Majestyk Apps Internship Project‍
role
Product Design Intern
timeline
September 2020 - December 2020
tools
Figma, Slack, Asana, Google Suite

overview

Designing an informative website for our client, rotary club of NYC, to promote their pro-bono services that provide assistance to businesses located in NYC chinatown.

+ Project embodied client's goal to help Chinatown businesses reopen safely, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic
+ Mentored by senior UX/UI designer and creative director

problem statement

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected Chinatown in New York City. Small businesses—oftentimes family-owned—in the area are faced with operation challenges during the global pandemic as traditional businesses are unaccustomed to the new methods of utilizing a digital footprint to reach their customer base.

+ Lack of digital platform during a global pandemic causing businesses to shut down in NYC Chinatown
+ Businesses in NYC Chinatown facing racism
+ Lack of customers due to quarantine restrictions

How might we create an inviting informative website that establishes a digital presence for Rotary Club of Chinatown promoting their initiates to help businesses reopen in NYC Chinatown during the global pandemic?

project goals
Primary goals:
+ Build an online presence to promote our client's (Rotary Club of Chinatown) reopening initiatives for businesses
+ Encourage locals to visit NYC Chinatown to increase attraction
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Secondary goals:
+ Communicate business improvement resources our client has to business owners in NYC Chinatown
+ Provide volunteering opportunities and donation systems for people who want to help
+ Differentiate our project site from other websites involved in similar efforts/ initiatives

research insights
Process:
1. Stakeholder Interviews
2. User Interviews + Survey
3. Comparative Analysis (Market Research)
4. MVP Feature Set
5. Site Mapping

stakeholder interviews
We conducted interviews with the stakeholders to better understand the project vision and to identify the types of features and functionality are needed for the MVP.

The main question I was able to answer with this round of interview was:
"What is the project vision?"

prototype
sitemap
To organize our MVP features into the prospective versions of the project (initial launch + full launch), I created a sitemap to visualize how each page was going to interact with the rest of the site.

design options
From the homepage designs I created, our client decided to further develop the visual identity of Design C. I experimented with color gradients as well as content placement within each design option.

design system
One of the challenges we faced in designing this site was developing a design system that was on-brand with the Rotary Club at large while also appealing to a younger audience. We explored multiple UI options and ultimately decided on a clean, bright color palette that incorporated stylized versions of authentic Chinese design.

final thoughts
internship program takeaways:
The internship program I participated in at Majestyk Apps this fall semester provided me with more than I ever imagined possible. On top of working with amazing team members and learning new skills, I grasped a very valuable insight: defining my career goals and ultimately seeing myself as a designer who can make a positive impact for the community around me. I feel so much gratitude as this internship program comes to an end; I did not expect to grow the way I did as a designer and an individual over the course of 4 short, but treasurable months.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to be closely involved with every aspect of the project: getting to know my team members and our client. I learned that getting familiar with the stakeholders and the users as well as thoroughly researching the market before implementing visual designs is crucial to executing a successful, user-centric final product. In addition to getting exposed to UX research tools, I improved my communication skills in talking about my decision-making processes.

I now have a goal and a passion for social impact; I have a defined purpose for my design practices and journey with the remaining years of my undergraduate years. :)

taking action:
‍I am now deeply invested in the issue of unemployment after having the opportunity to work on this project at Majestyk Apps. This has led to the discovery of my interest and dedication to combat homelessness with design. With this new passion, I am now working as a contract UX/UI Designer for Keep.id, a non-profit organization that provide a guided application process integrated with non-profit networks and HIPAA-compliant ID storage, designed for those with low technological literacy.