Dott

I followed a Design Thinking approach – a flexible, iterative process that guided Dott from early research to a fully tested prototype.

Understanding how people preserve memories

I began by exploring how families and parents record memories today. Through informal surveys, app audits, and 10 user interviews, we found that most rely on social media or phone photo libraries – tools that feel too public, cluttered, or temporary. Some parents even create email addresses for their children to send memories to the future – 7% of Babies Now Have Email Addresses.

Key insights

• Privacy and control were top priorities.
• Simplicity encouraged consistency.
• Storytelling — pairing images with voice or text — made memories feel meaningful.
• Collaborative memory-making was deeply valued.
• Time-based “future delivery” felt emotionally powerful.
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Ideal customer profile – parent who has created an email address for their child.

Design evolution
Starting with these insights, I mapped user journeys for capsule creation and memories creation, then tested low-fidelity prototypes with parents. Feedback helped simplify flows and refine the tone of voice. From there, I built a warm, timeless visual identity and a scalable design system, later expanded after further testing.

“Oh my God, I need this now. I literally bought a fancy notebook to record memories, but it’s too much work!” – Elizabeth Walda, user interview

Design Shaped by Real Voices

Throughout development, I conducted multiple rounds of moderated user testing – from low-fidelity click-throughs to interactive prototypes.

These sessions provided deep qualitative insight into how real mothers create and preserve memories – directly influencing the design of Dott’s features, flows, and emotional tone.

‍Integrating AI – Designing for the Future of Memory Curation

At this stage of development, generative AI tools were rapidly evolving, and the client became very inspired to explore how this new technology could enhance the Dott experience. We saw an opportunity to use AI not just for automation, but to make storytelling more personal and dynamic.

We also explored the idea of a simple open text prompt where users could describe how they wanted their story to feel, and the AI would assemble media accordingly.

Photo Triage – Solving a Major User Pain Point

One of the biggest pain points we discovered was how overwhelming it was for users to add memories to their capsules. Most had thousands of photos and videos on their phones, and manually selecting them was slow and discouraging. It risked becoming the reason people stopped using the app.

When our co-founder & CTO joined the team, he created a proof of concept for Photo Triage — a guided, semi-automated flow that suggested which memories to add by date, location, or event. I designed a clear and visual interface that turned a tedious task into a simple, engaging experience, helping users reconnect with their memories without feeling overwhelmed.

Gifting the Capsule – Making Memories Timeless

The capsule feature lets users schedule a private collection of memories to unlock on a future date — a birthday, anniversary, or any meaningful moment. Until then, it remains securely stored and completely private.

Each capsule opens with a personal video message and unfolds as an interactive story, enriched with AI-generated reels, text, and voiceovers that give every memory context and emotion. Accessible from any browser, even without the app, it turns scattered photos into a deeply personal narrative that can be shared selectively — keeping the experience both intimate and social.

Landing Page, Pitch Deck, and App Store Visuals‍

As the MVP was nearing completion, the client needed a landing page, pitch deck, and App Store visuals to support fundraising and prepare for launch.

The landing page introduced Dott’s concept through a concise story: why digital memory keeping matters, how Dott works, and what makes it different from social media or photo storage apps. It featured product visuals, key benefits, and a clear call to action for early sign-ups. The page was fully responsive and visually aligned with the app’s identity and tone.

In parallel, I designed the pitch deck for investor presentations, combining storytelling and data to highlight the market opportunity, user insights, and long-term vision for AI-assisted memory curation. Its clear visual narrative and emotional design helped the client communicate the product’s potential and secure future funding for the next stage of development.

Finally, I created a set of App Store visuals – screenshots, preview graphics, and short demo videos – optimised to showcase the app’s interface and guide potential users through its main features. Together, these materials helped position Dott as a credible, design-driven product ready for both launch and investor growth.