Events

A Collaborative, iOS-Native Event Planning App for Families and Friends

ROLE

UX Designer
Product Designer
Visual Designer

Tools

Figma
Apple iOS Design Kit

Timeline

8 Months

Famili

Closer families, real connections, memories made one small moment at a time

ROLE

UX/UI Designer
Product Designer
Visual Designer

Team

Adiva Ahmad, Bahar Mahabadi, Bennett Miller, Richard Wu, Rubiat Fusigboye, Maha Shahid

Timeline

4 Months

Famili Prototype

CHALLENGE

How might we help families and friends who live apart to effortlessly manage all aspects of event planning while reducing stress and fostering joyful collaboration?

SOLUTION

Events: One app to plan it all 🎉

iOS Native Feel

Designed with Apple’s official Figma kit and SF Pro fonts for a polished, intuitive experience.

Budget Tracker & Cost Splitting

Intuitive interface for entering expenses, viewing group balances, and settling up.

Collaborative Itinerary

A timeline-based layout for organizing event moments, with task assignments.

Task Delegation

Group members can assign and track responsibilities, with status updates provided.

OVERVIEW

Events

For my final thesis, I designed Events, a collaborative iOS-native app that helps families and friends plan social gatherings across distances. Based on 8 months of user research, Events centralizes key features like scheduling, task delegation, budgeting, and communication to simplify the planning experience.

Unlike current tools that force users to juggle between group chats, spreadsheets, and money apps, Events offers a single, intuitive space designed for closeness no matter the distance.

For my final thesis, I designed Events, a collaborative iOS-native app that helps families and friends plan social gatherings across distances. Based on 8 months of user research, Events centralizes key features like scheduling, task delegation, budgeting, and communication to simplify the planning experience.

Unlike current tools that force users to juggle between group chats, spreadsheets, and money apps, Events offers a single, intuitive space designed for closeness no matter the distance.

For my final thesis, I designed Events, a collaborative iOS-native app that helps families and friends plan social gatherings across distances. Based on 8 months of user research, Events centralizes key features like scheduling, task delegation, budgeting, and communication to simplify the planning experience.

Unlike current tools that force users to juggle between group chats, spreadsheets, and money apps, Events offers a single, intuitive space designed for closeness no matter the distance.

OVERVIEW

Famili

Famili is a mobile concept designed during a collaborative sprint with RTI (Red Thread Innovations) to help young adults and their families stay connected in small, meaningful ways. In a world full of constant distractions, overwhelming schedules, and shifting family dynamics, Famili aims to bring people closer, without forcing connection, but by making it easier and more natural to share life’s little moments. It’s a gentle tool to share life, build understanding, and create moments that strengthen bonds over time.

THE PROBLEM

Connection shouldn’t feel this hard 😵‍💫

Modern life and independence has made it strangely difficult for families to stay close. Between packed calendars, digital noise, and even different comfort levels with technology, what should be simple often feels awkward or forced.

60%

of North Americans report that their families aren’t as close as they used to be

79%

Adults aged 18 to 24 say they feel lonely

52%

young adults admit they know their parents only somewhat well, or not well at all

WHY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?

Family connection is changing and worth designing for. 🧠

Most tech today treats family relationships like logistics problems to be tracked or monitored. But real closeness isn’t about knowing where someone is; it’s about feeling seen, included, and cared for. Given how digital overload, modern parenting, and FOMO culture shape today’s relationships, there’s a growing need for gentle, low-friction tools that support trust, curiosity, and joy, without adding more pressure.

Meanwhile, the global market for parenting and family-focused apps is booming. At its core, Famili believes digital tools shouldn’t replace genuine connection; they should help foster it. Especially in families, where it matters most. That’s why Famili is designed to make sharing, planning, and simply staying curious about each other’s lives feel natural and joyful, not forced.

75%

of surveyed users said scheduling coordination is their biggest challenge

80%

expressed frustration with using fragmented tools that don’t work well together

13K+

TikTok videos “the plans never left the group chat” highlighting the widespread nature of this issue

CHALLENGE

How might we empower parents, older teenagers and young adults to create effortless opportunities for meaningful family interactions that integrate into busy schedules, fostering connection, trust and emotional bonds without adding stress or disruption?

HYPOTHESES

Our bets on what will actually help 💡

We relate and empathize with young adults when they gain independence, family connection often becomes an afterthought, not due to a lack of care, but a lack of alignment. We hypothesize that if young adults and parents are given a tool designed for their evolving relationship, one that balances autonomy with emotional closeness, they will be more likely to engage meaningfully and consistently with each other.

We believe that:

1.

Mutual understanding can grow when interests and emotional states are visible and acknowledged

2.

In-person time can increase when suggestions and invites feel low-pressure and relevant

3.

Emotional closeness can thrive when families have lightweight ways to stay in touch on their own terms.

If we build a platform that supports these types of interactions with empathy, personalization, and behavioral nudges, we can help bridge the generational and emotional gap that often grows with age.

SOLUTION

Famili is a mobile-first app designed to help families grow closer as they grow up. It blends the best of social interaction, behavioral nudging, and real-world connection without compromising independence.

We’ve designed four core features to make this possible:


🧠 Understand & Be Understood

Profiles, Preferences & Widgets

  • Showcase interests, status, and mood to stay passively connected

  • Set custom notifications and status visibility

  • Invite family members and form custom connection groups

✉️ Make Plans That Actually Happen
Create, Send & Track Invites

  • Craft personalized hangout invites based on shared interests

  • Pick time, date, and place with ease

  • View, update, or accept invites with one tap

  • Keep all upcoming events and requests organized in one hub

📷 Share Moments in Your Own Way
Post, React, & Stay Updated

  • Upload photos, videos, or audio stories to a private family feed

  • Add location, music, and filters to personalize your memories

  • Like, comment, and react to what matters most

👀 Connect When It Matters Most
Real-Time Nudges & Proximity Alerts

  • See when family members are nearby

  • Get prompted to reach out with a friendly nudge

  • Reconnect in the moment without the awkward buildup




iOS Native Feel

Designed with Apple’s official Figma kit and SF Pro fonts for a polished, intuitive experience.

Budget Tracker & Cost Splitting

Intuitive interface for entering expenses, viewing group balances, and settling up.

Collaborative Itinerary

A timeline-based layout for organizing event moments, with task assignments.

Task Delegation

Group members can assign and track responsibilities, with status updates provided.

Designed with 🧡

Designed with 🧡

Designed with 🧡

Designed with 🧡