Case study

Back pew

Back Pew is a conceptual social media application designed specifically for the Christian community. The design was developed from November 2024 - January 2025. In an increasingly digital world, Christians often seek spaces where they can share their faith journey openly, without the pressures or judgment sometimes found on mainstream platforms. Back Pew aims to provide a safe, uplifting, and dedicated environment for users to share personal thoughts, reflections, and insights, post testimonies of God's work in their lives, share answered prayers, encouraging others and celebrating God's faithfulness, submit and receive prayer requests from a supportive community. Connect with like-minded individuals and build spiritual friendships.

Role & responsibilities

I worked on this project as the UX and UI designer. Main areas of responsibility:

Gathered business goals and requirements from client
Stakeholder surveys
Competitive audit
Problem statements
User flows
Low-fi to Hi-fi wireframing
Branding
Interactive prototyping

Target

The target audience for the app is the Christian community. Back Pew offers a tailored solution by creating a dedicated digital sanctuary for Christians.

Problems & solutions

Mainstream social media platforms, while vast and diverse, often lack the specific focus and safety required for Christians to comfortably and authentically share their faith.

Users can face:

Fear of judgment/misunderstanding: Sharing deeply personal spiritual experiences or theological viewpoints can be met with negativity or cynicism.
Irrelevant content overload: Christian-specific content can get lost amidst a sea of secular information.
Lack of dedicated community: Finding and connecting with other Christians for spiritual support can be challenging.
Desire for a "safe space": A need for an environment free from explicit content, profanity, or discussions that contradict Christian values.
Difficulty in sharing prayer requests: Publicly soliciting prayer can feel vulnerable or inappropriate on general platforms.

The solutions:

Home/Feed: Personalized stream of posts from followed users and trending content

Prayer Wall: Central hub for all prayer requests

Profile: Personal space for users to share their bio, saved content, and past posts

Outcomes

A simulated usability test was conducted with potential users to gather feedback on the prototype. The methodology was to set tasks for users to complete then from observing note any points of confusion and friction. Open ended questions were asked regarding ease of use, visual appeal and overall impressions.

Color palete:

Primary: Soft, calming blue (#149DE1) to evoke peace and tranquility.
Accent: Warm, inviting tones (#FEBA02 - yellow, #E52B50 - Pink shade) for calls to action and highlights, signifying hope and positivity.
Neutrals: Clean whites and light grays for backgrounds and text to ensure readability and a clean.

Home page

Designed with dedicated post types, "Testimonies," "Prayers," and "Devotions" to streamline content and improve discoverability. The design and moderation is geared towards fostering a positive, encouraging, and faith-affirming environment.