Emu iOS & Web App
Emu iOS & Web App
I was the project lead and designer in charge of UX/UI design. The Emu app is a combined effort between myself, Emu stakeholders and outsourced engineers.
I was the project lead and designer in charge of UX/UI design. The Emu app is a combined effort between myself, Emu stakeholders and outsourced engineers.
The goal of this project was to create a mobile and web-based application that allows users to find and book local beauty and personal care services, providing ratings and reccomendations.
The goal of this project was to create a mobile and web-based application that allows users to find and book local beauty and personal care services, providing ratings and reccomendations.
I wanted to design a simple registration process to allow for optimal early recruitment post-launch. As well as facilitating the ability to manage bookings, inquiries and customer communication effortlessly, in a platform that is familiar but carefully crafted to be a seamless experience.
I wanted to design a simple registration process to allow for optimal early recruitment post-launch. As well as facilitating the ability to manage bookings, inquiries and customer communication effortlessly, in a platform that is familiar but carefully crafted to be a seamless experience.
Services
Services
iOS App
iOS App
Product Design
Product Design
Industry
Industry
SaaS
SaaS
Health and Beauty
Health and Beauty
Design Stack
Design Stack
Figma
Figma
Framer
Framer
Project Objectives
Project Objectives
Create a mobile app that allows customers to find and book local beauty and personal care services, whilst providing ratings and recommendations.
Create a mobile app that allows customers to find and book local beauty and personal care services, whilst providing ratings and recommendations.
Design a simple registration process to allow for optimal early recruitment post-launch.
Design a simple registration process to allow for optimal early recruitment post-launch.
Offer the ability to manage bookings, inquiries and customer communication effortlessly, all in a platform that is familiar to the user but carefully crafted to be a seamless experience.
Offer the ability to manage bookings, inquiries and customer communication effortlessly, all in a platform that is familiar to the user but carefully crafted to be a seamless experience.
My Role
My Role
I was the project lead and designer in charge of UX/UI design. The Emu app is a combined effort between myself, Emu stakeholders and outsourced engineers.
I was the project lead and designer in charge of UX/UI design. The Emu app is a combined effort between myself, Emu stakeholders and outsourced engineers.
Project Objectives
Project Objectives
Create a mobile app that allows customers to find and book local beauty and personal care services, whilst providing ratings and recommendations.
Create a mobile app that allows customers to find and book local beauty and personal care services, whilst providing ratings and recommendations.
Design a simple registration process to allow for optimal early recruitment post-launch.
Design a simple registration process to allow for optimal early recruitment post-launch.
Offer the ability to manage bookings, inquiries and customer communication effortlessly, all in a platform that is familiar to the user but carefully crafted to be a seamless experience.
Offer the ability to manage bookings, inquiries and customer communication effortlessly, all in a platform that is familiar to the user but carefully crafted to be a seamless experience.
Project Challenges
Project Challenges
One month to negotiate the requirements and design the user experience before development.
One month to negotiate the requirements and design the user experience before development.
I was the sole designer and planner on this project, so I had to manage the design process efficiently and ensure the project was delivered on time.
I was the sole designer and planner on this project, so I had to manage the design process efficiently and ensure the project was delivered on time.
User Research
User Research
Competitive Analysis Desk Research
Competitive Analysis Desk Research
To maximize efficiency within the project timeline, I conducted extensive competitor analysis to identify market gaps and opportunities for interface innovation. This research-driven approach helped ensure our product would be both competitive and distinctive in the beauty services marketplace.
To maximize efficiency within the project timeline, I conducted extensive competitor analysis to identify market gaps and opportunities for interface innovation. This research-driven approach helped ensure our product would be both competitive and distinctive in the beauty services marketplace.
The research phase focused on analyzing competitor platforms, evaluating their UX patterns, and understanding their business models and service delivery methods. This helped inform design decisions and identify opportunities for differentiation.
The research phase focused on analyzing competitor platforms, evaluating their UX patterns, and understanding their business models and service delivery methods. This helped inform design decisions and identify opportunities for differentiation.
Comparing against these competitor apps provided me with valuable insights into user needs, preferences, and expectations, as well as the design trends and standards in the market. Additionally, it helped to identify market gaps and opportunities for differentiation and innovation.
Comparing against these competitor apps provided me with valuable insights into user needs, preferences, and expectations, as well as the design trends and standards in the market. Additionally, it helped to identify market gaps and opportunities for differentiation and innovation.
Key Findings - Similarities, but important differences
Key Findings - Similarities, but important differences
Most of the competitor apps have a similar user flow consisting of searching for service, providing date of booking and finally confirming the booking.
Most of the competitor apps have a similar user flow consisting of searching for service, providing date of booking and finally confirming the booking.
The main differences existed in the interface design and the information architecture.
The main differences existed in the interface design and the information architecture.
No existing platform successfully combines robust booking capabilities with meaningful social features.
No existing platform successfully combines robust booking capabilities with meaningful social features.
Users currently juggle multiple platforms to fulfill their wellness community needs.
Users currently juggle multiple platforms to fulfill their wellness community needs.
Opportunity exists for a unified platform that connects service discovery, booking, and community engagement.
Opportunity exists for a unified platform that connects service discovery, booking, and community engagement.
User Interviews
User Interviews
In addition to analyzing competitor apps and their associated benefits and short-falls, I conducted a series of user interviews with 10 participants to better understand their specific expectation, needs and potential painpoints.
