Industry
AI / Big Data (stratup)
Client Overview
Sonder AI is a personal assistant and connectivity platform, currently an early stage startup.
[ son-der ] noun - “the feeling one has on realizing that every other individual one sees has a life as full and real as one’s own, in which they are the central character and others, including oneself, have secondary or insignificant roles.” ~ sonder - /ˈzɔndɐ/ - special
Project Type
UI / Application Design / startup's MVP
Project goal
Develop a pitch deck, early wireframes, and a prototype for Sonder AI startup, along with creating a logo and visual identity. The goal was to visually convey the concept of a complex big data/AI application to potential investors and venture capitalists (VCs).
Scope: This project required rapid development to enable immediate understanding of the application’s capabilities. The deliverables were designed to serve as a visual aid for pitching the idea and to function as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for initial user testing with potential adjustments in the future.
Key Deliverables:
~ Logo and Visual Identity: Designed to establish a recognizable and professional brand image for Sonder AI.
~ Pitch Deck: Created to communicate the business value and potential of the application to investors.
~ Wireframes and Prototype: Developed to illustrate the user interface and flow of the application, helping to simplify the presentation of complex functionalities.
logo and visual identity
After discussions with the founders, the goal was to create a classic visual identity infused with a futuristic, AI-driven aesthetic. They emphasized incorporating elements related to advanced technology and desired a gamified aspect, including a personalized avatar acting as a virtual assistant.
Homepage avatar
Profile photo avatar
Backdrop element
Two main colors + shades
Color gradients
Sonder AI logo / white background
Sonder AI logo / black background
Pitch Deck
The pitch deck was designed in alignment with the established visual identity and was created using InDesign before being transferred to Google Slides, which allows the founders to easily update and customize the content over time as needed. For privacy reasons, only a few selected slides from the pitch deck are shown below.
Introduction slide
Sonder AI innovations
Problems to address
About the 'platform for community'
About the 'personal assistent'
Wireframes and prototype
This was the fastest-paced project I have undertaken. The objective was to quickly realize the founders' vision, which originated from a single spreadsheet, in preparation for an unexpected pitch opportunity. The application comprised four key components:
1. Homepage / User Profile
2. Calendar / Personal Planner
3. Sonder AI Chat
4. Community (Social Media aspect)
The aim was to transform these ideas into a functional prototype with maximum efficiency.
Application flow
These initial designs were not aligned with the final visual identity (yet to be designed), as their primary focus was to test usability, logic, and showcase the concept. The priority was on functionality rather than polished design, as the application was presented internally to stakeholders and for early feedback. Given the expedited timeline and the broad feature set, we adopted familiar design paradigms from well-known applications, such as the iOS Calendar for the Sonder AI calendar, a blend of iMessages and WhatsApp for the Sonder AI chat, and the Snapchat map for the Sonder AI community.
1. Homepage / User Profile
Homepage / profile page
Profile settings
Whole app walkthrough
2. Calendar / personal planner
Year view
Day view
Event view
3. Sonder AI chat
AI chat
Uploaded media overview
Uploaded links overview
Uploaded documents overview
4. Community (Social Media aspect)
Online map of friends
Chat with friends
LOOKBACK
Working on the Sonder AI project was a valuable experience in rapid prototyping, despite the tight timeline, I delivered a functional prototype that effectively communicated the concept to stakeholders. I learned the importance of prioritizing usability over visual polish when speed is essential and the need for adaptability to different business models, particularly in a startup environment. Moving forward, I am excited to incorporate more user testing to refine the application based on real user feedback.
