Professional networking, live audio · Mobile Apps
Live workshops where anyone can take the stage.
Hitch is an iPhone app for live audio workshops in tech. Hosts run scheduled talks, listeners react, ask questions and raise a hand to speak, and short timed tables help people meet others in their field. I designed the Hitch app.
The challenge
Hitch brings people in tech together in live audio rooms. A host and a few speakers talk while a hundred or more people listen. The app had to keep that room easy to follow, and give listeners a fair way in.
With only voices to go on, people need to see who is speaking, who is on stage and how to ask for a turn, then know what happened to that request.
Every workshop has a start and an end time. People need to find talks in their field, plan around them and not miss the ones they care about.
Many join to grow their network as much as to hear a talk. In a room of 124 listeners, you rarely get to speak with anyone.
The approach
I designed every screen so people can tell what's happening at a glance and know what each tap will do.
Speakers sit on their own card with names and roles, and the person talking gets a blue ring and a Speaking tag. Listeners sit below in a simple grid. The time left is always in view.
Raising a hand shows a 'your hand is raised' banner. When the host invites you, a sheet asks if you want to join. On stage you start muted and tap to talk.
Join a table seats up to eight people by field and experience for rounds of 2 to 5 minutes. When time's up, the app lists everyone you met so you can follow them.
In action
FIND A TALK
Home shows the workshops live right now, with how many people are listening and who is speaking. The calendar lists upcoming talks with one reminder button each. Search brings up live rooms, upcoming talks and people for any topic.
TAKE THE STAGE
A listener raises a hand and sees that the request is waiting. The host invites them, and a sheet asks if they're ready. They join the stage muted, and the Unmute to talk button is the next step.
TALK BACK
Listeners don't need the mic to join in. Quick reactions float up next to the speaker, the Questions tab sorts questions by votes and shows the one being answered, and Chat carries links and side comments.
JOIN A TABLE
Pick your field, experience and who you'd like to meet, and Hitch seats you at a table of up to eight. Everyone can talk, a timer shows the round, and when time's up you get a list of the people you met to follow.
Design language
An off-white page with white cards and one blue accent keeps a busy room easy to read. Red is kept for Live and Leave. The speaking ring and role tags show who is talking, and the type follows Apple's text styles.
I designed the Hitch iPhone app: finding live and upcoming workshops, the live room with its stage, hand raising, reactions, questions and chat, timed networking tables, hosting a workshop, profiles and sign-up.
