Uncorked
Role
Product Designer
Services
Figma
Highlighted Skills
Product Design & A/B Testing
Timeframe
Ongoing
Designed and prototyped a feature-rich app for exploring upstate New York wineries, delivering a seamless and personalized user experience. By blending iterative testing with user-focused insights, the app creates an engaging journey tailored to wine enthusiasts.
01
Context
Given the task of making something unique to upstate New York or the Rochester area, there was a bunch of potential and possibility. A niche experience I encountered was the lack of knowledge about which wineries to frequent, and how to build an itinerary with stops that cater to my preferred tastes and needs.
02
Persona
When you think of the target audience for wine, who comes to mind? Think of advertisements, ads, etc. Imagine that person as my main persona for Uncorked.
Uncorked is designed for someone who is an avid explorer, a casual wine enjoyer, or a wine enthusiast. They can use Uncorked to their benefit to get tailored recommendations specifically to their tastes, and get insights to the multitude of wineries in upstate New York.
Common Frustrations / Pain Points
Difficulty finding lesser-known wineries
Wanting a more personalized tasting journey
Overwhelmed by extensive wine lists
Limited information on winery atmospheres
03
Comparative Analysis
I conducted a comparative analysis of existing wine-related apps, some of which being Sippd, Vivino, and Grape. In terms of novelty, Uncorked is different from other alcohol apps as:
Other apps focus solely on purchasing and delivering alcohol
Other apps are not specific and tailored to a particular region
Other apps do not have an archive of information about wines and wineries simultaneously.
Having information isn’t all though, as my research revealed how it is rare for an app to take such a personalized route of catering their entire interface to the user and their preferences established right on download. The user truly gets to stretch and mold Uncorked to their liking.
04
Inspiration
But for me, someone who falls within my own target audience; I had to convince myself of why I would download my own product. In August of 2022, I went to two wineries near the Finger Lakes with not a single clue in mind about anything. I just knew that I liked something sweet. Had I not had my friend Aps (who visited wineries frequently), I would have been unable to navigate anything.
However, if I had Uncorked, I would have been able to find wineries based on even my minuscule preferences of: wanting something sweet, my established price range, and craving the food wineries provide. Plus, I would have 100% been able to avoid tasting half of the wines that were the exact opposite of my taste profile (sorry to my dry and red wine lovers).
This experience alone was my sole inspiration to creating Uncorked. The existence of this product holds strong relevance for newcomers in this sense, but also for people who just want to know what beautiful wineries upstate New York has to offer.
05
Result
Keeping the competitive research, crafted personas, and my own personal experience in mind, I designed Uncorked specifically with someone like me in mind- a person who enjoys a glass of wine to the point of wanting to explore the beautiful, yet hidden wineries that upstate New York has to offer. Fully designed and prototyped within less than two weeks, I delved immediately into extensive competitor app analyses and usability tests. Taking the red of wines, the green of grape leaves, and the browns of the wine barrels– Uncorked is a seamless and personalized journey for wine enthusiasts, blending thoughtful user-centric design with a passion for the art of wine.
