The Other Project Résumés
One of the great things about working for myself is that I’m not restricted to any particular genre; indeed, I thrive on applying my intelligence to any kind of request… and possibly learning something new. With this in mind, I have picked out a handful of short-duration projects to highlight my interface design journey so far.
2016 | Improving Athlete Performance
A client (and good friend) approached me to develop a prototype app that coached aspiring athletes in their field of sport, using the camera and some under-development machine-learning magic. The MVP included camera-guided positioning, performance-analysis, and the ability to speak to / buy coaching time from a professional athlete from the sport. While the two of us were particularly excited about the tennis applications, the launch market was India, so we chose… Cricket :p
An earlier prototype, it was fairly direct in its presentation; I didn’t yet have the finesse to create pixel-perfect layouts; indeed, I used Photoshop to make each screen and… it took a lot of effort, for not nearly as much class. Lesson learned; I moved over to Sketch shortly afterwards.
2017 | Feedback first, and then the Menu.
My client wanted more articulate feedback from his dine-in customers, but he couldn’t obtain the detail desired through his staff. We had no luck with printed forms, so we thought laterally and came up with a digital solution. Our form was structured to reinforce brand recall through visual cues & designed messaging. The conversation itself was structured using the principles of progressive disclosure (a fantastic little interaction that provides just enough information to the patron to fill-up a discreet datapoint). Two plot-lines were identified. Sentence construction and wording was curated to read like a conversation at the end of a meal. Design principles were making a noticeable impact.
This prototype was extremely fun to work on; I had a good working relationship with the client, we had developed good branding to draw from, and were able to articulate the type and depth of feedback we wanted. I was also having fun exploring the principles of interface design, and this prototype marks a turning point in my services; I had stumbled across the beginnings of a design system.
Update, 2019: I was asked to design a digital ordering experience, with some specific informational and visual requirements. While far less nuanced, the entire project was completed in a single day, and I feel it is worth noting for its efficiency… and serendipity; its ‘cousin’ above was the very prototype that enabled this delightfully efficient turnaround!
2018 / The Gig Exchange
The client wanted to create a job-platform, with the concept of a ‘stock-market-of-jobs’ as its visual philosophy. The team consisted of 3 people, so we had the chance to develop and iterate at a fairly rapid pace. Our initial demo targets were mainstream gig workers (plumbers & carpenters), as well as initial investors. Research, planning and concept development lasted about a month, with another month dedicated to iterating the prototype, based on multiple conversations with target groups.
2020 | In-Depth PoS Overhaul
I was approached by a PoS firm who were in a tight situation. Their product was beginning to show its age, with a clunky interface and riddled with inconsistencies in user experience. There was pressure from international backers to do update the design to something meaningful for the 21st century. They needed the platform updated across windows, android and iOS, and to make matters even more difficult, they needed the redesign approved in less than 3 months. So, they got in touch with me and together, we took on the herculean task of dismantling, inspecting, and completely re-constructing their software from the ground up.
The quirkier the better.
I love this genre of work. I enjoy the origin stories, I enjoy the challenges in addressing them, and I thrive off forging effective pathways through the intriguing world of digital interaction.
Let’s build a better product together.