Lead UX/UI Design Intern at Find Me, an innovative startup
As the Lead UX/UI Design Intern at Find Me, I was involved in developing a web-based social media platform. Working closely with the founder, I collaborated to bring the company’s vision to life by conducting UX research, designing user-centered prototypes, and working alongside developers and cross-functional teams. I also lead the hiring process, interviewing and selecting designers to join the team. This role allowed me to refine my skills in creating intuitive mobile and web applications, from wireframes to high-fidelity designs, while fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
Figma Prototype
To strengthen the design team, I took the initiative to create a job description for the UX/UI Designer Intern position, which I posted on LinkedIn and Handshake. I also set up my Outlook booking page and a pre-interview survey for applicants. Collaborating with HR, I reviewed the applications to identify candidates I wanted to interview. Throughout the week, I conducted one-on-one interviews, ultimately hiring two designers to work alongside me. This process was essential in building a strong team for the project.
My first task at Find Me was to redesign the company logo. I created two distinct logo concepts, each with multiple variations for both color and black/white formats, ensuring versatility across different platforms and branding needs.
Alongside a team of four, I conducted UX research and developed a prototype for the Finder app. As the lead designer, I instructed the other designers working alongside me, ensuring that our collaborative efforts align with the project's vision and goals. Guided by the founder's vision, the app is designed to assist shoppers by using an AR map to help locate items on store shelves, down to the specific aisle. We began by creating user flow diagrams, followed by low-fidelity wireframes and prototypes, conducting user studies, which eventually led to a high-fidelity prototype. Once the design was complete, we handed it off to the development team for implementation.
At the start of the Finder app project, I was tasked with creating a logo based on the founder's vision and instructions. After designing the initial logo in orange, we incorporated it into the app prototype. As the app design evolved, we explored different color schemes, and I ultimately redesigned the logo in cyan to better align with the overall aesthetic.
To map out the user flow of the Finder app, our team collaborated via Teams video calls to outline the app's structure. We created a comprehensive user flow diagram in Miro, visualizing the entire user journey from initial interaction to locating items in stores. We also organized our project in Jira to track tasks and progress effectively.
After establishing the user flow, we collaborated to create a low-fidelity prototype of the Finder app in Figma, with each team member assigned specific pages to design. By testing the wireframes with team members and gathering feedback, we identified areas for improvement and ensured our design aligned with user needs before progressing to higher-fidelity iterations.
We experimented with various color schemes for the Finder app, focusing on buttons, navigation, logo, and background colors. Using Coolors.co, we explored different palettes to create a visually appealing and cohesive user experience. Our goal was to find combinations that aligned with the brand identity while enhancing functionality and user engagement.
We conducted usability testing for the Finder app using a think-aloud method, where users verbalized their actions while trying to achieve specific goals, such as finding their order history. This approach provided valuable insights into user experience, helping us identify pain points and areas for improvement. By observing user interactions and gathering feedback, we aimed to refine the design and enhance functionality before the final launch. This iterative process was crucial for developing a user-centered design that resonates with our target audience.
We developed a toggleable dark mode setting for the Finder app, enabling users to switch to a visually comfortable interface in low-light environments. The complete dark mode prototype ensured that all elements, such as buttons and text, seamlessly adapted to the new color scheme, enhancing accessibility and user experience. With the Finder app design completed, we handed the prototype off to the developers.
