The Avenue Concept
A mobile tour app featuring the public art in Providence, Rhode Island.
PRODUCT DESIGNER & STRATEGIST
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Mobile UI/UX
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Design Research
At verynice, I led the product design for The Avenue Concept (TAC)’s app redesign, from strategy to implementation. I facilitated workshops, conducted interviews, performed heuristic analyses, designed wireframes, and built the app on the STQRY platform. The app was recently relaunched at TAC's gallery expo.
DURATION
July 2024 — March 2025
TOOLS
STQRY, Figma, FigJam
SKILLS
Design Research, UI/UX, QC, Workshop Facilitation
PROBLEM
TAC's app was underperforming in usability, aesthetics, and overall engagement.
They requested a complete redesign to enhance user experience and expand their reach in the public arts space, all while working within a limited budget and technical constraints of a new app-building platform.
SOLUTION
Our team at verynice completed a two-part project: strategic recommendations based on a intensive design research process, followed by a full app implementation.
Learn Interactively
Discover the art's background, watch videos, meet the artists, listen to audio tracks, and answer reflection questions.
Explore Providence
Navigate scenic routes within the app to experience different art pieces and discover local attractions.
Browse Diverse Tours
Choose between walking, biking, and driving tours that showcase a variety of art mediums.
THE NEW APP
Final Strategic Recommendations
To wrap up the research phase, I conducted a final analysis of the app's flow and created a simplified proposed flow. My team and I then presented our findings to TAC in a final product design workshop. During the session, we reviewed the old app, gathered feedback, then walked through the proposed redesign, collecting more input. This allowed us to refine a vision statement and establish goals before transitioning into the next phase: implementing the new app.
User Interviews
Next, I developed a user study guide for stakeholder interviews, focusing on observing participants use the app with minimal context. Drawing from my experience running play tests for games, I structured the interviews to allow users to explore the app independently, stepping in only when absolutely necessary. I took detailed notes and summarized each session, which not only reaffirmed existing issues with the app but also uncovered new concerns we hadn’t previously identified.
Heuristic Analyses
I conducted three heuristic analyses of the old app’s flow, each from the perspective of a different user persona. I built out user scenarios, annotated each screen with comments tied to the relevant heuristic principles, and for wrote these comments in the user's "voice" (which was fun and effective!) I summarized my findings and then expanded the analysis by then evaluating three peer organizations’ tour apps. This included two realistic comparisons and one "north star" reference to guide the redesign.
Kickoff Workshop with TAC
We began the project with a hands-on workshop alongside my team at verynice and The Avenue Concept. This session helped us define key users, their needs, and the overall goals for the app redesign. We identified three primary user personas: a local art fan, a visitor to Providence, and an art teacher. Beyond shaping our strategy, the workshop also helped establish a strong collaborative foundation with TAC, ensuring alignment from the start.
PROCESS
Design Research and Strategy
About Page
The old app was missing an About page, so we created one to help users feel more connected to the app while also promoting TAC’s work. The page highlights TAC's incredible contributions, values, and goals, with easy-to-find buttons for learning more and donating—essential for supporting their growth. After testing in the field, we found some lingering questions from users, so we added an FAQ section to clear up any confusion and make the experience even smoother.
The Map
I wanted the map to be clear, easy to navigate, and visually engaging. The old map felt basic, simply listing numbered stops. I revamped it with a color-coded label system and icons to highlight stop types and promote nearby attractions and local businesses in Providence. Each stop now includes cover images, text, and links to provide more context and a richer experience.
Stop Descriptions
The stop descriptions lacked consistency in structure and content, making the experience confusing and un-engaging. I designed a standardized template for titles, overview text, and media placement while keeping it flexible for different types of content. Key updates included a "Nearby Attractions" section to highlight local businesses, a horizontal image slideshow, and a clear layout for audio recordings. The “About the Piece” section was made more concise and collapsible, new artist bio sections featured videos, photos, and text, and reflection questions were made more visible for teachers. Multiple location links helped users easily find each stop.
Tour Overviews
The app lacked consistent text formatting, making tour and stop descriptions confusing and unclear. A key design task was creating a reusable structure that worked within the constraints of only two font sizes and a single text box. To ensure clarity, I structured each overview with a bolded high-level summary followed by a detailed description. Since certain features and buttons in the app were inherently unclear (issues we couldn’t fix without backend changes) I introduced a “Helpful Tips” section to proactively address common user confusion. To maintain consistency moving forward, I also created a content writing guide for future tours.
Home Page
The old app’s home page only displayed tour thumbnails, offering little context to users. For the redesign, I focused on ensuring visitors felt grounded upon entering the app. I added a brief introduction at the top explaining TAC and the app’s purpose. To improve organization, I divided tours into “Driving” and “Walking” categories and switched to a horizontal scroll to save screen space and reduce visual clutter. Since clear CTAs were a priority for TAC, I introduced a simple, reusable text-based CTA at the bottom of every screen. Finally, I refined the app’s color scheme to align with TAC’s branding while maintaining strong readability.
Navigating Constraints
We were required to use an app builder with strict constraints—no font selection, text size adjustments, layout customizations, or flexible color options. This was a major setback to our initial wireframe ideas, forcing me to rethink my approach. Instead of fighting the limitations, I experimented with creative workarounds to make the design feel intentional rather than restricted. After countless iterations, I found ways to optimize the platform’s capabilities and documented best practices for working within STQRY’s constraints.
PROCESS
Product Design and Implementation
Content Implementation->On-Ground Testing->Internal QC
As the head of design, I led the art direction for our product and business materials, shaping a cohesive and engaging brand identity. I designed the logo, color scheme, and typography, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.
Initially, we explored a green and purple theme, but it felt too clunky and tech-focused. Instead, we embraced a soft, pale pink palette inspired by modern skincare aesthetics, appealing to both Millennial and Gen Z women. To add energy and originality, I introduced a bright orange accent and a playful star doodle.
To bring the brand to life, I collaborated with photographer Eilee Deniston on a branding shoot. I developed a mood board, prepared physical brand assets, and styled the shoot to capture polished, cohesive images for our app and marketing materials.
PROCESS
Quality Control
TAKEAWAYS
This project was one of my first leadership experiences as a design researcher at verynice. It involved intensive strategic planning followed by technical design and implementation.
Navigating the STQRY platform was challenging, as I’m used to more design flexibility, but with patience and creativity, we delivered a product that’s elegant, informative, and well-received. Ultimately, it taught me how to design without relying on aesthetics. It was a pleasure working with The Avenue Concept, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help support their incredible work in public arts.
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