Creating a specialized mobile application for anime-watchers to connect and socialize
How to design for a niche target User group
Overview
Aniforum began as a simple idea to create a way for anime watchers to find more accurate show recommendations easily in 2021. After a few years, I revisited the app and added new features.
The goal of this design was to create a community building mobile applications that served as a bridge for fans to connect and interact with each other and to also destigmatize the stereotype that surrounds anime.
My Role
UX/UI Designer and Developer
User Research, Interaction, Visual Design, Prototyping, Branding
November 2023 - February 2024
Background
Aniforum is a UX case study and conceptual app designed to destigmatize the stereotype of anime/manga fans. It provides an inviting space for both longtime fans and new viewers, reflecting the genre's rising popularity in mainstream culture.
My main goal was to open more conversations and foster community for the rapidly trending topic of anime.
I served as the project owner and sole UX designer, leading research, design, and branding throughout the process.
What's the problem?
To gather diverse perspectives, I surveyed 20+ individuals ranging in anime familiarity—from complete beginners to long-time fans.
Why the stigma Exists
Through comprehensive user interviews and external research analysis, several recurring themes emerged that explain the persistent stigma surrounding anime consumption. The research revealed that negative perceptions stem primarily from cultural misunderstandings and media misrepresentation rather than the content itself.
Key stigma factors include:
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Association with "childish" or overly sexualized art styles that overshadow diverse storytelling
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Racism and xenophobia toward Japanese media and cultural products
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Misrepresentation of anime fans in mainstream media as socially awkward or obsessive
Sources: Zephyrus - "Anime: is the stigma warranted?", The Princeton Summer Journal - "How Racism Leads to Anime's Stigma"
Why This Matters Now
The landscape is rapidly shifting as anime transitions from niche subculture to mainstream entertainment, creating both opportunities and challenges for fan communities. This cultural shift has sparked important conversations about representation, accessibility, and changing social attitudes.
Current mainstream indicators include:
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Anime titles consistently occupying top Netflix spots with accompanying news coverage
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High-profile celebrity endorsements from figures like Michael B. Jordan and Megan Thee Stallion
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Academy Award recognition with wins for Spirited Away (2003) and The Boy and the Heron (2024)
Sources: Forbes - "The Weebs Have Won, Demand For Anime Is Soaring", New York Times - "A Master of Childhood Dreams", Yahoo! News - "Celebrities' Favorite Anime Shows"
Research Findings
Beyond qualitative insights from user interviews, quantitative data from aniDB database provided valuable metrics on current industry trends. This combined approach revealed both the human experience of stigma and the data-driven growth patterns shaping anime's future mainstream acceptance.Retry
Existing Solutions
Because this was such a niche topic and there is a well known “main” competitor space, at the end of the initial user interviews, I asked how many people were familiar with MyAnimeList.
What the users had to say
Defining the problem space
Creating User Personas
To make sure I was considering all the use-cases, I created 3 different user personas to embody the typical users and their existing pain-points.
User Journey Maps
To ensure that all core user flows were both functional and goal-oriented, each journey was designed to guide users toward discovering a new anime recommendation. Whether they were browsing community discussions, filling out their preferences, or exploring trending shows, every path led to a personalized and rewarding discovery moment.
I used the user journey map as a way to ensure that each use case was able to lead back to the user accomplishing the main goal of finding a new show.
Defining the problem Statement and strategizing
How can we establish an environment conducive to discussing anime and discovering precise show recommendations?
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Build a reliable and intuitive app
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Encourage ongoing user engagement
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Incorporate features that delight and connect
Developing the product
Aniforum began as my first ever Figma project (2021) and was reimagined in 2023-2024 to reflect my evolution as a designer.
This redesign includes:
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Brand overhaul, UX/UI enhancements, Implementation of user feedback
Home Page
Designed to immediately communicate Aniforum’s purpose while giving returning users quick access to current threads and recommendations. Evolved from a static landing page into a personalized, community-driven feed.
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Users felt that the parent containers surrounding the contents made the screen feel too cluttered
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The add felt slightly too prominent being on the page that the user opened the app to
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Users stated that the layout made the screen not feel like a Home Page
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Users felt that the search bar on the home page felt a little pointless as there is a search feature on the explore page
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The activity bar as an initial feature shown felt like it would create too much pressure on the user
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Reformatted the horizontal scrolls, making margins smaller to indicate that it is able to scroll
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Changed typography to be bolder weight for legibility and accessibility purposes
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Added a ‘view more’ to the Trending Forums to encourage users to take part in conversations
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Included welcome section to make app experience feel more custom
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Deleted ‘Activity’ to reduce pressure on user
Forum Page
This screen houses in-depth discussions. Initial concepts were too text-heavy; later versions improved readability and added interactive thread tools.
