Hlomo Project
Full Brand and Product Design
(2020-2023)
Community app to bring neighbours together in an emergency and to build unity and cohesion
The journey of the Hlomo Project started right after I finished college, fueled by a passion to create something meaningful. From the very inception of the idea to its triumphant launch, I embarked on an exhilarating adventure that shaped not just the project, but also me as a creative soul.
Assembling a team of remarkable professionals became the cornerstone of this endeavor. Alongside brilliant full-stack developers, visionary marketing directors, and insightful product owners. Their mentorship and expertise proved to be invaluable on my learning journey.
Bringing the concept to life wasn’t just a task—it was a symphony of creativity and innovation. From nurturing the brand’s identity to molding prototypes and refining concepts, I was there at every step, weaving the threads of my imagination into tangible reality. This was a journey that saw me leading a dedicated squad of volunteers and managing a team of five, orchestrating tasks, conducting research, compiling data, and more.
While the Hlomo App stands on the threshold of funding, it serves a greater purpose. It’s a canvas where I can grow and explore my skills as a product manager and designer. Shoulder to shoulder with a team of researchers, we meticulously crafted a user experience that transformed emergency assistance into a seamless process. This taught me the art of collecting precious insights that guide the creation of user-centric designs, designs that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but deeply resonant.
The project allowed me to kindle positive change within communities while constantly pushing the boundaries of my design prowess. I used many different resources throughout the process, with Figma taking the lead for crafting the core designs, even giving life to high-fidelity design marvels.
In the end, the Hlomo Project isn’t just about an app—it’s a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the unceasing drive to make the world a better place through design.
Hlomo Branding and Logo
Crafting the logo for the project was an endeavor in simplicity and recognition. A design that resonates with ease and universality. The colors, vibrant and harmonious, were carefully chosen to create a visual synergy that’s as pleasant as it is functional.
The logo itself carries a story of interconnectedness. It’s an assembly of circles, each one signifying a facet of relationships that shape our lives. The central solid circle, yellow, represents you—the individual. The rings around symbolize your family, friends, and the broader community that surrounds and supports you. They embody the people who form the vital circles of our lives.
At the heart of our app lies the notion of connection—connecting with those closest to you to foster a network of support, especially during emergencies. The logo is a reflection of this ethos. It mirrors the essence of our purpose—to weave circles of connections that intertwine in times of need.
The choice of typography wasn’t just arbitrary—it was a conscious decision. The text is clean and bold, catering to a diverse audience that spans generations, backgrounds, and languages. Our goal was inclusivity; we envisioned an app that welcomes everyone with clarity, regardless of their familiarity with technology or language.
The color palette we embraced serves more than just aesthetics. Bright hues, carefully curated, bring vibrancy that extends beyond visuals. They serve as navigational tools, color-coding the application to facilitate intuitive navigation. This choice embodies our commitment to making the app as accessible and user-friendly as possible.
In essence, every element of our branding and design is purposeful—a reflection of our values, a tool to foster connections, and a conduit to make assistance accessible when it’s needed most.
Prototype On Figma
The entire app design was driven by three core principles: simplicity, accessibility, and optimized data usage. Delving into the realm of building data-efficient applications, I conducted extensive research. This exploration helped shape a design strategy that could cater to a wide array of devices without compromising on usability.
The app’s user interface is a testament to this approach. It’s stripped down to the essentials, ensuring that every interaction is intuitive and swift. My goal was to ensure that users could initiate an emergency chat with an accompanying notification in a matter of seconds—five to be exact. This urgency informed the design, resulting in a clean and straightforward interface.
The app’s effectiveness hinges on its chat rooms—a feature that underwent meticulous crafting. These rooms are optimized to minimize the number of messages required to convey critical information during an emergency. To further enhance assistance, real-time location updates keep everyone in the loop, streamlining coordination within your circle of contacts.
Respecting privacy was of paramount importance. Hence, the app solely relies on your phone number for login, eschewing the need to store extensive personal data. This approach aligns perfectly with evolving privacy regulations and keeps the user’s information secure.
Beyond its core emergency functionality, the app boasts versatility. Its potential stretches across various scenarios—be it for coordinating babysitting duties, managing store teams, or even organizing gardening groups. It’s designed to cater to users of diverse ages, ensuring it’s both contemporary and cutting-edge in its appearance and functionality.
In a world where streamlined communication can make a tangible difference, the app stands as a testament to effective user interface and user experience design. It’s a tool built not just for emergencies, but for fostering connections and simplifying collaboration in a host of scenarios.