In addition to analyzing competitor apps and their associated benefits and short-falls, I conducted a series of user interviews with 10 participants to better understand their specific expectation, needs and potential painpoints.
By actively listening to our interviewees and capturing their feedback, we’ve gathered valuable insights that will guide us in developing a user-centric wellness booking app that addresses their specific needs and enhances their overall experience with the abilities to effectively share their experiences with others.
By actively listening to our interviewees and capturing their feedback, we’ve gathered valuable insights that will guide us in developing a user-centric wellness booking app that addresses their specific needs and enhances their overall experience with the abilities to effectively share their experiences with others.
Discovery and Booking
How do you currently discover and book wellness services?
I typically use Google searches and read reviews across multiple platforms. Sometimes I'll get recommendations from Instagram, but then I have to do separate research to actually book. It's time-consuming switching between platforms.
Trust and Verification
What challenges do you face when booking wellness services?
The biggest issue is trust. Reviews feel unreliable sometimes, and I wish I could connect directly with people who've used the service before. I often message friends separately to ask about their experiences.
Community
How important is community interaction in your wellness journey?
Very important! I love sharing my experiences and learning from others. Currently, I use Instagram and Facebook groups, but it feels disconnected from the actual booking process.
Trust Building
What would make you trust a wellness service provider more?
Real, unfiltered reviews from verified users who actually booked the service. Also, being able to see consistent positive experiences from people with similar wellness goals.
Social Building
How do you currently share your wellness experiences with others?
I post on Instagram and sometimes write detailed reviews on Google. But it's scattered across platforms, and I can't easily connect with people who read my reviews.
The interviews revealed several crucial insights:
The interviews revealed several crucial insights:
Pain Points
Users are frustrated with the disconnected nature of current solutions.
Trust and authenticity are major concerns when booking new services.
Time is wasted switching between platforms for different needs.
Pain Points
Users are frustrated with the disconnected nature of current solutions.
Trust and authenticity are major concerns when booking new services.
Time is wasted switching between platforms for different needs.
Opportunities:
Strong desire for a unified platform combining booking and community.
Users want verified, authentic reviews from real customers.
Interest in building lasting relationships with both providers and other users.
Opportunities:
Strong desire for a unified platform combining booking and community.
Users want verified, authentic reviews from real customers.
Interest in building lasting relationships with both providers and other users.
Pain Points
Robust privacy controls for sharing personal wellness journeys.
Verified user reviews and experiences.
Easy booking integration with social features.
Community building tools around specific wellness practices.
Pain Points
Robust privacy controls for sharing personal wellness journeys.
Verified user reviews and experiences.
Easy booking integration with social features.
Community building tools around specific wellness practices.
These findings suggest that the platform should focus on creating a seamless experience that combines efficient booking with meaningful social interaction, while maintaining strong privacy controls and verification systems to build trust.
These findings suggest that the platform should focus on creating a seamless experience that combines efficient booking with meaningful social interaction, while maintaining strong privacy controls and verification systems to build trust.
Key Insights Across Personas:
Key Insights Across Personas:
Common Needs
Trust in service providers
Community connection
Efficient booking processes
Progress tracking
Authentic reviews
Common Needs
Trust in service providers
Community connection
Efficient booking processes
Progress tracking
Authentic reviews
Varying Priorities:
Maya: Community and sharing
David: Efficiency and privacy.
Sarah: Education and guidance.
Varying Priorities:
Maya: Community and sharing
David: Efficiency and privacy.
Sarah: Education and guidance.
Platform Implications:
Must support different usage patterns
Need for flexible privacy settings
Importance of intuitive UX
Value of personalized recommendations
Platform Implications:
Must support different usage patterns
Need for flexible privacy settings
Importance of intuitive UX
Value of personalized recommendations
Ideation and Design Approach
Ideation and Design Approach
Fresh look and unique functionality
Fresh look and unique functionality
Considerations:
I wanted to avoid making a visual copy of the existing competitor's apps, so I focused on creating a unique and fresh look and feel.
Maintain a level of consistency with the existing competitor's UI, but with crucial improvements so not to introduce any potential confusion and ensure a smooth user flow.
Considerations:
I wanted to avoid making a visual copy of the existing competitor's apps, so I focused on creating a unique and fresh look and feel.
Maintain a level of consistency with the existing competitor's UI, but with crucial improvements so not to introduce any potential confusion and ensure a smooth user flow.
Approach:
I focused on designing an experience that wouldn't be too alien to a less technologically proficient user. The goal was to provide the simplest end-to-end experience when searching, discovering, booking and sharing wellness services.
The onboarding process was designed in a way that takes the user's hand and guides them through a process that will set them up with info necessary to make a fast start to their booking experience. The progress bar along the base of the screen provides realtime feedback, and will improve the conversion rate of the sign up process as the user will have an idea of when it will be finalized.
Approach:
I focused on designing an experience that wouldn't be too alien to a less technologically proficient user. The goal was to provide the simplest end-to-end experience when searching, discovering, booking and sharing wellness services.
The onboarding process was designed in a way that takes the user's hand and guides them through a process that will set them up with info necessary to make a fast start to their booking experience. The progress bar along the base of the screen provides realtime feedback, and will improve the conversion rate of the sign up process as the user will have an idea of when it will be finalized.
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
About
Playground
About
Playground
Playground
Contact
Contact
Contact
Jack O'Brien © 2025
Jack O'Brien © 2025