UX Design / Product Design
Project Overview
In this 8 weeks internship, I worked with OMTOU’s creative director and development team to create rapid prototypes for their upcoming iOS app release. I spearheaded the user experience design, revamped company’s brand identity, and developed a viable framework for the app's business model.
About OMTOU
OMTOU (On My Way to the Unknown) is innovative tech startup aiming to transform the way we explore city. The app introduces you to hidden gems around the city through a selection of mystery boxes, each guiding you toward a unique culinary, cultural, and unforgettable experience.
Due to the volatile nature of any startup, the app evolved drastically and underwent numerous design iterations during my time there. But the core fundamental philosophy of OMTOU still holds true: let go of your presumptions and wander into the unknown with us.
Try it out on the app store!
Internship Details
Lead UX Designer
iOS application
8-Weeks
Figma, Midjourney
Peter Zhang, Herui Chen, Chris Geng
Role:
Type:
Duration:
Tools:
Team:
User Flow
This diagram offers a high-level overview of the user journey. After studying the existing app flow, I worked with the creative director to re-evaluate the significance of each step, with a focus on creating an engaging narrative that would keep the final destination a secret until the very end. This approach allowed us to build excitement and mystery through each phase of the user's journey. Additionally, I proposed the concept of memorable postcards that are created after each trip, offering users a personalized keepsake of their unique adventure.
Onboarding Screens
My first action item was to design a set of inviting onboarding screens to welcome new users to our app. It was important to not overwhelm users with too many options and since it was an MVP, we opted for a minimalist approach to maximize clarity and minimize confusion.
Upon opening our app for the first time, users are greeted with a mirror-like surface displaying the phrase “Wander into the unknown with us,”inviting users to “dive” into the world of OMTOU without revealing too much of what the app is about.
We chose to employ a mascot here as our first point of contact to build a more human connection, greeting our users with a warm message accompanied by vibration haptics mimicking that of a human heartbeat.
Users then have the opportunity to enter their preferred name which will be used throughout the rest of the app. This feature can later be altered inside the settings menu.
The last onboarding screen informs the users that our app will only focus on Manhattan during this first phase. But we are working on gathering data from both Brooklyn, Queens and Jersey City.
Activity Selection
The core philosophy of OMTOU is about letting go of the steering wheel and trying something new. However, everyone has preferences and it’s important to limit but not completely take away users’ agency. My objective for this second project was to display just the right amount of information utilizing limited merchant data available in our database.
Activity categories directly corresponded with our backend database, which consisted of 6 different types of merchants:
Six Unique Categories
Devour
From cozy local grubs to fine dining establishments.
Nibble
From corner patisseries to specialty ice cream parlors
Tipsy
From neighborhood pubs to hidden cocktail bars.
Savor
From charming coffeehouses to artisanal espresso bars
Distance & Budget Filter
Limiting the distance and budget selector to only two options helps users with decision fatigue make more spontaneous choices on their destinations.
Old layout
Redesigned layout
Provoke
From immersive museums to avant-garde galleries.
Curios
From trendy boutiques to exotic spice shops.
+ Background video reflects different categories
+ Activity displayed as icons, unique title and description
+ Budget & distance filter as optional parameters
- Generic background video
- Activity included undeveloped options
- Too much white space on top
Selection Wheel
The circular motif remains a core identifier of the OMTOU branding and carries over into the activity selection interface as well. The placement of the selection wheel in the bottom right corner allows for ease of swiping through the categories with one hand.
Navigation Page
Initially relying on Apple Maps to guide users to their surprise destination, we prototyped an in-app navigation screen that offers real-time location data and estimated arrival time while keeping the option to use a third-party app if they wish.
Less is more
A large part of OMTOU’s design philosophy and its appeal lies within its mysterious and surprising nature. While on the navigation screen, not only is your destination name hidden, but all relevant information is also revealed in layers.
Estimated walking time and total distance are displayed on a card which when pulled up, reveals the arrival button. Should users wish to navigate using a third-party app, they can click on more transit options to continue.
Different card heights displaying varying levels of information
Part of the design challenge was making sure users returned to OMTOU after arriving at their destination in order to complete the experience. Therefore, we displayed additional instructions before revealing the third-party links.
OMTOU Community
Part of what makes trying a new restaurant or bar with friends so exciting are the memories you leave behind. We want to give users the opportunity to take home a piece of their journey and share to various social media platforms or simply to keep for themselves.
Capture your adventure
After arriving at their destination and checking in with the OMTOU app, users are greeted with a snapshot of their journey complete with the date of the adventure, merchant name, unique mystery box and an AI-generated background tailored corresponding to the category type.
Share with your friends!
By creating these postcards we aim to leave users behind with something visually enticing and encourage activity through social media while simultaneously fostering OMTOU’s online community .
Takeaways
1. Not a perfect product
OMTOU is still quite a ways away from what it sets out to be. Crucial business considerations such as how to monetize the product and proper marketing campaigns are amongst the most urgent issues that will unfortunately outlive my time on the team. Just like a company’s business model, its product will undoubtedly undergo numerous changes and iterations throughout its lifecycle and it’s important for design to adapt to these new factors and adjust accordingly.
2. When to be detail-oriented and when not to be
At times, it’s about pushing out quick prototypes to test if a solution is viable while sometimes it’s about really finessing the details of a particular screen. Regardless of the situation, the dev team will almost always push for design and it is up to the designers to provide the right complexity level of instruction with the right degree of fidelity at the right time.
3. Communication makes the dream work
But the way in which those instructions are conveyed also plays an often overlooked role in how your design is received. In order to deliver a successful product, the engineers and designers need to be on the same wavelength and speaking the same language. At the end of the day, engineers are humans and some may even end up becoming your friends, as in my case. And people always receive criticism better and give better feedback when they know their voices are being heard.
Thank you for checking out my work! Here’s more where that came from:
UX/Product
OMTOU: Subverting Urban Exploration
XR
Tangible