top of page
A User Experience Designer and Web Developer
Crafting User Experiences in the Startup Jungle - #UXDesign Intern Hustle
Desai Accelearator
Summer UX Design Intern for 5 startups.
2023
The Startups
BuyMySpot
Bastion
OrbAid
ModernViVo
DealDog
UX Methods Applied
-
Design Thinking
-
Interviews
-
Card Sorting and Surveying
-
Wireframing
-
Prototyping
Startup Categories
E- Commerce, Fitness and Healthcare
My Role
UX Researcher and Designer
Project Duration
3 months
May - Aug, 2023
Tools Used
-
Miro
-
Figma
-
Canva
-
Illustrator + Photoshop
Overview
Concurrent Collaboration with Founders and Teammates:
-
Vertical Hierarchy - Collaborated closely with the founders of all five startups, simultaneously managing four to five projects within timelines spanning two weeks or more along slide assigned teammates from tech, business and design backgrounds.
Project Spectrum:
The design projects ranged from a mixed bag of both research and designs such as:
-
Establishing brand guidelines, logo, social media ads/posts
-
Crafting surveys, information architecture, flowcharts
-
Conducting customer discovery through interviews, card sorting
-
Designing and prototyping websites, webapp and mobile apps
Networking with Entrepreneurs: Weekly Founder Lunches:
-
Interacted with seasoned entrepreneurs and gained insights from their startup journeys.
-
My Notable founders encountered at organized Founder’s Lunches: Dug Song (Duo Security), Fares Ksebati (MySwimPro), Dawn Verbrigghe (Jottful)
Immersive Startup Culture:
-
High-speed implementation of projects
-
Multifaceted roles, rapid results
-
Experienced the dynamics of a fast-paced startup environment
.jpg)
Me!
Entrepreneurship + Design
Our Design Process
EMPATHIZE
DEFINE
IDEATE
DESIGN
Paper Sketches
The Startup Overview
BuyMyspot is an online platform that helps its users to buy and lease parking spots.
Problem Statement
The startup tasked us with redesigning their existing website to effectively cater to both parking spot buyers and sellers. The current website was deficient in showcasing specific product integrations and connecting users to individual features. These aspects were crucial as the majority of their customer traffic originated from this online platform.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Click on prototype to interact
Before and After
Vector Icons customized for website using figma
While time constraints prevented us from producing a high-fidelity version of the website, we ensured it was designed in a manner conducive to easy adoption into Webflow by their developer, the preferred platform for the website. Adhering strictly to the established style guide and brand guidelines, and building upon the foundation of Material Design, we created designs that are not only visually appealing but also practical, feasible, and consistent.
Previously deployed website
Current deployed website
Buy
Bastion
Bastion
The Startup Overview
Bastion is an online platform that provides a matchmaking services between Fitness coaches and clients
The Problem Statement 1.0
I collaborated extensively with Bastion on several projects. Our initial project focused on the redesign of the client-side of their app, which was still in development. The previous designs were characterized by their lack of clarity, reliance on image elements instead of frames in Figma, and inconsistency in design language and branding.
Previous Designs
New Designs
The Problem Statement 2.0
For the second project, my colleague and I were assigned the task of designing the 'About' webpage for their website. Our goal was to effectively showcase their product, outline the services they offer, and emphasize their core values and distinctive qualities.
Click on prototype to interact
The Problem Statement 3.0
For the third project with the team, the founders aimed to collect data about customers that aligned with their identified persona. I was entrusted with creating a survey that would be user-friendly and efficient in gathering vital qualitative data, aiding in their customer discovery process. Me along with another intern used Qualtrics to deploy the survey and add logic behind it that sorts questions out based on the answers from the responder
The Problem Statement 4.0
In the final project with Bastion, I teamed up with a business and a developer intern to create social media posts for multi-platform marketing deployment. While I handled the design aspect, my colleagues assisted in crafting engaging copy to capture the attention of our target audience.
The Startup Overview
OrbAid is a startup that empowers users with recommendations to take initiatives in reducing their carbon footprint and contribute to environmental sustainability through their online tool.
Problem Statement 1.0
For my initial project with OrbAid, I collaborated with fellow design interns to establish brand guidelines for the startup. This was imperative as they had recently undergone a rebranding, including a name change. These guidelines were crafted with the awareness that we were also tasked with redesigning their wireframes for presentation during their upcoming investor meeting.
Problem Statement 2.0
For the second project, we extended the brand guidelines to rebrand the wireframes. We focused on creating an intuitive and comprehensible flow, as the initial designs were text-heavy, visually deficient, and overwhelming. Through a structured approach to the app redesign, we successfully crafted screens that adhered to a clear semantic flow, incorporating a comprehensible information architecture and hierarchy.
Press right arrow key to go through all screens
Orb
The Startup Overview
Modervivo is a startup that helps researchers through an AI powered data-driven approach to designing in-vivo animal studies
Problem Statement 2.0
The startup requested design interns to create mockup merchandise for their conferences and fundraising events. Here are some of the designs we came up with !
modernVivo
The Startup Overview
Dealdog is a startup that helps students on any campus buy and sell second hand products. Currently they also help in reselling of game tickets
Problem Statement 1.0
For this specific project, I was tasked with brainstorming ideas for redesigning their apps, along with developing a color theme that would facilitate easier coding. This was prompted by the accessibility and time-consuming issues posed by the current orange version, particularly during the process of creating listings.
Began by generating sketches and researching their competitors. Collaborating with the business intern, we also devised an interaction map to comprehend the app's functionality.
Created a design guide for them to help them maintain consistency in design along with suggesting alternate color themes they could try to implement that would still give the vibe of a "fun and engaging" college app
Brainstormed ideas of Redesigned their existing screens and elements on those screens based off of the interaction map we had built earlier
Old Designs
New Designs
Deal
Impact/Takeaways
This internship has played a crucial role in enhancing my understanding of how Ux research and designing methods function, particularly in the context of product-based companies. I've gained insights into the timing and execution of the skills I have learnt while adhering to established timelines and deadlines. Moreover, this experience has offered me a valuable glimpse into the dynamics of the professional corporate landscape in the US.
Moving forward, I am inclined to leverage the knowledge and skills acquired during this internship to delve deeper into the realm of the UX market and entrepreneurship.
bottom of page