Product

Product Design

My work aims to build digital communities through innovative media products.

Below are some products I've designed in the past year:

an app that would aggregate user generated video in order to make riding the New York subway a safer and social experience.

a mobile and desktop based audiovisual deep dive into NY drill music.

a website for journalists and news outlets to combat objectivity in journalism and share "where they're coming from".

Subway Social

"Keeping New Yorkers safe and connected through verified, specific and real-time User generated content."

This was my first self-taught try at prototyping on Figma. I created Subway Social in the fall of 2021 as a final project for a class on ideation and prototyping at NYU.

The problem:
In a city where millions of people ride the subway everyday, New Yorkers need a tool that will not only present mapped routes and train times, but will also keep them safe.

As a daily MTA rider, I find myself toggling between three to four apps to find out what's going on underground. From mapping out my route on Google Maps, to checking train times on MyMTA, to refreshing TikTok for videos of the latest subway incident, there isn't one single app that aggregates user generated content (UGC) across platforms and synthesizes it into real-time information that helps users in emergency situations.

The solution:
An app that

Aggregates UGC across social media platforms into one feed
Gives users real-time information on any issues with the subway
Creates an online community for subway riders to verify information and interact with each other, hence making the subway social.

The prototype:

Drill Down

Drill Down is a multimedia experience produced by my NYU Studio 20 cohort that explores drill rap, a growing hip-hop subgenre, and the role it plays in the Black community in New York City.

I led the communications outreach, edited videos in post-production, and designed web graphics for the desktop and mobile experience. I also designed the landing page graphic on Photoshop and oversaw the aesthetic design for the website such as font choice, color scheme, and content layout. Our goal was for the web design to lead the user through a single scroll and enabling them to experience the individual stories without having to navigate away from the main page. Aesthetically we wanted the web design to be clean and simple, with a New York feel that pairs with the content. My contributions helped optimize user experience and create an aesthetic theme for the project.

Why Drill?

After Mayor Eric Adams' claim that the genre perpetuates violence, we sought a deeper understanding of drill's connection to the people who create it. Drill Down was produced in the spring of 2022 by my NYU Studio 20 cohort.

We highlight a variety of family, community and industry voices to shade in the sometimes superficial conversation around this music. Through these stories, Drill Down examines the popularity of drill rap, its cultural influence, and the expression of pain—often manifested as aggression and violence—prevalent throughout the art form.

Drill Down was a Diversity Research Grant recipient from the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Watch the trailer below:

Coming From

During my first semester of the Studio 20: Digital First master’s program at New York University my cohort led by director Jay Rosen produced the collaborative project ComingFrom.org, a space that features examples of media outlets and journalists that are building trust by being straightforward on where their views come from. I was a UX/Web designer and created the website to host our project.

Our work published in December 2021 was praised by media professionals, journalists, and transparency enthusiasts all across the US. Learn more here.