Aperture is an AI-powered web application that empowers companies to identify and capitalize on new market and innovation opportunities. By extracting and analyzing information from millions of documents, including research papers, news articles, and patent filings, Aperture uncovers and groups common problems and unmet needs across the marketplace, providing valuable insights for product development, market entry, and strategic planning.
When I joined the team at Aperture (then Artemis Intelligence), it was a passionate group with a strong mission. Despite their ambitious goals, the company lacked a clear design direction and a cohesive brand identity. To address this, I began by facilitating workshops to define the company vision, establish brand identity, and develop a shared understanding of user needs. These workshops resulted in a clear roadmap for product development and a cohesive design language that guided the evolution of the Aperture platform.
AFFINITY BRAINSTORMING: All of the company came together to determine the application direction.
CONTINUUMS: This approach allowed us to determine the look, feel, and the types of users we felt would use the app.
To effectively design and develop Aperture, we needed to understand the specific needs and expectations of our target users. I conducted a series of user interviews with potential users, including Product Managers, Innovation Managers, and Market Research Analysts. These interviews revealed key insights into their challenges, goals, and information-seeking behaviors. For example, innovation managers were primarily interested in identifying emerging trends and identifying unmet customer needs, while product managers were more focused on identifying new product opportunities and validating product concepts. Based on these insights, we developed basic user personas that served as valuable guides throughout the design and development process, ensuring that the application's features and functionality were aligned with the specific needs and expectations of our target audience.
USER RESEARCH: Using the findings from initial user research, we determined the target user types.
USER TYPES: Derived from the user research.
To establish a strong foundation for the design and development of Aperture, I collaborated with the development team to evaluate and select the most suitable design system. We initially explored Ant Design System, but ultimately decided to transition to Google Material due to its greater flexibility and broader range of components. The Google Material Design system provided a solid foundation for the design and development of Aperture, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and a modern, user-friendly experience.
MATERIAL DESIGN STRUCTURE: This was an early wireframe based on the material design language.
To address the unique interface challenges of Aperture, I led the development of an atomic design system library in collaboration with my team. This library, which we named Apex, provided a shared language and a consistent set of reusable components that could be used in wireframes, prototypes, and the final React-based implementation. The Apex design system streamlined the development process by reducing the need for custom coding and ensuring consistency across the application. This resulted in increased development efficiency and improved the overall quality of the user experience.
ATOMS: These were the basic design atoms used to build the molecules.
MOLECULES: These were the molecular designs that were used to build organisms and templates.
While Material Design provided a solid foundation, we recognized the need for a more unique and differentiated visual identity for Aperture. The visual identity was crucial for establishing Aperture as a an innovative brand in the market and creating a memorable user experience. To achieve this, we brought in a dedicated UI/UX designer to collaborate on the development of a unique visual direction. This allowed us to move beyond the constraints of Material Design and explore a more customized and expressive aesthetic for Aperture.
TEMPLATE: This was the template used to build a consolidation of problem data.
Upon joining the company, Artemis Intelligence, I identified a critical user experience issue: the company name did not clearly reflect its primary product, Aperture. This misalignment caused confusion among users. To address this challenge, I spearheaded a strategic rebranding initiative, collaborating closely with the company president, directors, and my design team. We secured the Aperture.ai domain name and officially renamed the company to Aperture.ai. I then worked closely with my team on the development of a comprehensive brand guide that defined the company's visual identity, messaging strategy, and brand voice. This brand guide served as the foundation for the creation of a new website that effectively communicated Aperture's value proposition to the target audience.
MARKETING: Revamped Aperture.ai site.
