Strengthen 8club to become the one stop solution for Hosting and managing events.
Strengthen 8club to become the one stop solution for Hosting and managing events.
Furthermore, streamline the app experience to encourage more people to go out.
Also, simplify the app to enable more people to go out.
8club was born from a simple idea: people need people. It’s your gateway to curated offline experiences that spark real human connection. The 8club app facilitates hosting these events, which we call "Hotspots," and enables the right people to join these experiences.
8club was built on one idea: people need people. It’s your gateway to curated offline experiences, “Hotspots”, that spark real connections and bring the right people together.
Role
Role
Product Designer,
UX Researcher,
Product Strategist
Product Designer,
UX Researcher,
Product Strategist
Duration
March’25 - July’25
March’25 - July’25
Impact
Impact
Average Number of Hotspots
Average Number of Hotspots
/ week
/ week
Increased by
Increased by
198.44%
198.44%
(Tripled)
(Tripled)
Average Number of Invites Accepted
/ week
Increased by
102.74%
(Doubled)
Average Number of Invites Accepted
/ week
Increased by
102.74%
(Doubled)
Where It All Began
We launched App V1.0 in December 2024 (only for Bengaluru) with core features aimed at validating our hosting concept. The main goal was to test whether an “Invite-Only” guest list ecosystem could effectively replace traditional ticketing.
At this stage, users could only create profiles, join the waitlist, and receive invitations to Hotspots once they cleared the waitlist. Meanwhile, those interested in hosting experiences were required to apply through a form before being allowed to create a Hotspot.
We launched App V1.0 in December 2024 (Bengaluru only) to test our “Invite-Only” guest list model as an alternative to traditional ticketing.
At this stage, users could create profiles, join the waitlist, and get Hotspot invites once approved. Hosts, on the other hand, had to apply before creating their own Hotspots.
The hype was real… but so were the problems
When the app first launched, the response was positive, the invite-only model felt new, personal, and exclusive, creating a strong sense of FOMO around attending Hotspots.
But we knew that was just the start. Beneath the excitement were deeper challenges. Over three days, our team mapped every issue we’d seen or heard from users to pinpoint where the product needed work. From that, four major problem themes emerged as our top priorities moving forward.
The launch drew great responses, the invite-only model felt fresh, personal, and exclusive, sparking real FOMO around Hotspots.
But excitement aside, deeper challenges surfaced. Over three days, our team mapped every user pain point and identified four key problem areas to focus on next.
#1
The app has become just an invite tool. Hosts create events & share links, but it lacks the vibe of a true going-out app.
#2
Creating a Hotspot and inviting people is new and confusing, the flow needs to be simpler and more intuitive.
#3
Users can’t do much beyond signing up and waiting for an invite, which makes engagement nearly impossible.
#4
The perception that only handpicked people can host has choked organic Hotspot creation & repeat Hotspots.
3 Months In: Turning Feedback Into Fuel
Within three months of launch, by February’s end, we ran two major qualitative studies, one with Hosts and one with Guests. I co-authored both the researches with Madhur, our CTO. While both offered insights, we prioritized Hosts, our core users, to guide the product’s next phase.
Within three months of launch, by February’s end, we ran two major qualitative studies, one with Hosts and one with Guests. I co-authored both the researches with Madhur, our CTO. While both offered insights, we prioritized Hosts, our core users, to guide the product’s next phase.
Summary of the Host Research:
We spoke with a total of eight Hosts, ensuring a diverse mix, including both professional hosts and those who host purely out of passion.
The Host research aimed to evaluate their first-time experience creating a Hotspot, identifying what felt intuitive or confusing, which features were missing, how useful the app was overall, and what key roadblocks or frustrations discouraged them from hosting again.
As expected, seven out of the eight Hosts concluded that the product still has multiple open issues, which serves as a blocker preventing them from hosting again.
We interviewed eight Hosts, a balanced mix of professionals and passion-driven hosts.
The study focused on their first-time Hotspot creation experience: what felt intuitive, what didn’t, missing features, overall usefulness, and pain points that stopped them from hosting again.
Seven of the eight agreed the product has multiple issues still blocking repeat hosting.
In their own words: thoughts from our Hosts.
Hey, 2 of my friends said that they marked interested for the Hotspot I created, but how do I find them and invite now? Why is this so confusing...
