Type of work: UI/UX
Year: 2020
Can’t Stop DYT is a volunteer initiative organized by members of the Dayton tech community. They create digital products that help local communities in times of need.
In 2020 their response to the Covid-19 pandemic was strong and quick. I jumped into the group’s Slack channel to help with branding and design.
Problem Framing
The first days of the pandemic forced every business to pivot their day-to-day operations. Local restaurants with limited resources found it particularly difficult to stay open. We needed a way to collect information about how each local restaurant was adapting and present it to the community in a single resource.
Process
I worked closely with developers who launched a minimum viable product, skipping the design process. I came on board with some initial suggestions for improvement to the user experience and ultimately designed a new interface using Figma.
The interface utilized design patterns most people are familiar with. Providing easy navigation and filtering allowed the user to determine what information was urgent for them to get their next meal.
Result
Businesses in Dayton were able to communicate their new hours, limited menus, and alternate delivery methods to their customers. The community of restaurants also gleaned what was working for other restaurants through the app, allowing them to remain open and available to the city.
This project was abandoned once major search engines and social platforms caught up to provide essential information at expected locations.
