Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Improving the experience through user insights
Custom Maps & Curated Experiences
Stealth AI
Stealth AI Company
0 to 1 | Mobile & Desktop Application
Connecting users with creators through curated maps
Background
My team worked with a stealth startup led by a seasoned entrepreneur to build an advanced mapping platform. Over 10 weeks, we went from having no clear product form or existing user base to designing mapping platform to streamline how users discover, save, and share personalized location-based experiences through creator recommendations.
Impact
Our team's work significantly sharpened the product's business strategy and strengthened its design foundations. We clarified its market fit, defined clear monetization strategies, and refined the value proposition.
Role
Lead UX Researcher
Product Designer
Timeline
10 weeks
Team
5 Product Designers
1 Stakeholder
1 Design Manager
Type
Contract
Client: Stealth AI
The Challenge
Current mapping apps were not effectively addressing the needs of social-media driven discovery
Users frequently discovered locations on social platforms (i.e. Instagram, TikTok, GoogleMaps) but struggled to save, organize and revisit them later
lost in TikTok collections
lost in a list of screenshots
😵💫
Creators lacked tools for easily visualizing their recommendations, automating content-to-map processes, and tracking their impact
📈
💵
—>
“I have 168 places saved in one folder on TikTok. But I have been only to 2 of them? ”
Will (user)
Will (user)
“I find myself struggling with retrieving saved content across different platforms. It would be great to have a more efficient system.”
Shawn (user)
Shawn (user)
“I share my curated location recommendations on Patreon. The problem is Patreon doesn’t let me track clicks or views.”
Rachel (creator)
Rachel (creator)
Research
Building from ground zero: where do we begin?
Building a product from the ground up meant facing significant uncertainty. We had fundamental questions around product format, market viability, monetization, technical constraints, AI integration, and branding—without any existing user data to guide us. Here's how we navigated the unknowns.
and this is what we uncovered:
and this is what we uncovered:
Research
Research
We gathered 1300+ data points from our research
We gathered 1300+ data points from our research
competitive analysis
Existing apps excel in specific features, but lack an all-in-one solution connecting consumers, creators and businesses for location recommendations
We analyzed 20+ companies across navigation, travel, maps, food, and social media - identifying gaps where we could address with a more intuitive, creator driven experience.
Most curated map products are enterprise focused for bloggers who want to embed a map on a website
No current product connects social media creators and users through curated maps while streamlining commission management
Saving features that current platforms have are bad at organizing and retrieving locations
surveys
Saving & finding locations across multiple social media platforms is hard, disorganized, and overwhelming
When asked how they save places they want to visit, users revealed a fragmented system: over half use maps, nearly 48% rely on social media, and many resort to screenshots or notes. The variety of tools shows there’s no go-to solution—just a scattered mix that makes it hard to revisit or act on saved recommendations.
user interviews
Users and creators seek simplicity and automation
Creators/Influencers
Regular Users
❌
Users frequently discover exciting places on various platforms but struggle to easily revisit or organize them due to fragmented saving methods.
❌
Creators find it challenging to effectively visualize and share their recommendations, as manually building customized maps is time-consuming and cumbersome
Design System
Minimal yet flexible: empowering users to showcase their brand
Collaborating closely with stakeholders, we intentionally crafted a minimalist, neutral aesthetic that provides ample creative space.
Rather than imposing a strong internal brand identity, we prioritized giving users complete flexibility—empowering them to tailor their maps and collections to align with their own brands and personalities.
Map Exploration
Map Exploration
Map Exploration
Effortlessly discover places on the map interface with select collections
Effortlessly discover places on the map interface with select collections
Effortlessly discover places on the map interface with select collections
UI
Final Designs
Learnings
Learnings
Key takeaways from this project
Key takeaways from this project
Embracing Ambiguity: This project taught me the value of confidently navigating uncertainty, especially when building a product from the ground up (0 to 1).
Technical Confidence: I became more comfortable using SDKs and APIs, expanding my technical toolkit.
