Designing An Elegant Prototype

The United Re-Entry Resource App concept was brought to us by George Carver, who started a nonprofit called Dare Minority Coalition Inc. George’s vision for the app is to help people who have been recently released from incarceration find the right resources to transition back into society.  

The app would provide open job opportunities, available housing, banking, and educational resources available in their local area. Users can message with supportive personnel and view a local map complete with transportation options and nonprofits in the area.

We created mood boards to explore and eventually decide on a design direction, created a prototype script to focus on critical aspects of the application flow, and explored high-fidelity wireframes to nail down the user journey. We quickly iterated on the UI design elements in Figma, which allowed us to efficiently deliver the output in a shareable, clickable prototype.

With this being a stakeholder prototype, we had to be strategic by sorting out what functionalities and features would best show off the app. While we were efficient within our quick two-week sprint, we also took the time to revisit the original design direction of the high fidelity wireframes and felt compelled to iterate late in the process.

The ideas of transformation and growth inspired the aesthetic. A powerful and eye-catching orange, used for important notifications and information, contrasts the array of green colors. The metaphor of growth weaves throughout the interface, including patterns where various shapes build on each other to form a beautiful aesthetic.