Mix it Up on Mixby
Weddings, birthdays, large family gatherings, and concerts all have at least one thing in common: taking photos to commemorate the moment.
Mixby is a social, geo-located photo sharing app where all attendees can upload photos taken at a public, or private, event to a shared “mixby”. A Mixby is an event on the platform that users create to commemorate something through the use of photo and video sharing about that event. You can host a private Mixby for your wedding, where only those invited guests can upload photos of the event to the Mix. Or you can attend a public concert Mixby and enjoy scrolling through photos from the mosh pit while you sit in the nosebleed section. Mixby allows a collective feeling between strangers and friends who share and take photos of events they attend together.
While Mixby is new and offers many options for use in the app, it isn’t the first of its kind. Wedding photo apps like The Guest currently exist that help couples at weddings receive all the photos taken at the event. People use Google Photos to share the photos on their camera roll with their friends after a trip together. Instagram has a feature where your hashtagged photo will appear under that hashtag if you have a public account. All in all, there are many options out there that serve similar capabilities as Mixby. However, what makes Mixby special is the geo-locating factor and the breadth of possibilities that users can share events and not be constrained to a specific theme, like a wedding.
Mixby allows users to join events, and thus discover new opportunities to connect with others over shared experiences. The opening page allows users to search for events in the area through a map or list format. Through exploration within the app to enjoy different opportunities, users can discover experiences and different points-of-view as other users upload photos from their camera at the event. Audiences could feel motivated to explore and learn about what is going on in their world.
However, while Mixby provides a refreshed way of connecting and exploring new experiences, the app functions do need some changing in order to create a more seamless user experience.
Strengths
Overall the event/geo-located experience and upload is unique to Mixby. Users are only allowed to upload photos after they have joined the event and if they are in the area.
Weaknesses
Some edits to the User Interface and the flow of the pages can improve the experience. When my group and I tested the friending feature, there was no direct notification of a friend request and we had to go looking for it to approve their request. Another factor for notifications is that they are not timed correctly and are sent too often. The addition of a notification page within the app could help in identifying important notifications without spamming a user when they leave the app. Also moving from a public to a private account prevents your friends from seeing any of the events on your profile that they saw before you went private. The overall experience does not flow and users when they initially join the app are confused what to do and where to go first. Adding a short walk-through tutorial will showcase what Mixby can offer and help ease confusion.
Opportunities
Mixby has an opportunity to take advantage of being one of the only geo-located photo and video sharing app on the market right now. As the features get updated, it has the potential to grab the attention of event enthusiasts and create repeat usage.
Threats
Currently Instagram is one of the most, if not the most, popular photo sharing app. Instagram reaches over 1 billion active user monthly. With such popularity, comparisons and grabbing the attention of new users will be difficult. Also, encouraging someone to download an app is rather difficult as they consider many different factors to download besides just solving a problem.
Purpose
The purpose of Mixby is about appreciating and sharing content in real time to a collective.
Pain Relief and Gains
For those who have joined the event, they will be able to see the photos that other attendees have uploaded. This allows easy access to obtaining photos and connecting with others at the event without having to go through the noise of irrelevant photos that can happen with hashtags.
Products and Services
With the ability to create, share, and contribute to events, Mixby allows users to create, explore, and connect across the app. Through the friending feature, users can share and keep in touch with those that they meet at the events.
All in all, Mixby has potential to provide something that people look for: a place where they feel they belong. Through photos and videos, users can find and communicate with others who have similar interests. Mixby provides an opportunity for new friendships and ultimately mixes it up in the world of media sharing.
