case study
from boring to breathtaking
I joined MapsPeople in 2021 to transform their functional but dull-looking product, MapsIndoors, into a beautiful and engaging platform. My goal was to increase its perceived value and attract more revenue, attention, and customers.
my role
Lead Product Designer
platform
Web, Android, iOS
duration
6 Months
impact
+110% YoY ARR growth rate
the problem
Solving pain is not enough
MapsIndoors already had several large customers and was generating around 3 million USD in ARR. However, it struggled to attract major enterprise clients because competitors appeared more appealing and impressive. While MapsIndoors was a highly functional product, this was not immediately obvious when viewing it.
Here's how MapsIndoors looked when I started:
my role
Leading the visual revamp
Pretty privilege is just as real in digital products as it is in people. Studies show that the more aesthetically pleasing a product is perceived by users, the higher they rate its usability and value.
In 2021, MapsIndoors decided to adopt this mindset, and I was brought in as Lead Product Designer to lead the initiative.
I created a quick 3D map rendering and UI to begin visualizing and exploring options.
Approach
Creating a scalable system
In order to enhance the aesthetics of all maps, so MapsIndoors always looked beautiful and impressive wherever users interacted with it, we needed a design system that could scale. So, the first thing I started was fleshing this out and designing all the assets required for it.
Challenges
Not everyone knows design…
It quickly became clear to me that it was easy enough for me to design each map aesthetically. However, with 20 in-house geo-data specialists handling the actual map creation, simply having me focus on styling the product and maps was not sufficient.
I needed to find a way to scale aesthetically pleasing maps that always resembled a MapsIndoors map, which was super easy for anyone to follow and apply.
Solution
Full scalable and usable design system
I was brought in in 2021 to change that. Turning this functional product into an engaging platform with a product wide designs system that would harmonize with the companys new rendering enginge in 3D.
results
Enterprise customers taking notice
The product was now looking beautiful and outshining all the competitors, even though basic functionality hadn't changed much; the perceived usability had only improved.
And customers were noticing, especially larger-scale ones, who knew the value of design and aesthetics. MapsIndoors landed deals with several large customers that year we rolled this out, most of whom demanded this beautiful new 3D rendering.
MapsPeople's year-over-year ARR growth rate increased by 110% that year, a testament to the growth that can be unlocked just by looking gorgeous.
A live shot from a stadium using the new design
bonus
What else
Other than leading this initiative, I also had my hands in a bunch of other initiatives to make MapsPeople look like an industry leader, spanding over from Marketing to Product.
Here's a few examples of work I did:
lessons learned
Looking good is underrated
I was brought in in 2021 to change that. Turning this functional product into an engaging platform with a product wide designs system that would harmonize with the companys new rendering enginge in 3D.
How MapsIndoors look before I started
My desk setup: then vs. now
get in
touch
Whether you’re a startup looking for your first product design partner or a global team refining a platform used by millions, I can help you turn complex ideas into intuitive, beautiful experiences that drive real results.
