Freelance

Twigs App

Building a brand identity and MVP

Market research
Wireframes
Brand identity
UI prototype
Deployment

Background

During the pandemic, the Vancouver-based Twigs co-founders discovered that parents wanted fresh ideas to encourage their kids to spend more time outdoors. They wanted to create a mobile app for parents to find fun and inspiring outdoor activities for their kids.

Task

Create the Twigs brand and build a prototype for the app MVP.

Market research

I kicked off the project by learning as much as I could about the app’s target market. I looked at 3 user personas to help better understand its potential users.

I also did a high level scan of Twig’s potential competitors. These were mostly blogs and social media accounts that provided free, regular content around outdoor play.

Wireframes

After thoroughly studying the materials, I determined that location and weather were the biggest obstacles for parents when it came to looking for safe, child-friendly outdoor activities. I used this key insight to influence Twigs on which screens to prioritise for the MVP.

I paid close attention to the hierarchy of each screen, basing it on what I believed the target users would find most useful. I chose app interactions based on UX principles such as responsiveness (side scroll), accessibility (cards and tiles), and usability (tab bar labels).

I proposed dynamic content on the Home and Explore screens, such as customising the location and weather categories based on the season and today’s weather.

Brand Identity

I conducted a simple brand exercise to learn how the Twigs team wanted to be perceived and positioned in the market. I presented a style tile get them excited about how their app could potentially look.

Colours

For the main colours, I chose orange because it signifies creativity, and blue because it signifies freedom and inspiration. Together they represented “learning through outdoor play”. For the supporting palette, I was inspired by the landscape and natural colours of Vancouver, BC.

Type

For the typography, I chose modern yet playful Google fonts that reminded of learning in a classroom.

Icons and illustrations

I used medium weight and rounded edges for the navigation and interface icons to depict friendliness and approachability.

For the badges and illustrations, I went with a clean and modern style, using the approved brand colours and adding gradients for depth.

UI prototype

I put all the brand elements together for the UI prototype. I used rounded tiles, light drop shadows and loose spacing to give it an outdoorsy and nature-inspired feel. I created custom backgrounds and illustrations to sprinkle Twig’s playful brand personality.

Deployment

I submitted the wireframes, a high-fidelity desktop prototype and developer notes to the Twigs team for the final handover. I also provided marketing materials such as the App Store, Play Store and social media banners.

The app went live in 2021 and received very positive results. On the App Store, it received a 4.9 star rating and several positive reviews. On Google Play, it received a 5 star rating and 1000+ downloads.