Background
Imagine a world where finding WiFi is as easy as spotting coffee shops on a map, and sharing your WiFi actually earns you rewards! That's the vision behind Nomad Nodes. With 2.9 billion people lacking internet access, we set out to revolutionize connectivity with a team of 5 designers and an ambitious goal: make WiFi accessible to everyone.
The Mission 🎯
Transform a pre-product demo into a fully-fleshed investor-ready app
Create seamless experiences for both WiFi sharers and seekers
Design high-fidelity screens that bring this vision to life
The Journey 🚀
1. Discovery Phase: Detective Work 🔍
We kicked things off by playing detective:
Grilled the client (nicely!) about their goals and vision
Dove deep into the world of blockchain and WiFi sharing
Studied the competition (Eero, Helium, and Metablox) like we were preparing for finals
Key Insights:
Blockchain would be crucial for security and rewards (but that's phase 2!)
Users needed both simple router setup and easy WiFi discovery
Industry standards pointed to specific colors and practices
2. Ideation: Building the Blueprint 📝
We organized our mission into 5 key user stories:
Seamless sign-in/signup experience
WiFi discovery via map feature
Simple router/hotspot setup
Unlocking premium features
Easy settings management
3. Design: Where the Magic Happens ✨
Wireframes Evolution
Started with medium-fidelity wireframes:
Created a unified wireframing kit for consistency
Tackled login screens with skip options
Developed the WiFi map feature (Google Maps' cool cousin!)
UI Deep Dive
The WiFi map needed extra love:
Each team member created 2 iterations (10 total screens!)
Led a UX workshop to pick the top 3 designs
Added my secret sauce: provider cards
Client loved it so much, we threw in QR functionality
Style Guide Glow-Up
Took inspiration from the best:
Mixed blues, purples, and grays for depth
Created both light and dark modes
Made sure everything looked fresh and modern
4. Developer Handoff: Making It Real 🛠️
Created detailed design specs
Used Figma's Measure app for precise measurements
Documented everything from use cases to padding
The Plot Twist 🎭
The biggest challenge? Making a technical product feel approachable while maintaining its sophistication. We solved this by:
Using familiar map interfaces
Creating intuitive provider cards
Adding simple QR functionality
Lessons Learned 💡
Collaboration is key in unexplored territory
Adaptability beats perfectionism
Clear communication makes dreams reality
Sometimes the best features come from team iterations
What's Next? 🚀
The client now has a solid foundation to:
Wow potential investors
Build out the blockchain features
Take WiFi sharing to the next level
Remember that time you couldn't find WiFi when you really needed it? Yeah, we're working on making that a thing of the past! 😉
