Project Overview
Hot-Gist wasn’t just another social app. It was a bold attempt to break the cycle of passive scrolling and surface-level reactions that had taken over digital conversations. At its core, Hot-Gist aimed to revive the tradition of healthy debate, curiosity-driven dialogue, and culturally resonant conversations but in a format made for the modern, mobile-first world. I served as the Lead UI/UX Designer on this project, tasked with crafting an experience that would feel both energetic and intimate like jumping into a heated but respectful gist in a university hallway or a busy Lagos street corner. It was social media, but with an edge: a place where your opinion didn’t just float it clashed, it stood firm, it evolved.
The Problem
Most social media platforms today are optimized for reactions, not reflection. Users jump from one trending topic to another, often engaging with content passively liking, retweeting, scrolling endlessly without truly participating. Even when there is engagement, it’s often toxic, unstructured, or shallow. We saw a gap: there was no platform that truly facilitated structured, timed, and respectful discourse on trending topics especially in a way that felt local, relevant, and community driven. Gen Z and millennials in particular were craving spaces where they could debate, learn, and vibe around shared cultural moments.
Research & Discovery
We started by conducting surveys and interviews with young Nigerians who were active on platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok. What we heard was eye-opening. People said:
"I love arguing about trends, but there’s never a place to do it properly."
"Everything turns toxic too quickly."
"Sometimes, I want to just gist with someone who disagrees, and not fight."
From this, we developed key personas: the Trend Watcher, the Debate King, the Casual Lurker, and the Curious Newbie. We studied platforms like Clubhouse, Reddit, and Twitter Spaces, but noticed they lacked timed structure and topic-based matching two things our users wanted. We also noticed local users were bored with monologues. They wanted challenge. Hot-Gist needed to make conversation competitive, collaborative, and contagious.
Strategy
We built Hot-Gist around a unique core feature: Trend Clash a debate arena where two users would engage in a time limited back-and-forth about a trending topic. Spectators could vote, react, or join the queue to participate in the next round. It wasn’t a free-for-all. It was a digital sparring ring with rules, personality, and flair. The homepage was designed to spotlight active clashes, top trending topics, and user-submitted ideas waiting to be debated. Each debate had a timer, opening and rebuttal rounds, and a final vote phase. I designed flows to make it easy to:
Suggest new Trend Clashes
Join ongoing debates
Watch, vote, and share highlights
Hot-Gist’s UI had to feel loud but not overwhelming. I used a vibrant palette inspired by the need for attention, Afrobeats posters, and Lagos nightlife. Typography was bold and expressive, emphasizing key statements during debates. Gradient overlays and bold buttons brought drama to every tap.
Impact
Conclusion
One of our biggest challenges was moderating content while preserving freedom of expression. We built in moderation tools and peer-reporting flows without making the platform feel over-policed. Another challenge was matching users fairly. We used a simple algorithm that took debate history and topic familiarity into account, which improved match quality significantly. Hot-Gist taught me that conversation, when designed with care, can be entertainment.
Product Design
UX Design
Figma