Designflows
Contest - UI Design - 2021
The exhilirating mobile-ui design contest
Designflows is a prestigious mobile UI design competition organized by Bending Spoons. The 2021 edition attracted over 5,000 participants from across Europe, culminating in a grand finale where the 40 finalists were invited to the Bending Spoons HQ for the award ceremony.
Thrilled to share that I was among the select group of finalists! The entire experience was truly inspiring.
The goal and the brief
The design brief presented a unique concept: catering to a growing trend of shared resources and compact living spaces. As mobility companies demonstrate, ownership is shifting towards access. In this context, the need for a service that facilitates DIY activities without the burden of expensive, rarely used tools becomes increasingly relevant.
The contest challenged participants to design three core screens for a DIY rental app, along with an icon and an optional animation – all within a tight two-day timeframe.
Evoking the DIY Spirit
The challenge was to capture the essence of DIY – the joy of creation and the satisfaction of learning new skills. I pondered on the types of hands-on activities we often experience as children, the foundation for many DIY endeavors.
During the design phase, I was captivated by the collage aesthetic used in the opening sequences of the TV series "Kidding." This sparked a design intuition – to create a set of illustrations that embodied the collage style. I envisioned shapes roughly cut with scissors, rendered in colors reminiscent of construction paper.
THE BOARDS
Conclusion
The entire experience was truly exceptional. Bending Spoons' outstanding organization included a pre-ceremony gathering in Milan for all finalists. This served as a fantastic icebreaker, allowing us to connect, share our contest experiences, and alleviate any pre-event jitters.
Following the isolation of the pandemic, the competition felt like a vibrant gathering, a campfire where passionate designers could connect and share their love for the craft.
