Beta-Stage App concept for Creatives
TIMELINE
May 26th - July 18th, 2025
PLATFORM
User Interviews, Google Suite
MY ROLE
Product and Usability Researcher
What is Oasis?
Oasis is a beta-stage app concept envisioned as a modern, emotionally resonant space where creatives can express themselves, build community, and grow.
Creativity
Community
Collaboration
Objective:
Identify friction across primary user flows
Evaluate clarity of navigation and feature interactions
Deliver actionable recommendations to improve usability and engagement
My Role:
Led moderated usability testing sessions
Developed the research discussion guide
Synthesized qualitative insights into key themes
Collaborated with cross-functional team members to inform design decisions
Approach
Tap through the process below:
Step 1
Interviews
Task Testing
Observation
Synthesis
Gathered qualitative insights through moderated conversations with target users.
Findings
01
Navigation lacked clarity
Users approached the platform cautiously, often relying on trial-and-error to move between sections. Inconsistent navigation patterns and limited feedback reduced confidence during exploration.
02
Onboarding created friction
The registration flow introduced confusion through unexpected redirects and limited flexibility. Users wanted the ability to move at their own pace and revisit responses.
03
Project creation felt unclear
Users struggled to interpret toggles, controls, and multi-step actions. A lack of system feedback made it difficult to tell whether progress was being made.
04
Collaboration required more trust
Participants expressed hesitation around collaboration features due to unclear permissions, limited visibility into other users, and uncertainty around how interactions functioned.
05
AI chat emerged as a high-value feature
The AI tool was well received and frequently used to navigate the platform more efficiently. However, it often acted as a workaround for gaps in structure and discoverability.
Insights (Synthesis)
Users recognized the platform’s potential but encountered friction in key areas, particularly navigation and collaboration. At the same time, features supporting discovery and creative workflows generated strong interest.
Key needs included:
Clearer guidance throughout the experience
Greater transparency in collaborative interactions
A stronger balance between exploration and structured workflows
Recommendations
Navigation
Onboarding
Collaboration
Interface Clarity
Impact
This research directly informed improvements to the platform’s navigation, onboarding flow, and collaboration design.
Insights from the study helped prioritize clarity, trust, and usability as core principles for future iterations, guiding more intuitive and user-centered design decisions.
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This work is currently being finalized and reviewed under NDA.
Reflection
This project emphasized the importance of clarity within the user interface of early-stage products. Users tend to create their own workarounds when navigation and system feedback are unclear, often relying on unintended features to complete tasks.
Designing for collaboration inherently requires more functionality. It pushes users to desire interfaces that enhance trust, transparency, and a clear display of how interactions work.
Have questions or want to hear more about my contribution to this project? I’m happy to discuss additional details — within NDA compliance — in a one-on-one conversation.
© 2026. Mikaili Hackel. All rights reserved
Designer, photographer, artist, and entrepreneur.
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