GoodHost – Anani Konuwa

My Role:

Lead UX/UI Designer and UX Researcher

Timeline:

16 Weeks

Tools Used:

Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Figma

Goal: Redesign logo/branding and update the app layout for a seamless and easy to understand user experience.

My Role: Lead UX/UI Designer and UX Researcher

Timeline: 16 Weeks

Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Figma

My Contributions:

Upon joining the team, I quickly realized that there was no logo or branding established for the app. During a team meeting, I posed several detailed questions about the company, its concept, and the message they aimed to communicate to users. I was instructed to develop a design that felt friendly, welcoming, yet still professional and inviting. With that guidance in mind, I promptly began working on the initial rough designs.

The colors I selected for the hand-waving designs were unanimously favored by the group. With this feedback, I developed an initial color palette for the Goodhost logo.

I aimed to generate as many logo variations as possible, quickly utilizing the proposed color palette to identify the standout design for Goodhost. Once I completed the designs, I gathered feedback from the team to determine their preferred option. The Version 3 green and white hand wave design emerged as the favorite.

With the logo finally chosen, I updated the color palette to align with the Goodhost branding.

For the final design of the Goodhost logo, I developed both primary and secondary versions. Considering merchandising and branding in various contexts, I felt that having two versions was the right approach.

For the app, I designed a lo-fi wireframe of four screens to showcase its practical appearance. I focused on the most essential screens that users would frequently interact with in the future. To enhance the user experience, I ensured there was a feature for users to favorite individuals they’ve communicated with, as well as an in-app chat function for staying in touch.

In the high-fidelity version of the app, I incorporated additional minor details and features to enhance its liveliness. For instance, I included a feature that displays which companies and eventgoers are currently online, which is particularly useful during networking events. This functionality facilitates easier outreach and helps users build professional relationships.

Challenges

A significant challenge during this project was identifying and prioritizing the most crucial elements to include in the app. Our goal was to create an accessible application that specifically catered to introverts who struggle with networking at large professional gatherings. Once we pinpointed the users’ most pressing needs through comprehensive user research and feedback, the app’s design process became considerably more straightforward.

What I Learned

I gained valuable insights into how developing an app for a niche target audience can also resonate with a broader range of users. In this instance, thorough user research and testing were essential in crafting a comprehensive and user-friendly product.