Marlo
OVERVIEW
Marlo is a social app that designed for searching companion around. It allows users to create events and join activities happening nearby. This is a project that I did for a startup based in Bay Area. It was released in Oct 2024 on App Store. The design system was redefined and harmonize with the new user interface. I also helped with graphic design for marketing materials.
Achievement
-Launched the first version of the Marlo social app in October 2024, driving early user engagement and establishing the foundation for iterative product development.
-Led the creation of the brand identity and design system, ensuring a cohesive, high-quality user experience across the entire product.
-Collaborated with PMs and engineers to define and prioritize MVP features, balancing user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.
My Role
Interaction Design
UI Design
Design System
Team
PMs
Developer
Timeline
Apr 2024-Jun 2025
TOOls
Figma
Illustrator
scroll down for more info
Final Design
Marlo offers users a community to create the events and share this event in specific area they prefer. Users can create their own personal profiles to showcase their interests and characteristics. The chat room will be automatically activated when an event is created, allowing users to connect with other participants of the event. When users see an event posted by others, they can spread it to extend its reach, allowing more interested people to join and participate.
Process
On the visual level, I worked with the co-founders to redefine the brand's visual style and established a design system. I then applied this design language across all interfaces.
After finalizing the visual direction, I structured the app’s interaction flow and overall user experience—optimizing usability and delivering high-fidelity UI to the development team. I helped build the product from the ground up, and through our agile development process, continuously refined and expanded the design system into a cohesive, production-ready framework.
In addition to product design, I supported the team’s marketing efforts by creating visual materials that helped us successfully execute two in-person advertising events.
After launching and gaining our first real users, the next challenge was evolving the product from version 1.0 to 1.5. Our initial design didn’t fully align with user needs, so I led the redesign of the home screen, focusing on usability and engagement improvements that ultimately increased user retention.