Thoughtful AI Implementation: I discovered the importance of integrating AI purposefully, particularly through natural language search, to solve genuine user challenges.
Global Collaboration: Collaborating across diverse cultures and time zones improved my adaptability, communication skills, and overall teamwork effectiveness.
See next project
See next project
Seamless Web Integration
Seamless Web Integration
Seamless Web Integration
Effortlessly migrate saved locations from your blog posts and embed dynamic, interactive maps directly onto your webpage
Effortlessly migrate saved locations from your blog posts and embed dynamic, interactive maps directly onto your webpage
Effortlessly migrate saved locations from your blog posts and embed dynamic, interactive maps directly onto your webpage
which led us to the question…
which led us to the question…
How might we create a mapping platform that lets users easily organize favorite locations and helps creators monetize recommendations?
How might we create a mapping platform that lets users easily organize favorite locations and helps creators monetize recommendations?
Natural Language Search
Natural Language Search
Natural Language Search
Quickly find and build personalized collections using conversational, AI-powered search
Quickly find and build personalized collections using conversational, AI-powered search
Quickly find and build personalized collections using conversational, AI-powered search
Curate and Personalize Collections
Curate and Personalize Collections
Curate and Personalize Collections
Easily organize your favorite spots into custom collections tailored to your interests and style
Easily organize your favorite spots into custom collections tailored to your interests and style
Easily organize your favorite spots into custom collections tailored to your interests and style
Seamless Social Media Integration
Seamless Social Media Integration
Seamless Social Media Integration
Instantly migrate saved locations from social media platforms into your app, streamlining your discovery and planning experience
Instantly migrate saved locations from social media platforms into your app, streamlining your discovery and planning experience
Instantly migrate saved locations from social media platforms into your app, streamlining your discovery and planning experience
Integrated Booking & Creator Support
Directly reserve or book experiences within the app, while simultaneously supporting creators who earn commissions from your interactions
Integrated Booking & Creator Support
Directly reserve or book experiences within the app, while simultaneously supporting creators who earn commissions from your interactions
Integrated Booking & Creator Support
Directly reserve or book experiences within the app, while simultaneously supporting creators who earn commissions from your interactions
Next Steps
Next Steps
Opportunities for future exploration
Opportunities for future exploration
Optimize Creator Monetization: Develop additional tools and analytics to better support creators in maximizing their earnings
Expand User Testing: Further iterate based on user feedback to refine usability and enhance user satisfaction
Optimize Creator Monetization: Develop additional tools and analytics to better support creators in maximizing their earnings
Expand User Testing: Further iterate based on user feedback to refine usability and enhance user satisfaction
Improving the experience through user insights
Improving the experience through user insights
Collaborating closely with stakeholders, we intentionally crafted a minimalist, neutral aesthetic that provides ample creative space.
Rather than imposing a strong internal brand identity, we prioritized giving users complete flexibility—empowering them to tailor their maps and collections to align with their own brands and personalities.
Collaborating closely with stakeholders, we intentionally crafted a minimalist, neutral aesthetic that provides ample creative space.
Rather than imposing a strong internal brand identity, we prioritized giving users complete flexibility—empowering them to tailor their maps and collections to align with their own brands and personalities.
Minimal yet flexible: empowering users to showcase their brand
Minimal yet flexible: empowering users to showcase their brand
Design System
Design System
Final Designs
Final Designs
Research
Research
Building from ground zero: where do we begin?
Building from ground zero: where do we begin?
Building a product from the ground up meant facing significant uncertainty. We had fundamental questions around product format, market viability, monetization, technical constraints, AI integration, and branding—without any existing user data to guide us. Here's how we navigated the unknowns.
competitive analysis
competitive analysis
Existing apps excel in specific features, but lack an all-in-one solution connecting consumers, creators and businesses for location recommendations
Existing apps excel in specific features, but lack an all-in-one solution connecting consumers, creators and businesses for location recommendations
We analyzed 20+ companies across navigation, travel, maps, food, and social media - identifying gaps where we could address with a more intuitive, creator driven experience.
