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Partyful’s aesthetic makes me feel full-body. It seems like a way to institutionalize the concept of loitering. (The recent surprise release of “After Party” — Partiful’s version of Spotify Wrapped — is a nice reminder that not everything needs to be a data point, especially your social life.) I’ve never used it to organize a party or gathering. Throw in, but that hasn’t stopped it from assuming the role of favorite system for my fellow younger Millennials and older members of Generation Z. Whenever I receive a cheerful invitation, I can happily admit how easy it is to put together the important parts — the host enters the address, timings, guest list, and other essential information into app, which then sends everything to everyone in one fell swoop – but the interface and atmosphere just aren’t for me. I wouldn’t want to drop a GIF to express my feelings about receiving this invitation, and I certainly wouldn’t want to share my social handles with a group of people so they could tag me in poorly lit photos — both things Partiful asks you to do after RSVP. (I will say that I rarely see people using these features, which tells me I’ve chosen a strong social circle myself.)
My favorite way to organize an event — although it can be ineffective — is to make a list of all the people I want to invite, and then text them individually about the party. Sometimes I’ll also create a silly poster to give the party a real big event feel, which is my favorite way to get invited. Does it take time and lead to a spiral of texts to respond to separately? It really is. Does this result in the same questions being answered multiple times rather than all at once in a central digital location? You bet. But still, this is my favorite, and it’s a really fun creative outlet that makes the whole thing feel even more special. Doing it this way also gives people the freedom to respond without the group observing. If you want to have some laughs, make people feel special, and convey the message that this is a party, not a Zoom meeting, create a nasty little post on your computer and send it to your friends, one by one. It will take more time than some of the options above, but it also forces you to really think about who you invite, while Partiful tends to create a more fun environment that sometimes leads to a very busy function.
My other issue with Partiful – besides the fact that they always want you to download their app; no never It put me in a situation where I had to download a new app – which is that it keeps important information until you RSVP. What if you’re celebrating your birthday in a crappy bar? Worse still, what if I called person Who sucks? I like to know that before I answer yes or no, and pressing the “maybe” button feels like withdrawal. Sure, the RSVP element makes it easy for both the host and guests to know who’s coming — but if it’s a situation where you don’t completely know the audience, it’s all just a mix of unknowns anyway.