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Used indenting to depict hierarchy of the comments within the thread
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Testing showed that users weren’t able to easily distinguish the parent comment within the thread
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Removed fill to distinguish OP (original poster) on each thread
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Feedback showed that it might be better to have a different time distinguisher rather than by full dates and no time stamps
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Took inspiration from Reddit formatting for thread posts
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Allowed for post tags that distinguish OP, changed time tags, changed iconography and fixed layout of thread
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Included new tag that allows users to tag their replies that contain spoilers
Explore Page
Focused on content discovery, this page allows users to browse trending anime, community recommendations, and curated collections. Iterations refined both the visual hierarchy and filtering experience.
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The gradient on the bottom of each cell was too prominent
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The cell spacing felt too large and spread apart
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Felt that the category images were to vibrant, making it hard to read
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Tried adding an outline and spacing, but users felt that the outline had too much contrast with the text was too distracting
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Tried deleting the gradient and users stated that they didn't like how some images still looked partially with a gradient
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The final iteration tested the best, with no space between any of the categories, darkened category images, and no outlines
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Users felt that the sections were intuitive enough to tell they were clickable
Explore Page (Category)
A browsable space to discover anime by genre or theme. Redesign iterations explored different content densities and card layouts to improve engagement.
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Testing showed the button opacity made it hard to read
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The search bar only listing the genre made users confused if they would be able to click it once in the category page
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For aesthetic purposes, I removed the outline around each item
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Used a new type hierarchy and switched the genres text from a lighter weight to a heaver one and darkened the color
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Changed search bar text so users would be able to search within the category with an automatic filter, rather than it being set to a search only with the genre
Anime Details Page
The detail page for each anime, balancing visual media, metadata, and user reviews. Early versions were content-heavy; redesign simplified layout and prioritized scannability.
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Received lots of feedback on legibility issues, not enough contrast within the top container
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Descriptions under the “Series” items was not legible for some
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Removed fill to distinguish OP (original poster) on each thread
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Experimented with smaller page margins, but users felt that it was too overwhelming
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Changed to match new style consistency on other pages
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Increased the weight of the font
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Added more spacing between items to allow for better legibility
Profile Page
The user profile evolved into a central hub for viewing watch history, favorites, and community contributions. Later designs emphasized personalization and clarity.
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Customizable background caused the text overlayed to be difficult to read
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Layout was reminiscent to that of uber, allowing other users to hold up proper conduct within app
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Removed background behind the profile info (posts, followers, following)
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Increased weight of the text throughout the page
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Removed container for top picks
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Edited the margins, switched from 10px to 20px
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Removed logo on top, adjusted spacing for the posts, followers, and followings on the top
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Removed the ratings feature for profiles, users would feel discouraged to use the app if they have a low rating
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Removed activity feature because the application is not meant to be used daily, but more casually
Game Page
A playful feature that gamifies anime discovery. The in-game UI was designed to balance fun, clarity, and usefulness, reinforcing community and exploration.
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users thought the top leaderboard was too distracting, there wasn’t enough contrast with the container holding all of the content
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removed the container
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introduced a full screen option for the game mode that would allow the user to focus more on the game
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redid the back button so it wouldn’t be as distracting
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reformatted the buttons for the answer choices to allow for more prominent gameplay
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adjusted the typography on the screen and changed the formatting of the question and question number
Delivery
From Case Study to Real Code
AniForum started as a UX case study—but it’s evolving into a fully coded mobile app. I’m currently developing the application in React Native with Expo, aiming to bring the community experience to life on both iOS and Android.
This hands-on development process allows me to bridge design with engineering, making real-time UX decisions and refining interactions as I build. Currently there is a very generic baseline for what the application’s general structure will look like.
Reflection
This project represents the full arc of my growth as a designer—from initial curiosity to research synthesis, visual refinement, and now, technical implementation.
Next Steps
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Integrate features like community creation, threaded replies, and anime recommendations powered by user preferences
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Launch usability tests on the live app and gather feedback from early adopters
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Add future capabilities like real-time chat, push notifications, and moderation tools
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Deploy the app on TestFlight and Google Play Internal Testing for initial rollout