A private social and matrimony app for the Kodava community
One trusted place for a close-knit community in Coorg, instead of scattered WhatsApp groups.
The Kodava community shares news, events, local businesses and even marriage proposals across WhatsApp, Instagram and local cable TV. I designed GAAM end to end: a private social space and a respectful matrimony space, kept clearly apart.
- ROLE
- End-to-end product designer: product planning, UX, IA, UI and the visual system
- TEAM
- Rohan (founder, engineering), Aromal Ashok (visual and type guidance) and me
- TIMELINE
- Jan to Mar 2025
- PLATFORM
- Mobile app (MVP)
- TOOLS
- Figma, Whimsical
Community life was spread across chats, pages and cable TV
Kodava traditions, families, marriages and local businesses are closely tied together by trust. But the tools people use were never built for a community like this.
- Events and celebrations were scattered across many groups and chats.
- Local businesses and community projects had no shared place to be found.
- Matrimony talks were informal and hard to follow without trusted contacts.
- Cultural news still went out on local cable TV, so few people saw it.
How might we give the Kodava community one trusted place to connect, find local life and meet a partner, without the noise of open social media?
Trust mattered more than reach
I spoke with Kodava community members, drew on my own life in Kodagu, and watched how people really used WhatsApp and Instagram to stay in touch.
Mapping intent before drawing screens
Because matrimony is sensitive, I first defined what people come to do, where they belong and what they are allowed to do at each step. Only then did I move to screens.
Calm colours from Coorg's landscape
The look comes from Coorg itself: earthy greens, warm yellows and muted browns. I kept contrast gentle so long reading sessions feel calm, and named every colour by its role.
Type was a cultural choice too. Anek Kannada supports the Kannada script, reads well at every size and works in mixed Kannada and English. Fira Sans supports it as the second typeface.
Testing two directions before choosing one
The MVP is in development with internal testing. The plan is a small, trusted rollout in Kodagu to learn from real people before going wider. Two versions are being tested, with the same social layer in both:
- Local discovery: local shops and community projects.
- Matrimony: built around trust, checks and clear intent.
Trust-first products need privacy, intent and cultural care before engagement numbers.
Testing two MVPs side by side shows which idea people really want before you scale.
Keeping social life, local business and matrimony apart avoids awkward overlaps.
The visual style should keep changing as the product's direction gets clearer.
