Currently I am the lead designer for Portico, a travel inspiration and planning web application. When I was first brought on, the company had a basic prototype built out, along with wireframes for future functionality and some basic branding. My role since then has been to develop the design of the web application as more functionality is added to it and build upon the existing branding.
Styling Wireframes
Initially when I started there were several wireframes that needed design help. I first looked at the layout to see if the initial architecture was still applicable, then moved to applying design using the existing branding language.
Establishing a UI System
As I worked through designing the existing wireframes and new screens, I began to build a set UI system. When we continued to add new functionality to the web app, having a UI library made the design more consistent and easier to follow. It also allowed for an easier transition to responsive design when we moved to mobile friendly layouts.
Branding Revisions
When I first started with Portico, there was some UI language already in place. As I’ve been working with the team, we’ve refined this to better fit our approachable yet sophisticated image.
Mobile Transition
Much of my most recent work has been on making our web app mobile friendly. I started by mocking up our preexisting desktop designs for mobile, then moved to applying these to the live prototype using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. At this point, our web app is completely responsive, and we are currently working on a mobile app, to be ready soon!
