SquadUp Case Study

Web Design, AI Tools Research

2025

Lead Designer and Developer

Overview

Problem Statement

Design a dynamic business and management platform, SquadUp, to streamline organizing sports and social activities.

Goals

  • Centralize scheduling, communication, and team management to make group activities effortless for organizers and participants.

  • Eliminate back-and-forth planning by centralizing scheduling, RSVPs, and team formation.

  • Encourage participation through simple UX and clear communication.

Process

Conducted a survey of 50 participants to identify key pain points. Ideated and sketched core flows, then created low- and high-fidelity wireframes in Figma. The design and brand identity were iteratively developed, culminating in a prototype showcasing features like login/signup, search, smart calendar, and real-time team messaging.

Solution

SquadUp successfully provides a lightweight and intuitive tool that eliminates the back-and-forth typical of planning group activities. The final, feature-rich prototype, which included real-time functionality and a clean UI, demonstrated a solution that turns casual plans into well-run experiences.

Tools Used

Research

User Personas

Survey

  • Conducted a survey of 50 participants to gather insights on social and sports activity planning behaviors.

  • Analyzed responses and synthesized common trends to inform design decisions and prioritize core features.

Key Findings

  • Group chats get cluttered when planning activities.

  • Scheduling across people’s calendars is frustrating.

  • Last-minute changes (weather, cancellations) make coordination harder.

Process

Ideation

  • Brainstormed pain points from personal experience with casual sports meetups.

  • Sketched core flows: event creation, inviting friends, RSVP tracking.

Wireframing

  • Created low-fidelity wireframes in Figma to map user flows (ex: event setup → notifications → confirmations).

Prototyping

  • Built high-fidelity screens in Figma, focusing on a clean, modern UI that felt welcoming and social.

  • Iterated on event cards, RSVP screens, and group dashboards.

Branding and Design System

  • Developed a custom design system, and color palette.

  • Created a logo that feels fun and exciting to new users.

Result

After the long process of working through the design I was able to develop a final system that captured the primary goal I set out to achieve, a platform focused on bringing people together.

Figma Make-a-thon

I later expanded SquadUp during the Figma Make-a-thon, a global design challenge that brought together creators to push the boundaries of product design in a limited timeframe.

Working as a solo designer and developer, I took the project from concept to high-fidelity prototype within the competition window (without using any of my prior mockups except for reference).

During the Make-a-thon I:

  • Submitted a post about my prototype within the deadline on Contra.

  • Applied rapid design thinking, moving from research and synthesis to wireframing, prototyping, and branding in just a few days.

  • Showcased the project to peers and judges.

  • Gained experience designing under real constraints, balancing creativity with speed and scope.

This experience highlighted my ability to ideate, execute, and deliver polished work quickly, while maintaining a user-centered approach.

In under 220 Prompts, I was able to create a near full application with the following functionality:

  • Login/signup with Supabase

  • Full search functionality for teams and activities

  • Dashboard to manage squads and events

  • Smart calendar for scheduling

  • Real-time team messaging

  • Squad pages with RSVP capabilities

This tool allowed me to do the work of 5 for a month in under a week.