This is the first UX project I worked on outside the academic space, closer to a real industry workflow. I learned a lot of human-centered research methods here: scoping trends from wide to specific, affinity clustering, writing a proper discussion guide, forming better design systems and presenting and iterating on design ideas with a real client and mentor.

Miro Board

Here’s the link to my own documentation of the process, showing the reflections I made from week 1 to the last.

Key highlights are the collaboration with my mentor, Kate Gavin. Her feedback pushed me to pivot TRACE from a physical packaging concept to a digital-first solution, quite late in the process. It was frustrating at the time, but it taught me that a good idea still needs to be usable, and storytelling can’t come at the cost of clarity.

The pivot also meant I had to move fast, which caused some scope creep. Features like the community hub ended up cut because they added noise instead of trust. That was a good lesson in knowing what to leave out, not just what to add.

On the practical side, my Figma skills grew a lot. Variables, auto-layout, and grids that used to slow me down now feel second nature. Prototyping felt efficient instead of a struggle.

The biggest growth wasn’t the tool, though. It was confidence. I started this project feeling insecure working in a group setting. By the end, I was communicating ideas clearly and pushing back when needed. That shift matters more to me than any single feature I shipped.