Overview
Hotjot's founder wanted an app to help people discover what's happening nearby in real time — I joined as founding designer to build the product from scratch.
Problem
Frequent travelers had no easy way to tap into local life, and city dwellers struggled to find out what was happening nearby right now.
What I did
- Designed an app surfacing real-time nearby events with clear directions for how to get there
- Prioritized rapid MVP development over extensive upfront research, then validated and iterated through TestFlight user testing
- Took the product from lo-fi through hi-fi wireframes across multiple design phases
- Proposed and ran structured user testing to inform ongoing iteration post-launch
Outcome
The iOS app launched on the App Store in September 2019, with the team continuing to ship features and refine the experience.