In this project, I worked on redesigning Swiva and creating a style guide to make our design process more consistent and structured. Swiva is an app that focuses on reducing decision fatigue in everyday life. The idea is simple: users collect things they would like to do, organize them into lists, and when they don’t know what to do next, they can just swipe through these activities on the home screen and pick something in a quick and effortless way.

In short: scroll less, experience more.

The Problem and Project Process

When we started this project, we only had a early prototype and not really a clear or strong brand identity. Since we only had one project semester, we also didn’t have the time to go deep into branding and design from the beginning. As a result, things felt a bit inconsistent and not fully thought through yet.

So I set myself the goal to change exactly that.

I started by creating a proper style guide and reworking both the logo and the overall brand identity. After that, I worked in an iterative design process. That basically means I constantly moved between creating ideas, building mockups, improving them, and then discussing everything with my team. Feedback played a important role here.

On top of that, I also designed the preview visuals for the App Store and Google Play Store, making sure the first impression of Swiva feels clean and engaging.

Tools and Technologies

For the design work, I used a mix of different tools. Figma was the main tool for designing all the app screens and building the overall structure of the product. For image editing and vector work, I used Adobe Creative Cloud.

To speed up the workflow and find the right visual elements, I also used platforms like Magnific and Envato Elements for icons, illustrations, and other design assets.

What I Learned

Besides the design part, there was also a lot of organizing and planning involved in this project. My team and I used Swiva as part of our course Tun/Forschen/Gründen, but also for different competitions and our project exhibition.

Because of that, I naturally improved my time management and learned how important it is to stay structured when working on a longer project with multiple goals at the same time.

From a design perspective, working with a style guide really changed how I approach design. Instead of just designing based on feeling, I now have a clear system that helps me stay consistent. It also made it much easier to improve the quality of the design over time, since everything follows the same direction.

Overall, I would say my design skills improved a lot during this process, especially in terms of consistency and visual thinking.

Conclusion and Future Steps

Next up, we will take part in the Interactive Digital Media Student Contest in Romania. After that, we’ll present Swiva at our project exhibition, and in the winter semester we will pitch it for the pre-incubator program.

At the same time, we are currently working on a full brand book. The goal is to clearly define our design principles and values, so we always keep a consistent direction as the project continues to grow.

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Try Swiva

If you’re curious, you can check out Swiva here:
https://swiva.app/

Or download it soon on the App Store or Google Play Store.
https://swiva.app/download