MicasaSummer 2025
Increasing local community for hosts and attendees alike.
Micasa is a tech startup based in Brooklyn, NY, focused on bridging the gap between local community, event discovery and management.
As part of a two-week design sprint, I worked with another UI/UX designer to completely redesign their mobile app during its beta phase, refining core features and developing new ones. We presented to Micasa’s founders and won Best Pitch Award — view our winning slide deck here.
Problem Space
Since the pandemic, people have sought new ways to rebuild social connection.
They turned to third spaces like cafés, parks, and pop-up events as hubs of belonging. But these places are often difficult to find or rely on much more than attendance to begin feeling connected.
Existing event platforms are often fragmented, focusing on large-ticketed concerts, or niche meetups, leaving little room for a centralized, community-driven solution.
HMW make it easier for people to discover and host local events?
Solution
Four features carry the redesign — two we refined from the beta, and two we built out — each aimed at getting a user from opening the app to standing in a room with other people.
Categorizing the user as either an attendee or host helps with the initial personalization of the Micasa experience, while also quickly encouraging the discovery of local events.
Information Architecture
Upon receiving initial user flows and developer access to Micasa, we quickly realized there were several circular features which can cause cognitive friction on the user. Other core features like event creation had inconsistent user journeys and unnecessary branching.
We mapped out the user journey of the core features we were redesigning, as well as an updated one which streamlines its features, either condensing information into one screen or updating placement of the feature altogether.
Logo Redesign
One of the undertakings I worked on was a logo redesign. Micasa’s original logo was unique in design, but unbalanced. The union of the universal home and ticket logo was powerful, so I iterated on highlighting these more visually.
I also worked on the wordmark logo, emphasizing typography while still keeping the look consistent. For both the graphic and wordmark logo, I used a golden ratio layout, making sure each piece is proportionally related to the other parts of the design. This logo furthers this notion of balance, which is the foundation of Micasa in balancing the event discovery for both hosts and attendees.
Brand Identity
We were also handed off 3 pages of hex codes for a color palette. In order to reduce cognitive load, we simplified the brand identity to 4 colors. We opted in for designing with glass morphism, the incoming standard design for iOS 26. This style is adaptable to all images that may be used in an event, which establishes unique visual appearance without the need for extensive individualized page design.
These designs improve readability when used over images, allow for unique gradient effects, and take an approachable, friendly and modern approach to event discovery, welcoming users from all ages and interests.
Design
I wireframed the core features, tinkering with CTA button placement for event creation while still balancing the interface with discovery features. Creating these different user flows at the same time allowed me to draw connections with certain features and simplify the existing user flow.
The biggest hurdle of the homepage was avoiding making the user overwhelmed. We opted for a hybrid map and traditional discovery layout. When you swipe down, the user can view a functioning map updated with events based on location. This enables exploration, with event snapshots at the bottom of the screen continuing the visual identity of ticket purchasing.
Upon swiping back up, the user can continue to explore events through various filters, such as interests and mutual users. With the amount of information tagged onto each event, it took several iterations to get to a design that conveyed sufficient information while also still allowing room to breathe and continue to explore. A clear CTA at the top right allows users to go from attendee to host at any time.
To keep the branding consistent, I went with a modular, ticket stub-inspired wallet feature. I ensured users could quickly see which events are coming up, using iconography and text hierarchy to avoid overloading them with information, which could discourage them from continuing to sign up for events.
Takeaways
More is not always better.
This was my first time working directly with an already existing business model and design. I learned that the most important design choices come from simplification, directing the user to the core features of the app without distraction.
Decisions should be careful and intentional.
After mapping out Micasa’s information architecture, we moved features to more natural, intuitive placements for the user. Greatly downsizing initial color palettes, features and components ultimately allowed the interface to realign with the overall mission of Micasa.
Consistent, clear design gains a user’s trust.
Inconsistencies in the initial design create friction in the relationship with the app and the user. Making designs clear and deliberate allowed the app to breathe and flow with its user journey.