This became one of our turning points. Instead of designing a place, we shifted toward emotional experiences: small, low-pressure ways to feel included without needing to perform, spend money, or put themselves out there.
Wick
An installation aimed at combatting misconceptions about third spaces
ROLE
Product Designer
User Researcher
TIMELINE
June 2026— August 2026
TEAM
Eran Meddigo
Victor Kuan
Andy Yun
SKILLS
User Research, Wireframing, AI-Assisted Prototyping
01 — OVERVIEW
Wick brings students' Canvas and Google Calendar together in one place, using AI to help them plan out their day.
But one part of the app didn't have a plan of its own: the feed. You could "bump" other students, but nobody really knew why you would.
Still, the feed had potential.
When last summer's intern cohort worked on it, Wick saw user numbers rise significantly through the feed.
That's why Wick chose to invest in it.
So...
#1
area of growth in the app after last summer's back-to-school launch
How might we turn Wick's feed into a space students actually use, helping them find people to study with so that users want to share it with their friends?
Jump to the final!
02 — PROBLEM
A feed built to motivate, but not to use.
The feed was originally built to motivate students by letting them see others studying.
In practice, users opened it, looked around, and weren't sure what to do next.
Everything looked the same, and the more friends you had, the more vertical space the feed ate up. Even profiles blurred together: it was hard to tell your own profile from someone else's.
Additionally, the feed only worked if:
1
Users turned on their notifications
2
Users already had friends added in the classes they were in
Users had completed their profile
3
Most hadn't.
03 — RESEARCH
What is the feed actually for?
We started simple: quick question sessions with users and a look at how other platforms structure their feeds.
Interviews
10+
Platforms analyzed
4
Then the data surprised us
These barriers were rooted in broader societal issues, which made them harder to articulate. That made our "how might we" harder to define, but working through it gave us four key insights.
main categories
3
subcategories
12
1
Participation is limited by fear of perception, not just physical access.
2
Hostile design quietly filters who can use a space at all.
Ideas of "acceptable" behavior constrain how people interact.
3
A space's intent often misaligns with what people actually need.
4
We expected cost and distance to be the biggest physical barriers. It was far more conceptual
04 — IDEATION
60 ideas was our goal.
It sounded manageable — even fun — but quickly became harder than expected.
Down sizing our options…
Most of our ideas were about physical space. Though they looked strong, but something felt off.
They didn't fully reflect what we heard in our research.
“I think that’s what’s so great about it [third space] … they can feel safe, seen, heard… without the fear of being judged or being othered.”
— Participant R.N.
We were addressing surface-level issues while the deeper challenges were emotional.
After rounds of grouping, debating, and cutting, a few stronger directions emerged. We narrowed it down to three concepts and ultimately chose our idea of a…
Thirdstallation — an installation that functions as a third space while challenging preconceived notions of what those spaces are.
05 — CO-DESIGN
We then ran a participatory workshop with two low-income UW students to co-design what an emotionally accessible space could feel like.
Mood boarding
Roleplaying
Prototyping
There was a lot to digest.
Participants suggested everything from pool tables to vending machines to beanbags (we kept the beanbags), giving us a lot to consider and question.
But what they talked about most was amenities: water, snacks, and especially a microwave. They echoed our research, so we took them seriously.
amenities revisited
3
in the final installation
0
Almost 3 months in, we began missing the point of our installation. After a long discussion, we chose not to include them. We felt it would shift the focus away from our core insight:
Third spaces are defined not just by resources, but by people being able to truly be themselves.
But the workshop still shaped how we planned the space.
Not closed off
Closed spaces can feel like invading people who are already there, so we made spaces easy to step into.
Still room to focus
Open didn't mean noisy. We still made space for people to study and concentrate.
05 — SOLUTION
Don't you belong
An installation that debunks preconceived notions while working as a third space itself.
1
2
3
Furniture that encourages users to stay and be themselves
Infographics that challenge misconceptions about third spaces
An Interactive activity that sparks creativity and community
Curved seating and tables to gather, talk, or just sit.
Visitors draws themself on puzzle pieces to connect and build something together.
Detailed floor plan showcasing a top-down view of the installation space. Highlights specific gathering spaces such as study spaces, lounging/rest areas, etc. Showcases plans detailing content placement in relation to seating and other furniture.
Visitors draws themself on puzzle pieces to connect and build something together.
Visitors draws themself on puzzle pieces to connect and build something together.