My Role: Lead Product Designer

I led the complete product design for OnlyOnce. From user research and strategy to high-fidelity UI for the web app. I also designed and implemented two landing pages (customer + influencer) in Webflow, which will be showcased in a separate post.

Team: Carol (that's me!) — Lead Product Designer Ross — Founder & Product Vision Nicholas — Backend Developer Sofia — Visual Design & Brand Identity

Timeline: 5 months (May - October 2025) Platform: Mobile-first PWA (Progressive Web App + Webflow)

(Once I convince them to enter Contra I will edit this to be a contribution work 😂)

Parents want to preserve fleeting moments with their kids. But nothing sticks.

They've tried scrapbooks (too time-consuming), email threads (forgotten), photo dumps (never revisited). Existing tools demand too much or feel too public.

"I take hundreds of photos but never look at them again." — Michelle, mother of 5

The real challenge: Not lack of desire. Lack of a solution that fits real life.

Competitive analysis (1Second Everyday, Qeepsake, Tinybeans) + Reddit deep-dive

Storyboard concept testing to showcase during interviews (with my partner's help)

6 in-depth interviews (mothers, kids 0-12, US + Brazil)

Affinity mapping → How Might We questions → Feature prioritization

6/6: Voice > photos for emotional connection

6/6: Weekly sustainable, daily overwhelming

6/6: SMS reminders critical for habits

100%: Preferred photo+voice combo (validated via storyboard testing)

~I got to say: this one was though😮‍💨~

I designed and iterated the complete user journey 4 times, each version responding to feedback and rethinking the core experience:

V1 (June): Traditional app model User signs up → Receives SMS prompt → Opens app → Creates memory ❌ Problem: Too many steps before experiencing value ❌ Friction: Payment timing unclear, onboarding felt heavy

V2 (July): Experience-first approach Create first memory → Then signup → Paywall after value demonstration ✅ Breakthrough: Users feel emotional connection before commitment ✅ Added: 48-hour grace period, mandatory notifications

V3 (August): Contributor model pivot Rethought entire collaboration flow based on technical constraints ✅ Major change: Share individual memories (not vault collaboration) ✅ New pattern: Contributors leave voice responses on specific shared memories ✅ Threading system: Multiple people can respond to one memory, creating family dialogue

V4 (September - Final): Mobile-first optimization Refined all three core flows: Main, Contributor, Influencer ✅ Platform decision: Memory capture mobile-only (QR bridge for desktop) ✅ Smart features: Existing user detection, optimized push notifications ✅ Polish: Contributions page with expandable threads, cross-device vault browsing

Collaborated with Sofia through 3 color iterations:

V1: Lavender → Too feminine/"baby girl" V2: Exploration phase → Neutral alternatives tested V3: Earthy, warm tones ✅

Colors: Navy-900, Amber-700, Linen-200 (warm, timeless, gender-neutral)

Type: Playfair Display + Figtree (selected by Sofia)

Icons: Phosphor Icons + custom illustrations by Sofia

Why it works: Feels like opening an old photo album. Warm, nostalgic, sacred.

Sofia's impact: Beyond colors, she created custom illustrations for emotional moments and guided the overall art direction. Her clarity on visual storytelling transformed the project from "nice" to "meaningful."

60+ screens covering every state, edge case, and user flow across mobile and desktop.

I translated all wireframes into high-fidelity UI, collaborating with Sofia on key visual elements for specific screens (Vault layout, Contributions page structure). The final design balances modern aesthetics with nostalgic warmth.

Current status: The web app is in beta testing with friends and family. Once it's live, I'll update this case study with the link. In the meantime, you can explore the complete high-fidelity designs here

Instead of a clickable prototype, I created a comprehensive handoff system optimized for implementation clarity.

📌 Post-it System — Color-coded annotations explaining:

General observations and flow logic (yellow)

Animation instructions and timing specs (green)

Combined notes with interaction details (pink)

🎨 Figma Organization:

Design tokens & variables for colors, spacing, typography

Component variants with clear usage guidelines

Detailed animation specs (duration, easing, trigger points)

Edge case documentation for every user flow

⚙️ Technical Foundation:

Semantic tokens for scalable implementation

Reusable components with defined states

Variables for easy theme updates

Interaction patterns documented with rationale

Why this approach? Clickable prototypes show "what" but not "why" or "how." My system gave Nicholas everything needed to build with context and intention. No guesswork, no back-and-forth. And of course, we always stay in touch and collaborate on the process.

16+ weekly syncs documented in Confluence (structured templates)

Cross-functional validation with Nicholas on technical feasibility

Visual partnership with Sofia on brand identity

Decision tracking for every major choice with rationale