Tanishka
- Hosted a Lunch Hotspot
Why can’t I attach event photos and videos? Like I want to show how it is going to be like. Also why can’t I change the main image, I want to upload my own poster.
Isha Beniwal
- Hosted multiple Picnic Hotspots
Aek aek karke sabko invite karna padta hai, kaafi mehnat lagta hai ye toh.
English translation: I had to sit and invite each one of them. This feels very taxing
Mayank Thapa
- Hosted multiple Party Hotspots
Ok, how can my team use this app to send invites? I didn’t know that I had to solely handle everything here...
Pranwesha
- Hosted a Party Hotspot
The app feels very confusing to use. For me, as well as my guests have felt this. Samajh nhi aata invite kahan hai.
English translation: Don’t know where to find my invites.
Shiv
- Hosted multiple Hotspot types.
All the problems were now out in the open!
After reviewing everything we’d done so far, from building V1.0 and conducting user research, to identifying the core challenges and performing a thorough UX audit of the app (conducted by me), we synthesized all our insights into a clear direction forward.
Attached below is the list of key problems we aimed to solve.
After reviewing everything we’d done so far, from building V1.0 and conducting user research, to identifying the core challenges and performing a thorough UX audit of the app (conducted by me), we synthesized all our insights into a clear direction forward.
Attached below is the list of key problems we aimed to solve.
The (Not-So-Hot) Problem Statement
While hosts used the app mainly as an invite tool, guests had no meaningful reason to return or interact within it.
Further more, it discouraged organic hosting, undermining the product’s intended social and experiential purpose.
While hosts used the app mainly as an invite tool, guests had no meaningful reason to return or interact within it.
Further more, it discouraged organic hosting, undermining the product’s intended social and experiential purpose.
From Chaos to Kano (Product Prioritisation and Planning)
With so many problems identified, it wasn’t feasible to address all of them at once. We needed to prioritise and plan our product roadmap carefully so that things could start falling into place. To facilitate this, I proposed using the Kano Model as a framework to guide our prioritisation process.
The founding team, including me sat down together to identify all the potential features that could serve as solutions to the problems we had uncovered. Using the Kano Model, we then categorised these features into three groups those that were essential and formed the foundation, those that were performance features requiring updates, and finally, the delighters, which could be introduced later once the app’s core was stable.
With so many issues uncovered, we had to prioritise wisely. I proposed using the Kano Model to guide our roadmap.
Together, the founding team listed all potential feature solutions and categorised them into three groups: essentials forming the foundation, performance features needing refinement, and delighters to add once the core was solid.
The Kano Analysis revealed that our existing features need refinement and improvement to strengthen the app’s core before developing new functionalities. Additionally, we chose to tackle selected problems from user research within the same product vertical simultaneously to optimise tech resources. For V2.0, we focused on resolving the following list to stabilise the foundation:
Remove "Becoming a Host" as a separate concept.
Make Hotspot creation more convenient.
Make Hotspot and invites management, including creation and accepting multiple Hotspots, easier.
Uplift the "+1 invites" as a concept and introduce chaining.
Introduce a Notifications System.
Revamp the Profile section.
Research and redesign the Wall feature.
Overhaul the Hotspot creation flow, adding functionality for banners, media, and other Hotspot settings.
Enable co-hosting and outbound invites, including bundles.
The Kano Analysis revealed that our existing features need refinement and improvement to strengthen the app’s core before developing new functionalities. Additionally, we chose to tackle selected problems from user research within the same product vertical simultaneously to optimise tech resources. For V2.0, we focused on resolving the following list to stabilise the foundation:
Remove "Becoming a Host" as a separate concept.
Make Hotspot creation more convenient.
Make Hotspot and invites management, including creation and accepting multiple Hotspots, easier.
Uplift the "+1 invites" as a concept and introduce chaining.
Introduce a Notifications System.
Revamp the Profile section.
Research and redesign the Wall feature.
Overhaul the Hotspot creation flow, adding functionality for banners, media, and other Hotspot settings.
Enable co-hosting and outbound invites, including bundles.
8club App V2.0 (Solution & UI)
Product Goals - One Stop Solution for Hosting
Because Hosts sit at the center of our ecosystem, our first step was solving their core pain points and reinforcing the foundation before building further. Listing the core product problem we wanted to solve first.
Because Hosts sit at the center of our ecosystem, our first step was solving their core pain points and reinforcing the foundation before building further. Listing the core product problem we wanted to solve first.
