The First Mobile-First Market-Research App

COMPANY

UBMobile (Startup)

ROLE

Creative Lead

PLATFORM

iOS & Android

OUTCOME

Acquired

The Challenge

“We needed to meet people where they were—on their phones—and make participating in surveys actually enjoyable.”

The Goal

Traditional market research methods were failing to reach African-American and Latino audiences effectively. Paper surveys and desktop-based platforms weren't connecting with these communities where they actually spent their time—on their mobile phones.

Brands needed authentic insights from these underrepresented demographics to make better marketing decisions, but conventional research tools created barriers to participation. Low engagement meant incomplete data, which meant missed opportunities for both researchers and the communities they wanted to understand.

Create the first mobile-first market research app, LifeTap, to reach African-American and Latino audiences. LifeTap engages consumers to participate in surveys and enables brands to make better marketing decisions.

My Role: Creative Lead on the Founding Team

As creative lead, I was responsible for the complete design vision—from initial concept through product launch. I owned the user experience, visual design, branding, and creative direction across all touchpoints while collaborating closely with co-founders and managing offshore development teams.

Product Design & UX

  • Collaborated with co-founders to concept the app

  • Designed the user journey and UX/UI of the app

  • Used gamification in individual survey questions to engage users

  • Better engagement resulted in better completion rates and better data

  • Designed the company's website, ubmobile.com

  • Designed the UBMobile survey platform

Creative Direction & Management

  • Managed two offshore developer teams

  • Led all steps of branding and design

  • Created investor decks and pitch materials

  • Directed campaigns and collaborations

  • Led video and photo art direction

  • Maintained creative across web, email, social media, and advertising

The Solution: Gamified Mobile Experience

I designed LifeTap as an engaging, game-like experience that transformed market research from a boring obligation into something people actually wanted to do. The app combined colorful, intuitive design with interactive survey mechanics that made every question feel more like play than work.

01

Gamified Surveys

Interactive question formats with sliders, taps, and swipes that made surveys feel like a mobile game. Each interaction was designed to be satisfying and fun.Fun and easy project questionnaire where customers provide details about their room, design needs, budget, and inspiration.

02

Engage, Survey, Reward

A three-step journey that clearly communicated value to users. Participants knew exactly what to expect and what they'd receive for their time.

03

Mobile-First Design

Built specifically for smartphone usage patterns with thumb-friendly interactions, quick sessions, and designs optimized for small screens

04

Vibrant Visual Identity

Bold colors and playful graphics that stood out in a typically sterile research industry. The design reflected the energy of our target communities.

The LifeTap Experience

From the moment users opened the app, they encountered a vibrant, welcoming experience designed to make participation easy and enjoyable.

Multi-Platform Presence

Beyond the mobile app, I designed the complete brand ecosystem including the website, marketing materials, and advertising campaigns to support user acquisition and brand partnerships.

Impact & Results

700%

Increase in survey completion rates

$

Sold to a global market research firm

1st

Mobile-first market research platform

What Made It Work

01

Gamification as Problem-Solver

By making survey questions interactive and engaging, we didn't just improve the user experience—we fundamentally solved the completion rate problem that plagued traditional market research. Better engagement led to better completion rates, which led to better data quality for brands.

02

Understanding the Audience

The key insight was recognizing that African-American and Latino audiences were mobile-first consumers. Traditional desktop surveys weren't just inconvenient—they were completely misaligned with how these communities actually used technology. Meeting them on mobile was essential.

03

Design as Business Strategy

The vibrant, playful design wasn't just aesthetic—it was strategic. In an industry dominated by boring forms and sterile interfaces, our bold visual identity became a competitive advantage that attracted both users and brand partners.

04

Managing Distributed Teams

Successfully coordinating two offshore development teams required crystal-clear design specifications, consistent communication, and the ability to articulate design vision across language and cultural barriers. This experience taught me how to lead creative projects with distributed teams.

From Startup to Acquisition

The success of LifeTap validated our hypothesis: mobile-first design combined with gamification could transform participation in market research. The 700% increase in survey completion rates proved that thoughtful UX design directly impacts business metrics.

Within a few years, UBMOBILE was acquired by a global market research firm, bringing our mobile-first approach to an established industry player. The acquisition demonstrated that our innovation wasn't just creative—it was commercially valuable and solved a real market need.

“We proved that mobile-first design and gamification could transform an entire industry’s approach to engaging consumers.”