FRND

As Generation Z becomes more resistant to ads and relies primarily on other people’s opinions, the FRND app is a perfect fit for that setting. Its content contributors are encouraged to record honest reviews by a system of awards and levels. It means that most reliable reviewers can proceed in ranks, becoming a step closer to their viewers, generating more trust within them. And the most credible authors can attach the link to the reviewed product and earn commissions based on sales.

Ester, an eCommerce web design company, helped the FRND team unleash the potential of their project by creating an excellent shopping platform, enhancing it with robust functionality and impressive visuals.

Initially, the client came to us with raw interface materials and branding, which meant great work in carrying those ideas on yet implementing new solutions to fit the requirements. Since the FRND startup was aimed to appeal to the Generation Z public, the client wanted an experimental, but at the same time, user-friendly interface. And after thorough user research, we decided to change the initially set directions in order to address the target audience and meet their needs. 

As for the functionality, the app needed to get the elements of e-commerce gamification to encourage users not only to consume the content but produce it and participate in reviewing processes. 

To leverage the product opinions and boost credibility, it was necessary to employ video social networking and enable live streaming for real-time shopping. We believe that the power of video content lies in its transparency and storytelling features that can help whatever business to generate trust. Thus, the Ester team needed to complement the app with a prolific video feed functionality with a simple video editor so reviewers could easily manage the content creation.

We all know how important it is for a startup to make a statement and attract investors’ attention to get finances. With that in mind, we wanted to design impressive pitch decks to help the client draw investors and shareholders in. What is more, we needed to launch a captivating teaser site. A beautiful one-page promo site would contribute to lead capture, generating a weight list before the final release.

When starting the project, we established fast and rich communication with the client. Although there were some unplanned inputs during the project, the Ester team effectively prioritized all processes, which resulted in consistent and efficient workflow, advancing qualified results.

Given that the app needed to be functionally strong, we started with user flows to ensure the app would serve its purpose without any obstacles on the way. We mapped the path taken by an average FRND user, which allowed us to pinpoint key functional areas. Then, our professional designers created wireframes, allowing the client to see the basic UI elements and the structure of the future app. After everything was approved, we launched a prototyping stage.

Since the client wanted an experimental branding concept and interface design to make the shopping experience exceptional and fun, we worked out solutions based on that. Dark theme with contrastive neon colors would catch the attention immediately and glue users to the screens, while ultra-wide fonts would be readable and simple yet accentuate the stylish character of a platform.

Since the client wanted an experimental branding concept and interface design to make the shopping experience exceptional and fun, we worked out solutions based on that. Dark theme with contrastive neon colors would catch the attention immediately and glue users to the screens, while ultra-wide fonts would be readable and simple yet accentuate the stylish character of a platform. 

The Ester team also designed several animation elements to contribute to the interactivity of the FRND app and add to its gamification. After the interface was approved by the client, the designs were handed to the FRND developers. Finally, the product was tested in TestFlight to ensure everything worked well.

Besides, during the interface design stage, we created exciting pitch decks with a thorough description of the target audience, complete market analysis, and application capabilities, showcasing the problems the app would solve. That was a perfect way to draw investors into the project before the FRND app release. We didn’t stop there and launched lead capture to announce the app release. For that reason, we created a zero coding site with captivating images and a bright color palette to encourage viewers to stay tuned until the product goes live.

The FRND app was launched in the Canada AppStore in a test mode, and our brilliant pitch deck helped the client get funding from investors. Thus, we managed to create an outstanding product to meet the needs of Generation Z and, even more – perfectly fit the rapidly developing video content niche.