Organic Hotspot creations
Re-engage existing Hosts
Optimise the hosting journey
Foster a Hotspot ecosystem
Engrain the value of hosting
Engrain the value of hosting
Product Goals - One Stop Solution for Hosting
Approach #1
Push users to start hosting from day one, guiding them to manage their own Hotspots.
Pros
Gets more people hosting right away.
Quickly shows who’s serious about the app.
Hosting builds stronger loyalty over time.
Cons
Might overwhelm first-time users.
Could scare off people who just want to attend first.
Needs clear guidance and examples to work well.
Approach #2
Enhance the current Host section with clearer flows, FTUX and post-Hotspot insights.
Pros
Easy to roll out, uses what’s already built.
Small updates might boost engagement fast.
Insights might push Hosts to host again.
Cons
Won’t change how people think about hosting.
Post Hotspots indsights is again a bet.
Still feels like a side feature.
Might not fit future plans or bigger features.
Approach #3
Combine hosting and attending into one unified space for a seamless experience.
Pros
Feels like one connected community.
Makes it easy to go from attendee to host.
Cleaner experience, everything in one place.
Browsing invites becomes a natural entry point to hosting
Flexible for future features.
Cons
Harder to build, big design and tech changes.
Could confuse users at first.
Needs great onboarding to explain both roles.
Unified Hotspot Section
Hotspot Creation Flow - Feature Updates
Our research showed that the Hotspot creation flow was too long and missing key features for more intentional hosting. We've now streamlined it into a concise 5-step process, down from 9.
And see that wiggly line at the top? Hosts love that loader, it’s a tiny but delightful touch!
Our research showed that the Hotspot creation flow was too long and missing key features for more intentional hosting. We've now streamlined it into a concise 5-step process, down from 9.
And see that wiggly line at the top? Hosts love that loader, it’s a tiny but delightful touch!
After a quick summary page, hosts can now go live with their Hotspot instantly, no more waiting for 8club’s approval. Below is a before-and-after look at the upgraded Hotspot Details Page, showcasing the new features!
Sending Invites to People
While getting invited felt great, Hosts could only invite waitlist cleared members or friends from their contacts. We needed a stronger, time-saving “Outbound Invite” system. Here are the main product goals.
Make inviting convenient and quick
Show who’ve requested their invites
Enable Hosts to find the right audience
Make sharing of Hotspot more robust
Get your comfort along!
When we talked to our users, one thing was clear, going out isn’t a solo affair. It’s a friends-together moment. But our platform didn’t quite reflect that. So we changed it.
Now, when a guest accepts a Host’s invite, they can instantly bring their own friends in, no waiting for approval. And to keep the momentum alive, we introduced chained invites: if I invite you, and you join, you’ll get your own passes to invite more friends.
This simple shift made Hotspots feel more familiar and alive, helping Hosts fill Hotspots faster and pushed people to step out more often. The results? Stronger social clusters and a noticeable lift in going-out intent. In fact, 44.35% of extra passes were accepted, and 71.31% of chained extra passes found takers.
Users made one thing clear, going out is a group affair, not a solo one. Our platform didn’t reflect that, so we fixed it.
Now, when a guest accepts a Host’s invite, they can instantly bring friends, no approvals needed. We also added chained invites: if I invite you and you join, you get passes to invite more friends.
This simple tweak made Hotspots livelier, helped Hosts fill events faster, and boosted going-out intent. Results: 44.35% of extra passes were accepted, and 71.31% of chained passes found takers.
Co-hosting - Collab & host better!
Every time a Host invites their friends and connects with new people through 8club, their social circle quietly expands, what starts as a personal network begins to look a lot like a growing community. But even the best networks hit a ceiling.
So, we asked ourselves, what if more than one Host could join forces? Shared energy, shared reach, shared guests. We launched co-hosting, and it’s already reshaping the way Hotspots grow.
Today, nearly one in four Hotspots (24.34%) are co-hosted, stronger pull, deeper familiarity, and more faces that feel like friends.
Conclusion
This update addressed around 70–80% of the issues we had mapped out, and the early numbers look promising.
But our follow-up user calls made one thing clear, users still lack meaningful actions within the app, and the sense of belonging to the broader 8club vision isn’t strong enough yet. That’s the next problem we had to solve.
fin.
fin.