Opportunities:

Our biggest opportunities were to make discovery effortless, deliver reliable real-time tracking, and give visitors and locals simple guidance that reduces crowd stress and builds confidence.

User flow & Information architecture:

The flow maps a simple path from sign up to enabling location, browsing nearby parades, and choosing one to follow, which keeps decisions quick in the moment.

The Information Architecture centers on a clear Home with direct routes to Explore and Map, Parades, Settings, and Notifications, so users can reach schedules, routes, and real-time tracking in a tap.

Wireframes:

I created the wireframes to map the core structure and show how the parade list, live map, and details fit together. They gave the team a clear first look at how we turned goals into screens, which helped us align on flow and scope early.

Visual Direction/Moodboards:

Before moving into UI, I created moodboards to align on brand identity and lock in the product’s visual direction with the team. The direction uses one primary color for focus, quiet backgrounds for clarity, and bold type so key details read fast in busy parade settings.

UI Design Rationale:

Built from the approved wireframes and moodboards, the high-fidelity screens use a clear visual language that guides the eye in seconds. Since the app is used in busy parade settings, I leaned on one primary color, calm backgrounds, and strong type so key details are easy to scan at a glance.

Iteration & Trade-Offs:

Early designs used a dense grid of small cards. After user feedback and spec changes, we moved to larger, full-width rows that surface key details upfront.

Fewer items are visible at once which adds more scrolling. We accepted this to improve clarity and accessibility in busy, on-the-go moments. The simpler layout nudged 18% more people to open a parade for details.

For the Map view, our early approach used static pins only. After consulting with engineering, we determined we could add a live route with start and end markers plus a lead-float indicator.

Live routes increased rendering load and battery use. We simplified map styling and added quick toggles to hide routes or pause tracking when not needed.

• Users could see direction and progress at a glance.

• More people tapped to follow a parade from the map since the path was obvious.

  
  

Design System:

I built a simple but scalable design system with reusable components and consistent styles, enabling faster development and a cohesive UI. This foundation made future updates easier and allowed developers to expand features without redesigning from scratch.

User Tests:

Before launch, I used Maze to run usability tests and make sure the app felt clear and easy to use. It helped us catch points of confusion early and gave us real feedback on what users understood right away. This quick testing loop gave us the chance to improve the experience before going live.