Beakly

The Role

As the UX designer on the Beakly project, I was responsible for end-to-end design, from initial concept to final prototype. I led the UX design process by conducting user research, creating personas, mapping user journeys, and defining the app’s structure. I also designed a clean and intuitive UI tailored for bird owners, focusing on usability and accessibility. In addition, I carried out interviews and surveys to understand feeding habits and user needs, which directly informed the product decisions. To enhance the app’s friendly tone, I illustrated custom visuals that added warmth and character to the interface.

Project Summary

Beakly is a mobile app designed to help bird owners create personalized feed plans based on their bird’s species, age, activity level, and dietary needs. Built from the ground up, the app empowers pet owners to better understand and manage their bird’s nutrition through smart, custom meal planning. I led the full design process—UX, UI, research, and illustration—crafting a friendly, intuitive experience that supports bird health and pet owner confidence.

The Challenge

Bird owners often struggle to provide the right nutrition for their pets due to limited guidance, generic food options, and a lack of species-specific information. Unlike dogs or cats, bird nutrition is highly specialized, and improper feeding can lead to serious health issues. There was no accessible, app-based solution that offered tailored feed recommendations and planning tools for pet birds.

The Goal

To design a user-friendly mobile app that enables bird owners to easily create and manage custom feed plans. The aim was to simplify nutrition planning through an intuitive experience that combines expert insights with personal customization—ultimately improving bird health and well-being through better-informed choices.

Phase 1

Discover
& Empathize

Methods

• User Interviews (6 bird owners)
• Online Surveys (38 responses)
• Expert Consultations (1 veterinarian + 2 exotic bird caretakers)
• Competitor Analysis (apps, blogs, YouTube channels)

Key Insights

• Routine Fatigue: Owners repeat the same meals due to a lack of variety suggestions.
• Conflicting Information: Many users reported reading contradictory feeding advice online.
• Lack of Tracking: None of the users had a way to log what their bird ate.
• Interest in Custom Plans: 92% said they would love an app that provides tailored recommendations.

Phase 2

Define

We translated our research into actionable problem statements and design principles. We identified two core user types through research—a young professional and a small business owner. By mapping their needs, behaviors, and pain points, we defined clear design goals to create a finance app that feels simple, supportive, and culturally relevant.

User Persona 1:
Mary Ann – The Caring Companion

• “I just want to give my bird the right food for him, he’s very picky.”
• Goals: Provide organic, complete, and safe food; find vet-approved mixes; offer guilt-free treats.
• Frustrations: Bird resists changes; generic store mixes; food often goes to waste.
• Needs: Species-specific guidance; custom mix tools with organic options; support for smooth diet transitions.
• Tech Use: Uses pet/health apps; follows bird groups online; wants a clean, guided, feedback-based app.
• Personality: Empathetic, cautious, research-driven, prefers simplicity and peace of mind.

User Persona 2:
Sam Morgon – The Naturalist Breeder

• “My birds deserve the most natural life possible, and feed is a big part of that.”
• Goals: Maintain natural diets; adjust feed by season/species; minimize waste.
• Frustrations: Birds reject new mixes; commercial feed is unsuitable; mixing takes time.
• Needs: Smart, species-specific blend tools; batch feed planning; insights on waste and optimization.
• Tech Use: Tech-savvy; uses spreadsheets and forums; wants pro-level diet control tools.
• Personality: Practical, analytical, health-focused, values efficiency and long-term care.

Phase 3

Ideation

To shape a focused and user-centered solution, I scoped Beakly as an iOS app and began ideating around the question: “How might we help users create personalized bird feed in a guided and informed way?” I explored diverse concepts mapped to user needs, prioritized intuitive flow structures, and used rapid prototyping and usability feedback to evolve the design.

The process emphasized reducing cognitive load, accommodating both novice and expert users, and optimizing user flows based on real-world testing.

Phase 4

Prototyping

In this phase, I translated wireframes into high-fidelity prototypes that closely mirrored the final product experience. The goal was to bring Beakly to life with an intuitive, friendly, and accessible design that appeals to both casual bird owners and experienced breeders.

Color palette

A bright, bird-inspired palette adds vibrancy, while soft backgrounds and high-contrast text improve readability and reduce cognitive load. Focus flows use more stylized colors to guide attention.

Typography

Headings use Jessi Neue for a warm, distinctive feel, paired with Satoshi for body text and labels to ensure clean, legible reading across the app.

Iconography

Icons are custom-built in four sizes with varying detail. Tab icons are airy outlines that fill when active; functional icons are bolder, and some act as mini illustrations to support clarity.

Components & Grids

An 8pt grid with responsive columns ensures consistency and flexibility. Auto layout and a sticker sheet maintain style harmony and speed up design handoff.

Final Prototype

The high-fidelity prototype of Beakly delivers a friendly, focused experience tailored to both pet owners and breeders. Built in Figma, it includes personalized feed planning, bird grouping, and expert-guided tips—wrapped in a clean, responsive UI. Visual feedback, thoughtful microinteractions, and consistent components ensure clarity, reduce friction, and support confident decision-making. The prototype is fully developer-ready and scalable for future feature growth.

Phase 5

Testing

With a refined Figma prototype, I conducted a second usability study alongside a design critique session. Using the same core tasks as the first round, I gathered feedback from 14 participants and organized insights into an updated affinity map.

Key Findings:

• All participants successfully located the “Add Group” button—a major improvement from the first test.
• 3 of 14 tried to close the seasonal alert, indicating the need for a dismissible or optional design.
• 10 of 14 used consistent navigation methods (tab bar or thumbnails) across all tasks.
• 7 participants complimented the visual design without prompting (1 found it too cluttered).
• 3 appreciated the expert guidance feature without being asked.

These results highlighted improved navigation consistency, the value of built-in guidance, and the importance of using seasonal alerts sparingly. Based on feedback, I made the following design adjustments:

• Updated accordions to follow NN/g best practices for clearer signifiers.
• Refined the custom mix product screen for consistency between ingredients and nutrition sections.
• Added subtle color feedback for interactive elements to improve clarity and responsiveness.

The Outcome

The final design delivered a guided, intuitive experience that helped users create custom feed plans with confidence. Key features like personalized flows, expert tips, and batch planning resonated with both casual bird owners and advanced breeders. Overall, the design reduced confusion, improved task success rates, and created a positive, reassuring tone.

Conclusion

Beakly addresses a real gap in pet care: personalized nutrition for birds. Through a user-centered process—research, ideation, testing, and iteration—I created a product that balances simplicity with control. The case study reinforced the importance of validating early, designing for different user levels, and using empathy to inform every layer of the experience.