Designing a virtual event platform to make online networking feel genuine
Tocca pivoted during COVID from an in-person networking product to a virtual events platform designed for B2B experiences. The MVP had early traction and support from advisors at Google, Salesforce, and Hubspot, but the category was crowded. Hopin and On24 led the market with “all in one” offerings that often felt overwhelming.
I was brought on as the founding product designer to shape new networking features and strengthen Tocca’s positioning around what users valued most: real human connection at virtual events.
The market was flooded with platforms promising everything. Few delivered meaningful networking.
Key challenges
- Networking felt transactional, not natural
- Chat was cluttered and slowed down real interaction
- Attendees struggled to find relevant people to connect with
- Organizers needed branding flexibility to impress stakeholders
- Tocca needed a differentiator that was clear and defensible
The design opportunity was to make virtual networking feel as easy and human as running into someone in a hallway.
A focused feature set that brought networking to life.
We prioritized simplicity and authentic engagement over feature overload.
This resulted in three experience pillars:
- Chat that supports real conversations, not chaos
- Lounge spaces for spontaneous discovery
- Breakout Rooms for deep, small group interaction
These features defined Tocca as the platform where relationships form.
Tocca consistently earned more than 4.7 stars on leading SaaS review sites with users praising its strong networking capabilities.
Research and Positioning Insights
- Conducted interviews with event organizers, marketers, and attendees
- Learned that B2B events require multiple stakeholder outcomes
- Identified authenticity, clarity, and branding control as success factors
- Developed design principles to drive every decision
This aligned the team on what would set Tocca apart.
From this research, I established principles that guided all design work: authentic networking, ease of use, and customizability.
Exploring Solutions Through Iteration
- Tested tabbed layouts to reduce message overload
- Simplified actions for direct outreach
- Balanced engineering constraints to ship early learning
- Iterated on hierarchy to give intention more weight than volume
Redesigned Chat Experience
- Clear separation of announcements and attendee messages
- Persistent entry points for starting 1 to 1 chats
- Cleaner UI so connections, not UI, get attention
- Built for fast shipping and easy accessibility
This shift turned chat into a space where real conversations began.
I also focused on bringing networking to life through two other key features:
- Lounge: a casual hub where participants could mingle and discover peers.
- Breakout Rooms: smaller, focused spaces for more personal group conversations.
Together with the redesigned chat, these features helped Tocca deliver networking that felt more authentic and human, setting it apart from “all-in-one” competitors.
- Helped Tocca define a unique value proposition centered on networking
- Strengthened credibility with major clients including YMCA, Harvard, and INSEAD
- Platform achieved 4.7 star average ratings on G2 and SourceForge
- Reviews consistently highlighted “best networking experience”
- This positioned Tocca as a top choice for B2B teams who prioritize real relationships
