Whrrl is an application built for iPhone, Android, web and mobile web that gets users out trying new things in the real world. The product aims to engage users in a cycle of production and discovery of content as well as social interactions through activities which include checking in, creating recommendations, saving recommendations, taking photos and writing notes at places, and winning prizes on checking. Gaming dynamics and personalization are woven throughout to reinforce valuable actions and increase engagement.

I’ve been responsible for all branding, UI and UX across platforms for Whrrl v3. My role has been to work with product owner to take high level product features and implement into the product by outlining user flows through different scenarios, user test, and design final layouts for implementation.

In addition to serving in a support role to the mobile applications through general account maintenance and lightweight content production, the Whrrl website has served as a key user acquisition funnel. We work with our affiliates to leverage their existing social networks and bring their audience into a custom created Society. From there we are focused on immediately creating value for the user, and encouraging mobile activation so the user can realize the full value of the product.

Responsible for working from feature requests and our own concepts to produce rough mocks for user testing of UI, flows, and language to maximize engagement and retention. Once equipped with feedback, it is my job to discuss scope with a dev, finish design and deliver assets. Many pages are also A/B tested for live quantitative feedback.

For Blog World Expo 2010, we made it a mission to take Las Vegas by storm. Our amazing marketing team created opportunities in multiple venues for us to advertise the product and encourage mobile activation. A natural focus of the message was around the chances to win prizes at these venues by checking in on Whrrl. Having secured more than one hotel with video slots in the hotel rooms, casinos and large display facing the strip, we took the opportunity to create a video.

Responsible for driving the effort, starting with high level communication points, user testing, storyboarding, and art direction of the motion graphics.

In addition to the video, we had the opportunity to take advantage of large, backlit Duratrans poster slots throughout multiple venues. The poster was designed to create intrigue and communicate that Whrrl is a mobile application. For any venue with a prize that can be won on check-in, we offer business-card sized collateral and stickers encouraging users to check in.

Responsible for all concept and execution.

Part of the Whrrl 2.3 product redesign was the implementation of recommendations and the niche interest groups they categorically fit into, called Societies. In order to seed the product with examples, we developed a backlog of editorially created Societies and set to work building them out.

Responsible for research and exploration of visual styles, choosing approach, then sketching concepts for the illustrations. I then interviewed and selected three illustrators who I art directed and managed under an extremely tight deadline.

In v2, Whrrl pivoted away from place finding and towards a focus around broadcasting our experiences at the places we go. These "stories" were assembled through photos, notes, and structured data around where we were and who we were with.

For the 2.3 product iteration, we focused on a pain point around consumption. With a typical story length around 2 photos or notes, the ratio of navigation to consumption was causing frustration for users. They might click three times to access a story and find that it had no content at all. A solution was to provide a better transition from one story to another, and at the same time make the consumption experience far more enjoyable. Bi-directional scrolling in immersive mode enabled users to quickly pan through content, and have immediate access to comments.

Responsible for initiating and designing home screen revamp and checking confirmation animation with a very dedicated developer. Also shared ownership of immersive view, and app-wide visual consistency effort.

When I joined Pelago, it was challenging to find any one part of the product that really communicated what it did. The unrecognized homepage is traditionally where a new user would find this type of information.

Responsible for concepting and designing a solution that communicated at a high level. Worked with our community manager to develop structure and language, then designed and worked with developer to deliver final assets.

During one of our after-hours spitball sessions, a developer and I were discussing a hole in the product. The focus of Whrrl is to get people out trying new things, yet there are no mechanisms in the product which make this crucial step easy.

We decided that one of the most powerful ways we could encourage a user to actually try saved ideas (since they already said they think it sounds good) is to show the intersection between their saved recommendations and their friends, then make it easy to propose everybody tries it together. With many thoughts around what concept this build into, I took on the responsibility of negotiating down an MVP that would prove the concept, then selling it to upper management in order to get sprint hours of dev work assigned.

The result was a prototype app that was slightly ahead of its time, but gave us an opportunity to try it ourselves and see where the concept would need to be iterated upon before implementing fully in the app.

Angel's Share is a young company focused around providing drink mixology consultation various bars. The name comes from a term referencing the percentage of alcohol which evaporates during the aging process in barrels. The idea is of course that angels came down and took a sip. After experimenting with a number of indirect approaches, I realized that a direct approach could yield a great result. Even better when its a play on words.

Responsible for research, visual exploration, original concept sketch, selecting printmaker for etching, art directing execution, final logo/type lockup and business cards.

Inspired by circus posters and victorian era signs, we wanted to create something that our audience hadn't seen before. Something that stood out from the script, lace and gold they see every summer. Most importantly, our wedding collateral needed to reflect who we are as people. To a large degree, this means avoiding a serious approach in favor of something that embraced humor and fun.

Responsible for visual research, concept, design, copy, managing printer for all production, and many hours of Photoshopping friends' heads onto bodies.

Vonchurch approached Manmade requesting polish on their existing identity. After diving in, I realized that there were going to be serious legibility issues in different mediums with their request. My proposal was to quickly execute a new logotype that would fit their company image. The solution was a simple wordmark in Gotham that incorporated a left-side serif on the V, which would provide a differentiating element, a sense of movement, and an opportunity to break the V out as a graphical element.

Responsible for visual research, sketching, execution and finalization.

The Gap’s non-profit department was in the process of creating an internship program at Gap retail stores for underserved youth. Part of the process for selecting the candidates was to run a class that taught basic job hunting skills, and evaluated each on different attributes. As part of the discussions and class activities, it was important that the youths, whether accepted into the program or not, would be able to take away knowledge and skills.

Our task was to create a booklet that detailed topics covered in the class, and to make it something they would want to keep and use as a reference later on. The aesthetic was inspired by "zine art" so that it could be both engaging and accessible to the audience. As a second deliverable, we were asked to design a poster that would go into Gap stores hosting the internship to educate the employees about the interns that would be arriving.

Responsible for visual research, concept exploration, final layout and design, copy writing and editing, screen printing of store poster and production of the poster tubes.

PSU approached Sockeye Creative asking for a new, contemporary identity. During the exploration phase, I saw marketing potential in the campus environment, a place where nature and city coexist seamlessly. This concept survived to the final round where it received the student popular vote, but did not become the official mark. Alternate versions included.

Responsible for working with a team by performing visual research, concept sketching, preparation of presentation boards, type exploration and execution of leading concepts.

I was tasked to create a full page ad that would go into a regional directory of creative agencies. As a full-service agency, Sockeye can perform many tasks under one roof, from copy writing to branding to motion graphics.

Inspired by the historic Union Station in which Sockeye was located, I saw an opportunity to create a brand impression around the agency which communicated its capabilities and experience. The result was an image of a curious package that is finding its way through the train system, collecting stamps and wear marks on the way to its destination.

Responsible for concept, design and production.

Mythos Solar's debut offering was a remote power unit which captures energy from the sun and stores it in batteries. As their first piece of collateral since their re-brand and website launch, it needed to leverage the new colors and typeface boldly.

Responsible for concepts, design and production.

Point&Ship were looking for an identity refresh. As a company, they were transitioning from having multiple modular product offerings to one all-inclusive product. In addition, to help them compete with the larger shipping management companies, they requested a strong, professional and clean mark that would help them look like a Fortune 500 company. The single word that focused the creative was the idea of "one".

Responsible for visual research, concepts, execution, presentation boards, and final production of identity and business cards.