In 2018, long before hybrid work became the norm, I helped turn my hometown of New York City into more than just the location of our annual team outing—it became a curated, digital-first experience. Alongside two other designers, I developed a mobile app to serve as a dynamic companion for our three-day event, blending real-time utility with local insights only a true New Yorker could provide.

The app housed everything from schedules and maps to cultural tips and emergency info. Using Adobe XD, still a rising tool at the time, we built a sleek, intuitive prototype that team members found invaluable. Gone were the paper itineraries—this was interactive, user-focused design on the move.

This project didn’t just guide a team through a city; it signaled a shift in my design path. It sparked a deeper passion for interactive experiences and showed how digital tools could enhance human connection, even in the middle of Manhattan’s beautiful chaos.

Looking back, that app was more than a utility. It was a quiet declaration of where I wanted to go next in my design journey—building thoughtful, real-time experiences in the places that matter most.