Time
200+ hours
Dec 2023 - May 2024
Roles
UI/UX Lead, Research, Prototype + Testing, Marketing & Social Media, Visual Design & Branding, Tech Support
Tools
Figma, Framer, Shopify, Adobe Suite, Zoom
Overview
What started as a conversation in December 2023 turned into a fully designed app by May 2024 — all built in collaboration with the founder of SIP Daniel Blevins, PointBreak Labs, and funded by community donors. Today, I proudly serve on Stand In Pride’s board of directors and believe deeply in its mission.
The app connects LGBTQ+ individuals with stand-in families for life events like weddings, graduations, or simply when support is needed or family is not willing to do it. We worked closely with the founder on the design and direction, helping bring the vision to life in just five months.
Stand In Pride's main challenge pre-launch:
Daniel managed 24 Facebook groups of over 100,000 members with limited control and countless hours spent manually approving posts and members across volunteer members. Stand In Pride was a newly formed non-profit with no initial funding for an app. Through community donations alone, we raised over $90k+ to develop this project. The result: a custom platform giving Stand In Pride full control, improved safety, and a smoother experience for everyone involved. Stand In Pride also has a full merch store, helping maintain overhead costs.
Stand In Pride today:
60,000+ app users and thriving, supportive community. We've recently added in a LGBTQ+ business directory and improved UI for accessibility. More updates soon!
Keep reading to learn more on my design process..
Research & Ideation Phase
I spent time understanding the audience, researching the community, the demographic, and how people were using (and struggling with) Facebook groups. The goal was to create something that felt safer, more accessible, and more aligned with their needs. Many members felt the posts of those seeking support often got lost in Facebook's algorithm and it was difficult to find support in regional groups, hoping to connect more locally.
Most of this came down to listening to Daniel's vision and get community feedback. We ran polls, held ongoing team calls, and worked to clearly define our intentions - who this app is for, what it should do, and how to make sure everyone feels welcome.
One of the earliest and biggest challenges that came up was privacy: how do we vet every single member? Finding the right solution here was key through safety feature research and ideation early on.
What I learned
Wireframing & Layout Phase
After building a strong foundation through research, I jumped into Figma to begin concepting the key features we had mapped out during our calls: Regional Feeds, Groups, University (our resource library), a Supporter Directory, and Profile.
I knew the app needed to feel intuitive for users who might be in a vulnerable moment, so everything had to feel familiar, safe, and easy to navigate. This is where the idea of local regional feeds came in, based on a user's location or zip code they would join a local feed. (with the option to change or update their location and feed at anytime)
Regional feed, Support Directory, & Profile
Designing with safety in mind was essential. I focused on building in privacy features that gave users full autonomy over their experience - including account visibility settings, options to hide or show profile information, ability to block and flag users/posts, and safety tips.
Messaging also needed thoughtful structure. We wanted to create space for real connection, but also ensure that users felt safe. Early on, we talked about how certain conversations could cross boundaries, so I designed a system of contextual safety tips that could be triggered by keywords. For example, if someone typed "money," a safety reminder would gently appear, noting that financial transactions aren’t allowed and linking to our community guidelines or support resources. These small touches became essential to helping people feel safe reaching out for emotional support and engaging with others.
Safety tips based on keywords
Throughout the process we jumped on countless calls to discuss the design progress, collecting feedback, and iterating to make sure we got the flow just right. Every screen was designed to ensure anyone could navigate the app with ease, and get the support they needed, quickly and safely.
Here are a few explorative initial screens for the app. (Hint: we went with V4:)
Prototyping Phase
Once the core features were mapped out and feedback came in, I built a working prototype to test how everything flowed together. The goal at this stage was to make sure the experience felt seamless and intential from start to finish and to test how the design would scale as new features and ideas came up.
One screen that went through several iterations was the Discover screen. I knew this section needed to do more than just show content: it had to grow with Stand In Pride’s future goals, like adding a business directory and offering better access to resources. Each version brought it closer to that vision, balancing clarity, structure, and the need for flexibility.
To keep things consistent, I used a component library for the entire prototype. This helped speed up changes, made collaboration smoother, and ensured everything felt like part of the same system. As the final designs came together, I kept refining the details: screen transitions, small accessibility improvements, and intuitive layouts that would feel familiar even to first-time users.
Once the prototype was finalized, the designs were handed off to the development team as a guide for the user interface and interactions. From there, my focus shifted to marketing and website design, since their existing site wasn’t generating much traction.
So many interactions :)
Website & Marketing Phase
As a newly formed non-profit, Stand In Pride needed a fully functioning website that not only represented their values, but was easy to naviagte with a clear mission. This included creating a solid social media precense to reach their audience and spread their mission. Initially, we started with a 1-page landing website, to share more about the app and raise funds. As Stand In pride grew, their website needed to as well.
We focused on clear messaging, simple navigation, and accessibility. The goal was to make it easy for visitors to understand the mission, learn how to get involved, and donate. We prioritized clean layouts, bold visuals, and clear calls to action to guide users smoothly through the site.
The result: a full 10-page responsive website that accurately represents Stand In Pride as a growing non-profit.
Check it out and donate here.
To further boost the app and continue to raise funding for Stand In Pride, we helped kickstart their Instagram presence and create a custom 2024 Pride T-shirt design. Reaching the right audience on all platforms was essential in spreading the word.
Custom Pride 2024 Stand In Pride T-Shirts! These were so fun to make.
Instagram presence and app marketing graphics.
Launch
Stand In Pride launched June 2024 in the App Store and Google Play. With the launch of the app, came the closure of all Stand In Pride facebook groups, moving fully over to their new platform. With a customizable portal the Stand In Pride had full control of approving community created groups, and managing members.
The app now has over 60,000+ members and is growing everyday! In one of the latest app updates we've added in a LGBTQ+ and affirming business directory, making it easier to find local business near you, as well as constant improvements and updates to the UI/Backend.
Created with Daniel Blevins and PointBreak Labs.
App Store Screenshots
Ongoing Support
I work closely with Stand In Pride to keep the app designs fresh, compliant, and focused on improving user experience based on ongoing feedback. One of our biggest recent updates was redesigning the Groups feature to make it more engaging and easier to navigate. We also added an LGBTQ+ business directory, providing a valuable funding resource that aligns perfectly with SIP’s mission of creating safe spaces and fostering community support. This directory not only helps users find trusted local businesses but also supports the app’s sustainability since it’s completely free to use. Continual updates like these ensure the app grows alongside the community’s needs and remains a trusted, inclusive platform.
