Hotlist: Helping people remember the plans they were excited about
Hotlist: Helping people remember the plans they were excited about
Feature • consumer app
Feature • consumer app
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Context
Context
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District is Zomato's going-out super app across movies, dining, events, and live experiences. With hundreds of things to do on any given weekend, a core question emerged: what happens between the moment someone finds something interesting and the moment they actually go?
District is Zomato's going-out super app across movies, dining, events, and live experiences. With hundreds of things to do on any given weekend, a core question emerged: what happens between the moment someone finds something interesting and the moment they actually go?
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The Problem
The Problem
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District surfaces a rich catalogue of going-out options -restaurants, concerts, comedy shows, sporting events, movie premieres, pop-ups. Users browse, get excited, and then… move on. The plan they were excited about gets buried in screenshots, lost in group chat scrollback, or forgotten entirely.
District surfaces a rich catalogue of going-out options -restaurants, concerts, comedy shows, sporting events, movie premieres, pop-ups. Users browse, get excited, and then… move on. The plan they were excited about gets buried in screenshots, lost in group chat scrollback, or forgotten entirely.
"Plans don't start on booking pages. They start on Reels, in group chats, from a screenshot saved two weeks ago that you can't find anymore."
"Plans don't start on booking pages. They start on Reels, in group chats, from a screenshot saved two weeks ago that you can't find anymore."
There was no native way within District for users to collect things they found interesting, reference them later -say, when deciding where to go next weekend -or share those collections with the group of friends they'd be going with.
There was no native way within District for users to collect things they found interesting, reference them later -say, when deciding where to go next weekend -or share those collections with the group of friends they'd be going with.
The gap wasn't in discovery or booking. It was in the space between -the intent stage where a person has decided "I want to do this" but hasn't committed to when. That intent was leaking out of the product.
The gap wasn't in discovery or booking. It was in the space between -the intent stage where a person has decided "I want to do this" but hasn't committed to when. That intent was leaking out of the product.
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The Solution
The Solution
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Collaborative Lists
Collaborative Lists
The first version of Hotlist shipped as a collaborative saving and sharing feature. The core experience:
The first version of Hotlist shipped as a collaborative saving and sharing feature. The core experience:
Save anything
One-tap save on any restaurant, event, show, or experience across District. No category walls -a single Hotlist can mix a dinner spot with a comedy show and a weekend market
One-tap save on any restaurant, event, show, or experience across District. No category walls -a single Hotlist can mix a dinner spot with a comedy show and a weekend market
Organize by vibe
Create named lists -"Birthday weekend," "Date night options," "Things to do in Goa" -that group saves by intent rather than category.
Create named lists -"Birthday weekend," "Date night options," "Things to do in Goa" -that group saves by intent rather than category.
Share with friends
Lists are collaborative by default. Share a Hotlist with your group and everyone can add to it, turning a personal save into a shared plan.
Lists are collaborative by default. Share a Hotlist with your group and everyone can add to it, turning a personal save into a shared plan.
Reference when deciding
When the weekend arrives, the Hotlist becomes the decision surface. No more scrolling back through chats -everything is in one actionable place.
When the weekend arrives, the Hotlist becomes the decision surface. No more scrolling back through chats -everything is in one actionable place.
Key design decision: Making lists collaborative from the start, not as a later social add-on. Going out is inherently social, and the save-to-share loop needed to feel like one motion, not two separate features bolted together.
Key design decision: Making lists collaborative from the start, not as a later social add-on. Going out is inherently social, and the save-to-share loop needed to feel like one motion, not two separate features bolted together.
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Introducing hotlist
Introducing hotlist
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Share your hotlist
Share your hotlist
One tap to invite friends to a list. The share flow is designed to feel like forwarding a message, not managing permissions.
One tap to invite friends to a list. The share flow is designed to feel like forwarding a message, not managing permissions.
Get someone's hotlist
Get someone's hotlist
When a friend shares a Hotlist, it lands ready to browse and add to. No sign-up wall, no friction before the first scroll.
When a friend shares a Hotlist, it lands ready to browse and add to. No sign-up wall, no friction before the first scroll.
