Briefdeck is a mobile-first design brief generator made for Gen Z design students. It helps them discover, save, and complete portfolio-worthy projects directly from their phones. I designed the app from concept to prototype, focusing on UX strategy, wireframing, and mobile interface design.

Most design brief platforms are desktop-based and don’t fit the way students work today. Since 95% of Gen Z owns a smartphone and spends several hours a day on mobile, a mobile-first experience made more sense. I wanted to design something that matched their habits: simple, intuitive, and ready to use anytime inspiration strikes.

I started by surveying design students in Vancouver to understand their routines and challenges. The insights were clear:

Current brief generators feel clunky on mobile.

Students save ideas but rarely revisit them without reminders or quick access.

They need tools that fit into short bursts of free time.

Once they start a brief, staying focused is hard without structure.

From these findings, I designed Briefdeck around three ideas: discovery, focus, and follow-through. The app lets users swipe through creative prompts, save the ones they like, and start working with a built-in focus timer.

I began with sketches to explore layouts and interactions. A swipe-card motion felt more playful and natural than a scrolling list, so I built the prototype around that. Moving into high-fidelity screens helped me test how the visual style, type, and spacing supported usability. Each screen was designed for clarity, large tap areas, and a calm interface that minimized distraction.

In early tests with five design students, four said the swipe feature made it easier to find prompts they would actually finish. This confirmed the value of designing around small, achievable actions instead of complex task flows.

Briefdeck combines discovery and productivity in one mobile app. Users can browse project prompts, save their favorites, and start timed sessions to build creative discipline. The interface is light, friendly, and accessible, reflecting the balance of structure and warmth I aim for in every design.

While designed for students, the idea can also extend to creative services and design bootcamps where collaboration helps more communities stay inspired. The prototype showcases key flows like onboarding, saving prompts, and using the Pomodoro-style timer. Although some interactions, like the animated timer, are still in progress, the app already delivers a seamless experience that supports students in staying consistent with their creative practice.

Briefdeck began as a personal project to strengthen my UX process. Turning classroom theory into a working prototype helped me make design decisions faster and set more realistic scopes.

Focusing on the main interactions first made the app simpler and easier to use. Early testing with design students showed that the swipe feature helped them start and finish more creative briefs.

I also learned how to use prototyping tools more effectively and how AI can support my workflow. It has helped me work faster, explore more ideas, and design with greater intention.