nook

Problem and context

Students and remote workers choose cafés by star rating, then discover the truth after ordering: no outlets, no seats, music too loud to focus. Review platforms surface dining details but say almost nothing about work-friendliness, so people waste time and money café-hopping before finding a spot that works.

Role, timeline, tools

Independent UX/UI and logo designer. Two and a half months. Figma and FigJam for design, Photoshop and Illustrator for the logo and assets.

Process

Surveyed 8 participants across California — 6 students and 2 working professionals — through Google Forms and short phone interviews. Seven of eight searched on Google Maps, and all said finding noise, outlet, and Wi-Fi information took too long. I turned those findings into a work-score concept and café profile design in Figma.

Key decisions

Ranked café cards by a work score covering noise, Wi-Fi, outlets, seating, lighting, and crowdedness — the factors research said actually decide whether people stay. Added check-ins so scores stay current instead of going stale. Paired a serif for headings with a monospace for details, in a warm coffee-brown palette.

Result

A cohesive concept: café profiles led by the work score, quick work-style filters, map-based discovery, and a warm brand with a pin-and-coffee logo — helping people find their perfect little nook on the first try.

Next step

Build out user profiles, onboarding, and accessibility filters.