Mobile Apps
The mobile apps listed below emerged from my work as a partner in creative firm Sea/Salt Ventures. Our team sought out entrepreneurs with big assumptions that needed MVP mobile apps to proceed, either to find equity partners or funding. Our model was built much like Y-combinator or other incubators, but we specialized in submitting new apps to the App Store in 3-6 weeks. We leaned heavily on Eric Ries' foundational book, "The Lean Startup" to built, measure and quickly learn about each product's assumptions.
To learn more about Solo, click here.
To learn more about Solo, click here.
Split - It Pays to Share
Founded on the idea that it's better to share, Split leverages commissions offered by online retailers to help users "split the rewards." My team at Sea/Salt Ventures was retained to build V1 of this innovative concept. I conducted market research before we began sketching; aided in concept development and user experience design; conducted usability testing after the first prototype was completed; and developed the first version of the Split website.
Madhat
Madhat emerged as the creative vision of entrepreneur Cory Burr. The original concept was inspired by Snapchat. Stickers and doodles, by Corey's estimation, could only be improved with animation. Through early explorations of the technology, Sea/Salt Ventures partner Kyle Truscott discovered a solution that could play back doodles with a lightweight user interaction. This MVP product was submitted to the App Store in just 4 weeks. For the Madhat team, I provided market research, competitive analysis and product release / marketing plans. Additionally, I participated in ideation sessions, including UX sketching; I assisted in user research and usability testing of the product; and participated in the QA process before release.
Opedia
Everyone has an opinion, right? The idea for Opedia emerged as a platform for people to express their opinions. The trick was developing something fast and easy-to-consume. Reading a long argument was not in the cards, so the Opedia team embraced the hashtag. Users could create cards on any topic and, with it, assign a hashtag. This pairing represented an opinion. Portland is #toohipster. Kim Kardashian is a #marketinggenious. For those out of the loop, Opedia could also serve as a source of news with linked stories. By counting the number of votes (and giving them a score that decayed over time) we could present hot topics to the user. As part of the Sea/Salt Ventures team, I consulted with the Opedia team on their release and marketing plans. Additionally, I participated in ideation sessions, generating sketches and documentation of our work. Lastly, I participated in user research and usability testing.
Pingsy
In the 21st century, we're overwhelmed with information. Pertinent exchanges, like making dinner plans or inviting a colleague to coffee, should be remarkable. In 2014, Brooklyn-based UX agency FreeAssociation launched an internal design contest. The most intriguing problems won prototyping sprints with the Sea/Salt Ventures team. The need for Pingsy stemmed from Mike Piliero's busy schedule. Between soccer matches, raising two girls under the (then) age of three and acting as a partner at FreeAssociation, Mike identified a need to make important communications faster and easier. Pingsy was born as a touch-and-release tools that sends the appropriate emoji on demand. The interaction is so clean and purpose-driven that it remains one of my favorite products. Later sprints with the FreeAssociation team led to the development of the complementary Apple Watch app.
My role in the FreeLab, FreeAssociation's internal design contest, was to manage non-technical prototyping and user testing. Additionally, I conducted keyword and competitive analyses as an input to the product selection process. Through the app-development process, I participated in ideation sessions, conducted user research and usability testing and well as QA before release.
My role in the FreeLab, FreeAssociation's internal design contest, was to manage non-technical prototyping and user testing. Additionally, I conducted keyword and competitive analyses as an input to the product selection process. Through the app-development process, I participated in ideation sessions, conducted user research and usability testing and well as QA before release.