feature brought a whole new level of collaboration. It’s clear that the designers understood what users needed, and they delivered brilliantly
Gather User, Design tester
The project achieved remarkable results, driving adoption and retention while solidifying Gather’s position as a leader in virtual collaboration.
Details of Achievements • Increased Mobile Adoption: Enabled users to create and join spaces from their phones, addressing a significant gap. • Higher Retention Rates: Improved ease of use and engaging features encouraged users to return more frequently. • Facilitated $50M Series B Funding: The enhancements demonstrated platform viability to investors, contributing to Gather’s funding success. • User Engagement: Features like Blueprints and Follow Experience received widespread acclaim for their simplicity and utility.
Positive feedback about the Blueprint feature
boost in daily active users due to mobile accessibility
