UI/UX MOBILE APP DESIGN
DESIGN STRATEGY
INFORMATIION ARCHITECTURE
WIREFRAMING
VISUAL DESIGN
FINALL APP LAUNCH
LiQR
Designed a digital wine cellar app for Blinkers, pioneering the first wine NFT investment exchange. Our team leveraged company data to strategically design a digital wine cellar that tracks and shares information throughout the wine's journey from production to consumption. This is offering transparent market insights that benefit both producers and consumers.
I participated in weekly team meetings to address client needs and goals, iteratively refining designs. My role focused on creating the initial MVP stage screens for the mobile app. I successfully addressed key concerns by integrating wine authentication features and digital certificates, significantly enhancing user confidence in the platform.
Sungah (Stella) Kim | Jay Han | Tony Baek
UX/UI Design | Wireframing & Prototyping Design System | Visual Design
Figma | Adobe Photoshop
May 2023 - Jun 2023 (5 Weeks)
Overview
Blinkers, in partnership with Bank of Wine, enhances and helps customers document their wine tasting experiences. Bank of Wine, a Wine NFT company, issues 1:1 paired NFT tokens for authentic wines sourced directly from wineries. Despite Korean laws prohibiting wine trading for investment, these tokens can be gifted as 'NFTcon' or traded on the 'Wine NFT Marketplace' for real-time transactions, with the option to exchange tokens for physical wine at Bank of Wine stores or partner shops.
Blinkers has also launched the LiQR app, which provides reliable insights from wine enthusiasts and turns wine tasting into a continuous journey. The platform fosters a community where wine lovers can share knowledge, deepening their appreciation and pride. Through Bank of Wine, the app allows users to explore wine histories, monitor value growth, and purchase wines using NFC technology.
Researching Data Visualization
Client shared data from their initial phase of surveys and research, identifying key demographics of wine drinkers and their preferred price ranges. They also provided valuable insights into consumer behaviors when purchasing and tasting wine. Our team analyzed this data and discovered that consumers often buy and open wine with a focus on practicality rather than sentiment. We refined our approach and decided to target and prioritize their specific needs and goals in our strategy.
Goals
1.
Help sharing and managing wine experience with others
2.
Help easily scan wine QR codes to verify authenticity
3.
Help identify and share data from production to consumption.
Solution — Key Features
1-1
My
Refine your taste with unique wine experiences. Showcase your collection and tasting experiences. Become a wine expert by collecting badges.
1-2
Certificate of ownership
Scan your wine's QR code and add it to your cellar for a trustworthy certification.
2-1
Tasting notes
Enhance your experience with personalized tasting notes. Record your wine tastings, rate the wine, and detail its flavors for future reference. The Certificate of Tasting provides a professional way to validate and collect your records, making each tasting more meaningful. Share your notes to connect and exchange insights with others.
3-1
Wine detailed page
Explore in-depth information about wineries and wines, and bookmark your favorite selections. Customize your wine and winery preferences, track trends in scores as they rise and fall, and view engagement data from other users.
3-2
Access detailed insights and data about their products
Track consumer interest in their wines. The insights allow producers to see data on how many consumers have added their wines to cellars, tasted, and engaged with them. Producers can filter this data by various categories to better understand their business.
Approach
A service enabling easy authentication of wine, and transparent market insights through recording and sharing purchases, frequencies, and reviews by both producers and consumers.
Process
Week 1
Organizing and strategizing project
Competitive Analysis
Analyzing Data
Synthesizing and Insight
Target Audience
Week 2
Mapping out the steps
Information Architecture
Task Flow
Wireframing
Week 3 — 4
Developing visualize
High Fidelity Wireframes
UI Design
Week 5
Delivering results
Product / Concept Video
What we learned
Major Issues & Solutions
Personal wine repository: By scanning winery-produced QR codes, you can record which wines you own, what you've drunk, and with whom, in your personal wine storage
Recommendations for wines and wineries that match my taste: Recommendations for similar wines through visiting other user profiles or wine and winery pages
Accurate Wine and winery information and certifications: Authenticity verification and ownership certification through wine and winery registration, including tasting qualifications
What we sees
Based on secondary and primary research data, we found that wine enthusiasts take great pride in their wine experiences.
Insights
Key Insight 1 : Wine enthusiasts tend to show a tendency to document their experiences
Key Insight 2 : Desire to share their experiences with others
Key Insight 3 : Be aware of counterfeit wines and easily access information without hesitation
Identifying the needs and types of users
Blinkers has two target user groups: consumers and producers. The platform enables both groups to easily access market insights and share data transparently.
Defining user flow, interactions, and processes
We developed a structure map to visualize and organize each step, mapping user actions and pages to ensure seamless interaction and delivery.
Wireframe
We created wireframes to discuss with clients, assessing the feasibility of the design. This process also allowed me to confirm whether the design addresses their problems and aligns with the overall project goals.
Design explorations
We explored various screen designs, with each team member contributing unique ideas to craft the best wine experience app and deliver the intended message. After reviewing different approaches, we collaborated to finalize the design of the screens.
Design iterations
My team and I developed each screen and made revisions based on the client's goals. To create the best experience, we gathered feedback from wine experts through screen testing and refined the design to improve clarity and alignment with user expectations.
NO
Profile badges indicate the user's preferred type of wine, but they overlap with the personalized tags users can add to their profiles. Additionally, the background image, meant to show that the user opened and tasted the wine (as opposed to just adding it to their cellar), didn’t work due to a lack of tasting images.
YES
The wine glass next to a wine indicates it has been opened and tasted. Instead of colored badges beside the profile, we used color accents around the profile to visualize the user's wine preferences. Based on user data, the colors update automatically, encouraging continued use of the app. Over time, users will intuitively understand their preferences through these color cues.
NO
The text in the tasting notes doesn't fully capture the real wine tasting experience. The profile is unclear in its purpose, making it difficult to quickly access wine information when viewing the tasting notes.
YES
By dividing sections, we made it easier to access wine information and added a wine tasting chart to provide authentic tasting notes and records. Including dates and companions helps capture memorable tasting moments, while notes offer additional space for users to record any extra details they want to remember.
NO
We found that users are less interested in wine journey information and history, which can be easily accessed elsewhere. Instead, they seek information about the value of the wine and reasons to choose it.
YES
We added the wine's score trend to the detailed page, showing how it has evolved over the years. This allows users to predict its future value, helping them decide whether to purchase it or not based on the visual data growth.
Creating the brand:
A playful approach to wine
Inspired by the rich colors of wine and the trust of enthusiasts, my team designed an experience that enhances wine collection with a playful touch. The calligraphy adds a personal, handwritten element to the wine experience. By incorporating green, we evoke a sense of richness, comfort, and continuity.
Final design
Conclusion
This project marked my first experience overseeing the design process all the way through to the app launch. With a tight timeline, I faced challenges in collaborating with other designers, researchers, and engineers. However, I effectively addressed the core issues and identified the needs of wine lovers, creating a service that fosters a deeper connection between them and their passion for wine.
WHAT I LEARNED
How to effectively communicate and collaborate with teammates and clients to convey my message and persuade them of the value of my work.
How to identify real problems and align my design thinking with developers' perspectives to effectively develop the app.