We analyzed 20+ companies across navigation, travel, maps, food, and social media - identifying gaps where we could address with a more intuitive, creator driven experience.
surveys
Saving & finding locations across multiple social media platforms is hard, disorganized, and overwhelming
When asked how they save places they want to visit, users revealed a fragmented system: over half use maps, nearly 48% rely on social media, and many resort to screenshots or notes. The variety of tools shows there’s no go-to solution—just a scattered mix that makes it hard to revisit or act on saved recommendations.
surveys
Saving & finding locations across multiple social media platforms is hard, disorganized, and overwhelming
When asked how they save places they want to visit, users revealed a fragmented system: over half use maps, nearly 48% rely on social media, and many resort to screenshots or notes. The variety of tools shows there’s no go-to solution—just a scattered mix that makes it hard to revisit or act on saved recommendations.
user interviews
Users and creators seek simplicity and automation
Creators/Influencers
Creators/Influencers
Regular Users
Regular Users
❌
Users frequently discover exciting places on various platforms but struggle to easily revisit or organize them due to fragmented saving methods.
❌
Creators find it challenging to effectively visualize and share their recommendations, as manually building customized maps is time-consuming and cumbersome
Stealth AI Company
0 to 1 | Mobile & Desktop Application
Connecting users with creators through curated maps
Background
My team worked with a stealth startup led by a seasoned entrepreneur to build an advanced mapping platform. Over 10 weeks, we went from having no clear product form or existing user base to designing mapping platform to streamline how users discover, save, and share personalized location-based experiences through creator recommendations.
Impact
Our team's work significantly sharpened the product's business strategy and strengthened its design foundations. We clarified its market fit, defined clear monetization strategies, and refined the value proposition.
Role
Lead UX Researcher
Product Designer
Timeline
10 weeks
Team
5 Product Designers
1 Stakeholder
1 Design Manager
Type
Contract
Client: Stealth AI
Custom Maps & Curated Experiences
Stealth AI Company
Users frequently discovered locations on social platforms (i.e. Instagram, TikTok, GoogleMaps) but struggled to save, organize and revisit them later
lost in TikTok collections
lost in a list of screenshots
😵💫
Creators lacked tools for easily visualizing their recommendations, automating content-to-map processes, and tracking their impact
📈
💵
—>
The Challenge
Current mapping apps were not effectively addressing the needs of social-media driven discovery
Creators lacked tools for easily visualizing their recommendations, automating content-to-map processes, and tracking their impact
📈
💵
—>
Users frequently discovered locations on social platforms (i.e. Instagram, TikTok, GoogleMaps) but struggled to save, organize and revisit them later
lost in TikTok collections
lost in a list of screenshots
😵💫
The Challenge
Current mapping apps were not effectively addressing the needs of social-media driven discovery
“I have 168 places saved in one folder on TikTok. But I have been only to 2 of them? ”
Will (user)
“I find myself struggling with retrieving saved content across different platforms. It would be great to have a more efficient system.”
Shawn (user)
“I share my curated location recommendations on Patreon. The problem is Patreon doesn’t let me track clicks or views.”
Rachel (creator)
user interviews
Users and creators seek simplicity and automation
Creators/Influencers
Creators/Influencers
Regular Users
Regular Users
❌
Users frequently discover exciting places on various platforms but struggle to easily revisit or organize them due to fragmented saving methods.
❌
Creators find it challenging to effectively visualize and share their recommendations, as manually building customized maps is time-consuming and cumbersome
competitive analysis
Existing apps excel in specific features, but lack an all-in-one solution connecting consumers, creators and businesses for location recommendations
We analyzed 20+ companies across navigation, travel, maps, food, and social media - identifying gaps where we could address with a more intuitive, creator driven experience.
Most curated map products are enterprise focused for bloggers who want to embed a map on a website
No current product connects social media creators and users through curated maps while streamlining commission management
Saving features that current platforms have are bad at organizing and retrieving locations
