Design Community Innovation Project

Project Overview

In late 2023, I identified an opportunity to transform downtime into strategic value at Immersion Group. After successfully prototyping with FlutterFlow on client projects, I proposed a self-initiated innovation project that would upskill our team, create a case study, and potentially develop a viable product. The result was a mobile app for the South African design community, built from concept to tested MVP over the course of 2024.

The Challenge

Limited Local Design Resources South Africa lacked a unified design community platform where designers could connect, learn standardized methodologies, and access quality resources tailored to the local context.

Underutilized Downtime As a consulting house, designers spent time “on the bench” between projects. This downtime represented untapped potential for growth and innovation.

Rapid Tool Evolution New tools like FlutterFlow and AI were emerging fast. Our team needed hands-on experience with these technologies to stay competitive and offer clients innovative solutions.

Skill Development Gaps Team members were often exposed to narrow aspects of projects. Junior and mid-level designers needed broader experience across the full product development lifecycle.

Role & Responsibilities

I conceptualized and pitched the project to management, then led end-to-end execution as project lead. I built the functional MVP using FlutterFlow, Supabase, Buildship, and OpenAI API while managing a cross-functional team of six to seven designers and researchers. Working alongside a Scrum Master, I designed a rapid methodology adapted from Google Design Sprint, coordinated team ceremonies and ideation sessions, and conducted user testing to synthesize insights. Throughout the project, I coordinated with management stakeholders on business strategy.

Process & Approach

Strategic Foundation

I presented management with a multi-objective value proposition: upskill staff during downtime, create a client case study showcasing rapid prototyping capabilities, and potentially develop a revenue-generating product. After receiving approval in early 2024, I assembled a team including a Scrum Master, UI designer, lead researcher, junior UI designer, and two UX designers.

The app concept emerged from discussions with leadership: a mobile community platform for South African designers where Immersion Group could establish thought leadership and design standards. The vision included educational content, networking features, and eventually course materials centered around design thinking methodology.

Adaptive Rapid Methodology

We developed our own framework by adapting established processes to our context. The Google Design Sprint was condensed from five days to three. When team members got pulled onto client work, we paused and resumed rather than forcing continuity. This flexibility proved essential for a self-initiated project in a consulting environment.

Research was distributed strategically. We split the team based on strengths: one person handled competitor analysis, another focused on user interviews, others tackled information architecture. Everyone contributed to ideation sessions, then we delegated specific design and development tasks. I regularly assessed skill gaps and assigned work that would stretch team members into new areas.

Building and Testing

I built the MVP using FlutterFlow for the frontend, Supabase for backend and authentication, and Buildship for integrating the OpenAI API. The AI chatbot was trained on Immersion’s design methodology to provide contextual guidance to users. The app included an onboarding assessment where designers self-evaluated skills to identify gaps, a matching system to connect designers with complementary skills, a social feed for sharing design work, chat functionality for designer-to-designer communication, and an AI assistant trained on design thinking methodology.

We tested with approximately 10 users and discovered an important insight: junior designers found significant value in the skill assessment and community features, but senior designers were less engaged. This led us to pivot and add a mentorship feature specifically designed for senior designers to contribute their expertise.

Throughout the project, I maintained regular check-ins with the team to ensure everyone felt heard and involved. We ran it like a proper client engagement, complete with playbacks, retros and stakeholder reviews with management.

Results & Impact

Team Upskilling Six to seven team members gained hands-on experience across the full product lifecycle, from research and ideation through prototyping and user testing. Designers worked on aspects of UX and UI they hadn’t touched in client projects.

New Business Proposition Established a rapid prototyping capability that opened new client conversations. The project demonstrated Immersion Group could move from concept to functional prototype quickly, enabling stakeholders to validate ideas before committing to full development.

Tested MVP Delivered a functional mobile app prototype with authentication, database, AI integration, and core social features. User testing with 10 designers validated the concept and informed strategic pivots.

Methodology Development Created a flexible rapid innovation framework adapted from design sprints that could be applied to future projects. Proved that self-initiated innovation could run successfully alongside client work.

Technical Implementation

Key Learnings

• Distributed research accelerates discovery without sacrificing quality.
• Flexibility in process is essential when team members split time between initiatives.
• Targeted skill gap assignments maximize learning opportunities.
• User testing reveals unexpected segmentation, like the different needs we discovered between junior and senior designers.
• AI integration requires thoughtful training on specific methodologies.
• Self-initiated projects build team capabilities that translate to client value.
• Regular check-ins and psychological safety drive better outcomes.
• Building while designing provides invaluable technical context for future design decisions.