west
1 Brave Friend
Designing and branding a next-generation social app
1 Brave Friend is a social platform helping people learn about other cultures and identities through content created by members of the communities themselves.
I was involved right from the start, working directly with the founder. This covered product definition, strategy, UX/UI and branding, to then building the private alpha after securing seed funding.
Discovery
We started with product definition, conducting workshops and interviews to outline and evaluate our assumptions. The goal was to create a platform where users could measure social growth by consuming content made by marginalised creators, who would be fairly compensated by the platform.
Wireframing
Our design process started with low-fidelity wireframing, with each iteration moving closer to something that felt like a real product. We conducted both moderated and unmoderated tests to gauge interest and evaluate usability.
Branding and high-fidelity design
In tandem, we developed a ‘Minimum Viable Brand’ and design language, which was inspired by the founder's desire for something warm and trustworthy, using natural and earthy tones. I also incorporated elements like hand-drawn lines and map-inspired visuals to convey the concept of a personal journey.
Private alpha
My prototype was demoed and helped the company secure £250K in seed funding from Bethnal Green Ventures, Europe's leading 'tech for good' VC.
Whilst this was being sorted out, I devised three launch strategies for the founder to choose from, and created a landing page and social media ads to drive sign ups to gauge early interest.
Once the founder had chosen which direction to head in, we moved into development. I collaborated with US engineers, and we built the Android and web-based MVP, supported by a mini design system of scalable components.
Future
The founder was already running another business full-time, and has since had to pause active work on 1 Brave Friend.