An overview of some digital projects I’ve been working on, from concept to prototype.

AeroPress Website Redesign

This is part of an overall rebranding project for Aeropress Inc.*, producer of the eponymous portable coffee press which already has an enthusiastic following among baristas, roasters, coffee freaks and science & engineering geeks. The scope of this project also includes an overall identity re-design, new packaging, and tons of collateral including posters and a brewing manual.

The AeroPress combines the best aspects of other coffeemaking devices and allows a lot of modularity in how you brew with it. It’s also remarkable for the organic and self-organized fandom built up around it independent of the company. This includes a world-wide yearly championship, where baristas compete with their own recipes and brew methods; and a social media community effusive with fan art and design, including posters and infographics.

I determined that the visual brand should not compete with or over-take these fan offerings, but respect and embrace it. Thus the goal for the site design was to simplify the navigation, improve mobile responsiveness and offer a clean look that exemplified the press’s engineering pedigree.

5th Estate Mobile App

As I was nearing the end of my student career in 2016 I wanted to expand my design purview into the realm of mobile app design. To test myself on this I wanted to work on an application with true social utility, so contributing to civic awareness and engagement seemed perfectly appropriate.

The name 5th Estate is a takeoff on “4th estate”, the idea that the press is a fourth branch of government, using the spotlight and transparency to check the actions of the other three. If that’s true, then democracy demands a fifth branch, made up of the citizenry at large, be armed with information that is objective, accurate and digestible.

I was heavily influenced by the site GovTrack, which has compiled data on all aspects of the federal government, including legislation and voting records, and offers users tools to track government activity on their web browser. My goal was to distill that concept into a mobile app that would streamline the navigation and look good.