Litwork was envisioned as a beacon for African-American businesses seeking digital representation. My role as a UX Designer was to revitalize the online presence of these businesses, offering a bespoke space where community and commerce converge. The mission was to curate a seamless and secure app experience dedicated to authenticating and showcasing black-owned businesses.
Despite a rich heritage of entrepreneurship, black-owned businesses faced a stark digital divide. Challenges included a lack of dedicated digital space for representation, inadequate verification mechanisms on existing platforms, and insufficient tools for direct business-to-consumer communication and event promotion.
To address these challenges, we developed Litwork—a platform tailor-made for black entrepreneurs. The app featured a stringent African-American verification process, an in-app chat for immediate business-customer interaction, and a robust event management system. This approach was designed to transform task management into a dialogue of progress and engagement within the community.
UX: User Personas, Empathy Maps, Experience Journeys
UI: High-Fidelity Prototypes, Comprehensive Visual Language, Accessible Interactions
Branding: Culturally Resonant Iconography, Harmonious Color Palette, Distinct Typography
Design and Prototyping: Adobe XD, Figma
Graphics and Imaging: Adobe Creative Suite
User Research: User Interviews,
Project Management: Asana, Confluence
Communication and Collaboration: Slack, Google, Miro
The discovery phase delved into the heart of the African-American business community. Through immersive interviews and comprehensive surveys, we sketched the contours of an ecosystem ripe for digital empowerment.
Our research phase was exhaustive, with insights drawn from in-depth conversations with business owners and patrons alike. These discussions unveiled a deep-seated need for a platform like Litwork that was both a marketplace and a community hub. We found ethnographic research to be a perfect way to gain real-time user insights from business owners.
The project’s scope crystallized around three pillars: authenticity, engagement, and empowerment. We leveraged competitive analysis to benchmark our aspirations against established platforms, setting the stage for innovation. We also created a UX strategy to define the scope of this project.
The ideation phase was a crucible of collective creativity. From ideation workshops to sketch sessions, we pieced together an information architecture that was as intuitive as it was empowering.
%20(1)%201.png)
Our prototyping journey was iterative and inclusive. Beginning with low-fidelity wireframes and culminating in a fully interactive high-fidelity prototype, we bridged the gap between conceptual designs and tangible user experiences.
Targeted user testing provided a window into the app’s usability and impact. The feedback collected was a goldmine, guiding the refinement of Litwork into a platform that truly resonated with its audience.
The launch of Litwork marked a milestone in digital inclusivity. The platform not only enhanced the visibility of black-owned businesses but also fostered a surge in community engagement and economic activity.
The Litwork project underscored the transformative power of inclusive design and community-focused UX. It solidified my conviction that empathy, cultural understanding, and a commitment to representation are cornerstones of meaningful design.
