Zero to 15,000+ views at launch
A compelling idea, no existing design, and two weeks to launch.
15,000+ views in the first social rollout on LinkedIn and Instagram
The founder had two weeks, a compelling idea, and no existing design. I shipped a working MVP, then came back months later to fix what I'd compromised on the first time around.
Final app screens are on the homepage. This page covers the process and decisions behind the two phases of work.
The problem
The product had no visual language, no system, and no hierarchy. The founder wanted to launch in two weeks. The core UX challenge was the search experience: the product covered three different data types (product ethics, tax avoidance, CEO pay gap) and users had no way to understand what they were searching for or why the distinctions mattered.
The work
Shipped the MVP in two weeks: built the information hierarchy, color system, card components, and responsive layout framework from scratch. The search experience launched as the founder envisioned: a central search bar with category cards below, each explaining a data type and linking to that search mode. It worked, but the UX wasn't right yet. Came back months later to fix it properly. Changed the search copy to make clear users were searching for a specific product, with microcopy examples in the field itself (Nike Air Jordans, Tesla Model 3). Replaced the category switcher with two editorial cards explaining Tax Avoidance and Pay Gap in friendly, direct language with a touch of personality. Added a featured products section surfacing ethical standouts and B-corps like Patagonia. Added an articles section for ethically-minded consumers below that. Rebuilt the investor pitch deck from scratch: restructured the narrative, tightened the copy to speak to a specific investor audience, and built a cohesive visual system. Investor and mentor feedback confirmed the original deck needed to be more direct. Once that was on the table, the founder gave me the range to fix it.
MVP
The MVP search launched with the founder's vision intact: a central search bar with category cards below for Tax Avoidance and Pay Gap, each explaining what they were and linking to that search mode. It was shippable and functional. But users still had to figure out what they were actually searching for.
Iteration
Months later I came back and fixed the real problem. Added microcopy to the search field to show what kind of thing you were looking for (a product, a brand). Rewrote the category cards in plain, slightly snarky language. Added featured ethical products and editorial content below. The homepage had a point of view, not just a search bar.
Investor Pitch Deck
Rebuilt the pitch deck from scratch. The original was unfocused and didn't speak to investors directly. I restructured the narrative, tightened the copy, and built a cohesive visual system. Investor and mentor feedback validated what I already thought needed to change. That gave me the range to fix it.
Key design decisions
Ship the compromise, then fix the problem
The founder had a clear vision for the search experience and wanted to launch in two weeks. My instinct was that users wouldn't understand what they were searching for without better framing, but there wasn't time to redesign and debate.
Shipped the founder's search concept with improved cards explaining each data category. Came back months later to fix the core UX problem: clarifying what users were actually searching for and making the homepage have a point of view.
Launching something imperfect and iterating is better than stalling on perfection. The first version proved the product worked. The second version made it actually usable.
Cards over buttons for unfamiliar concepts
Tax avoidance and CEO pay gaps are not concepts most consumers encounter in a search interface. A button labeled "Tax Avoidance" gives users no reason to click it and no understanding of what they'll find.
Replaced mode-switching buttons with editorial cards that explained each data type in plain, direct language before asking users to engage.
The product's entire value is making opaque corporate data understandable to regular people. The interface had to model that from the first screen.
Let external feedback move the founder
The pitch deck copy was unfocused and written to a general audience. The founder was resistant to changes on language.
Pushed back, then waited. When investors and mentors confirmed the copy needed to be more direct and speak to a specific audience, used that as the opening to rebuild the deck properly.
Some feedback lands differently depending on who delivers it. Knowing when to hold ground and when to let the room do the work is part of the job.
Reflection
The work I'm proudest of on Aysa is the iteration: the version I built when I actually had time to think. The MVP was a sprint under pressure and it showed. Coming back to fix the search UX, adding the editorial layer, making the homepage have a real point of view: that's the product I would have shipped the first time with more runway. If I did this again, I'd negotiate upfront compensation before the engagement started. Working without financial security limits how much you can push for the right outcome. You compromise when you shouldn't, and you move on when you should stay.