Junjie Xu Receives the A' Design Award for Splash Social App in Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design

The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Junjie Xu for mobile technologies, applications and software design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Splash Social App by Junjie Xu has been granted the A' Design Award in the Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design category. The result belongs to the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the A' Design Award Means

The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

About Splash Social App

Splash is a social networking application created to help college students meet new friends in person. Users sign up with a phone number and see upcoming events on the home page. One click joins an event, and new meetups can be created in seconds. Matching is based on time, location and shared interests. Second degree connections and private phone number exchange support trust and safety. Reminders encourage attendance. Splash is built for iOS and Android and removes cost and time barriers to campus socializing.

Award Record

Junjie Xu is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.

About the A' Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design Award

The A' Mobile Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good design in mobile industry by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to mobile designers, application developers, software engineers and user interface designers from all countries. Typical entries include smartphones, tablets, wearables, mobile applications, mobile games and mobile software. The awarded mobile designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/mobile

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/171868
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/171868
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!171868
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/366493
Further Information from the Laureate: https://youtu.be/J_thrjJ3DyU

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Splash Social App
Function: Social App
Category: Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design
Discipline: Communication Design
Industry: Software and Electronics & Appliances
Colors: Black, Dark Slate Gray and Dark Cyan
Images: 3

The Recognition

Laureate: Junjie Xu
Recognition: A' Design Award
Edition: 2024 - 2025
Design ID: #171868

Credits

Image Credits: Junjie Xu

Design Details

Unique Properties: Splash is an instant offline social networking app designed for college students to seamlessly meet new friends with one-click matching based on time, location, and preferences. Unlike traditional apps, Splash removes financial and time barriers to socializing, leveraging real-time event creation, smart notifications, and second-degree connections for trust. The design prioritizes speed, spontaneity, and safety, ensuring frictionless interactions that foster real-world friendships.
Inspiration: Splash was inspired by the struggle of making real-life friends on campus without investing excessive time or money. We saw a gap—students craved spontaneous, effortless social interactions. Drawing from Uber’s instant matching model, we designed Splash to remove the friction in meeting new people. Our research included a 500-person CMU survey and 100+ user interviews, refining our MVP for real-world needs. With fast iterations and data-driven UX, we built a seamless, intuitive experience.
Research: Research Type: Market & UX Research Objective: Validate the demand for frictionless campus socializing Methodology: Surveys, interviews, prototype testing Data Collection: 500-person survey at CMU, 100+ user interviews Participants: College students (18-24) Results: High interest in a free, instant social meetup app Insights: Users prioritize low effort, real-time availability, and social safety Impact: Splash removes financial/time barriers to forming friendships, making socializing more accessible
Challenge: The biggest challenge was balancing spontaneity with user safety and trust. Unlike traditional networking apps, Splash required instant but meaningful social matching, ensuring low drop-off rates while maintaining a seamless UX. We tackled this by leveraging second-degree connections for social proof, implementing privacy-first phone exchange, and designing a minimal-input event creation process. Rapid iteration and real-world testing allowed us to optimize engagement.
Realization and Technology: Splash was built using Swift for iOS development with a Firebase backend for real-time event matching and authentication. We employed React Native for cross-platform scalability, leveraging Google Cloud Functions for instant event processing. The UI was crafted using Figma, focusing on minimalistic yet engaging interaction flows. Our design methodology followed Lean UX and rapid prototyping, allowing for iterative user testing and agile improvements.
Operation and Interaction: Users sign up with their phone number and sync contacts to discover friends. The homepage displays upcoming events, allowing users to join with one click. Event initiators can create meetups in seconds, while AI-powered notifications increase engagement. Users confirm participation by exchanging details and uploading a profile image. Smart reminders ensure attendance. The app fosters real-world connections effortlessly, reducing social friction.
Project Duration and Location: Pittsburgh PA, Sep 2023 - Mar 2024
Specifications: Platform: iOS (Swift), Android (React Native) Backend: Firebase (Firestore, Authentication), Google Cloud Functions Event Matching Algorithm: Real-time interest and availability-based pairing User Authentication: Phone number-based login with OTP verification Privacy & Safety: End-to-end encryption for phone number exchanges Data Storage: Cloud-based with GDPR compliance Package Size: 40MB initial app download
Keywords: social networking, campus friendship, offline socializing, real-time event matching, college networking, friend meetup app, spontaneous meetups, Firebase app, community building, event-based networking