MeetCode

Case Study

Designed a web application that was aimed at assisting programmers to practice both collaboration and programming. This is not just a place to practice coding interview questions but also, a professional networking platform.

Project Type

Case Study

Role

Product Designer

Project Duration

Active

Overview

Context

As a UI/UX designer with a passion for user-centered design and a background in product design, I constantly saw a need in the programming community. Programmers faced a continuous challenge: how to practice solving coding questions while also developing their collaboration skills. Traditional coding practice often felt solitary, lacking the interactive and collaborative elements that enhance the learning experience. Additionally, networking within the programming community, especially for freelancers and remote workers, presented its own set of obstacles.

This context inspired the creation of MeetCode – a revolutionary platform that combines coding challenges, real-time collaboration, and professional networking in one cohesive environment.

Role & Responsibilites

As a product designer and UI/UX designer for MeetCode, my role was pivotal in conceptualizing, designing, and refining the platform. I am responsible for conducting user research, creating wireframes and prototypes, defining the visual identity, and crafting an intuitive user experience.

I ensured that MeetCode seamlessly blended coding challenges, real-time collaboration, and professional networking, enhancing the programming practice.

Solution

MeetCode offers a dynamic and immersive environment for programmers to collaborate on coding challenges in real-time, promoting exploration of new coding techniques. Along with the feed feature, I was also able to produce a tool in which developers can upload their resume to showcase to their communities and groups along with networking with professionals from specifically the tech industry.

In the development of MeetCode, I utilized Figma where I seamlessly integrated various elements to create a user-friendly mobile application. Furthermore, Figma played a crucial role in crafting the UI/UX designs, offering an array of design options, including color schemes and icons. The heart of MeetCode lies in its coding challenges lobby and real-time collaboration features, which I meticulously designed to ensure an intuitive and engaging user experience.

How It Works

Community Feed

When a user has done their practice, they can freely move to the community feed where they can see other users posts. Posts can include jobs updated, internship opportunities or just advice on a career. Community feeds also allow you to check on friends and return to code.

Easily accessible IDE

A user first begins by entering a room in which they have been assigned with a partner. This page is called the coding challenge lobby. A user is able to select their programming language in order to solve the common interview question that is displayed at the top of the IDE.

Personal Profile

When a user has done their practice, they can freely move to the community feed where they can see other users posts. Posts can include jobs updated, internship opportunities or just advice on a career. Community feeds also allow you to check on friends and return to code.

3 Main Features

Coding Challenges Lobby, Real-time Collaboration, and Professional Networking features are pivotal to MeetCode's mission of enhancing coding practice, encouraging collaboration, and fostering networking within the programming community. These components collectively contribute to creating a thriving and supportive ecosystem for developers.

User Needs and Conceptualization

To begin my design process, I had to delve deeper into the problems that developers faced. Therefore, here are a few main points to understand how I began my thorough research to understand the true struggles that many developers faced.

  • User-Centered Research: This phase began with extensive user research, including in-depth interviews with developers from various backgrounds and experience levels. The focus was on understanding their coding practices, challenges, and the tools they commonly use. Insights were gathered regarding their preferred learning methods, collaborative tendencies, and networking habits.
  • In-Depth Interviews: In-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse group of developers, ranging from various programming backgrounds and experience levels. These interviews, lasting 45 minutes to an hour each, aimed to deeply understand developers' habits, pain points, and preferences. Through structured questionnaires scenario-based questions, and user stories, valuable insights into coding practices, collaboration preferences, and networking habits were obtained.
  • Ideation and Goal Definition: Ideation sessions involved brainstorming innovative features and functionalities that would address the identified user needs. The goal was to create a unique platform that would stand out in the developer community through its effectiveness in strengthening the tool kit of any developer and allowing them tp expand their network.

This research-driven approach and collaboration with stakeholders laid the groundwork for the unique value proposition of MeetCode as a platform dedicated to addressing the specific needs of developers.

Wireframing and UX Design

Wireframing and UX design were central to crafting MeetCode's user-friendly and engaging platform. This section explores how these essential design elements shaped the user experience.

  • Wireframing: The design process began with the development of a basic information architecture, outlining the platform's structure and content hierarchy. Low-fidelity wireframes were crafted to visualize the layout, navigation, and core functionalities of MeetCode. This step ensured that the user journey was intuitive and content was logically organized.
  • Interactive Prototyping: These wireframes were then transformed into interactive prototypes, allowing for a representation of user interactions and navigation flows. Usability testing was conducted with potential users to gather feedback, which played a pivotal role in improving the user experience. Iterations based on this feedback resulted in a more seamless and engaging platform.
  • User Experience (UX) Design: The focus of UX design was to create an enjoyable and efficient user experience. Every element, from buttons and menus to navigation controls, was meticulously designed with user-friendliness in mind. User feedback, along with usability testing insights, influenced design choices, ensuring that the final product delivered a user-centric interface that catered to the specific needs of developers.

Incorporating wireframing, prototyping, and UX design ensured MeetCode's intuitive navigation, seamless interactions, and user-centered experience. These elements played a pivotal role in transforming MeetCode from concept to a dynamic and accessible platform for developers.

UI Tool Kit

Logo

App Colors

Typography

Mission Statement

Our mission is to empower developers by providing a platform that enhances their coding skills, promotes real-time collaboration, and facilitates professional networking. We aim to contribute to the growth of collaborative and inclusive tech communities.

Results and Impacts

At MeetCode, our dedication to enhancing the developer experience has already made a significant impact within our community. Here are a few of our achievements since our launch.

Impacts

1
User Engagement

MeetCode has welcomed over 500 registered developers into our community who actively participate in coding challenges and collaboration. On average, our users spend more than 15 minutes daily on MeetCode.

2
Coding Skill Enhancement

Developers have reported a notable improvement in their coding skills, with approximately 60% indicating that their proficiency has advanced since joining the platform. Users have collectively completed more than 1,000 coding challenges, showcasing their commitment to skill development and learning.

3
Community Building

MeetCode has over 20 coding groups and 300 connections formed through the platform's networking features. An 85% of users express high satisfaction with the platform, emphasizing the supportive community they've found.

These figures demonstrate MeetCode's positive impact on developers' skills, career prospects, and the growth of a supportive tech community. We're excited to continue our journey, making coding practice, collaboration, and networking even more accessible and enriching for developers.

Final Reflection

As I tread this exciting path with MeetCode, every step has been a profound learning experience, both professionally and personally. For example:

User-Centricity: One lesson that resonates deeply is the importance of being user-centric. The heart of MeetCode beats with the developer community. Their insights, feedback, and stories have been our guide to developing a tool that is most effective and can create the most successful change in this community problem.

Persistence: Building a community takes time and patience. I have learned that persistence pays off. Every challenge faced and every hurdle overcome has only fueled my determination to provide developers with a platform that truly empowers them.

Diversity Matters: The beauty of MeetCode lies in its diverse community. Embracing and celebrating the diversity of our users has not only enriched our platform but also taught me invaluable lessons about the strength in unity.