I travel often, and when I travel in the US, I use Yelp a lot. Recently, I noticed lists generated by few power users.
However, Yelp lists were limited : first, it was only available on desktop and I couldn't see curated items on mobile. Second, I could not thank the creators of the list nor share the list. Finally, I couldn't interact with the list itself, I could only view the list and click on the Yelp pages included in the list.
In terms of design, the conceptual model of how I would create a list was fuzzy, and the signifiers were buried deep in two nested menus with ~40+ links on the page.
Now I think lists are a great feature; they convert passive acquired users who simply visit Yelp to find venues (consumers) to activated users who engage, submit content and add value to the platform (creators).
Lists are also a great way to filter many atoms of information into a cohesive curated collective theme by experienced users (e.g. best breakfast joints to cure hangovers in SF, best vegetarian spots for meat haters in North Beach, Best dessert places to satisfy sugar cravings in the Bay Area).
Thus, my goal was to increase engagement by turning more acquired users into active users who start generating curated lists for their community (aka tastemakers).
As an overall theme, I wanted to design with mobile in mind, and follow three of Dieter Rams design principles - I wanted to lists to be useful, understandable, and honest.
So, I started with atoms of reviews, and formed them into interactive clusters of lists that highlighted the tastemaker on hover.
Then, I added one page where a user could create new lists easily and drag past reviews that they had written to multiple lists they had created.
FInally, I showcased the creators of the lists, added a map to provide context for every list, and inserted few key sharing features to spread the lists and thank the creator.
My goal is just to strive for simplicity. Let me know if you have any thoughts or feedback on the design.