First Days: Understanding the Market
Joined Fansee, a cross-functional team at Cafe Bazaar, developing a platform connecting Iranian celebrities with fans through personalized video messages. Initial market research revealed:
Target Market:
- Primary focus: Iranian market and celebrities
- Content types: Birthday wishes, motivational messages, roasts
Competitive Analysis:
- Cameo: Dominant player in US/EU markets
- Similar platforms emerging in India
- Gap identified in Iranian market
This research laid the foundation for developing a culturally-adapted platform for the Iranian audience.
Design System Development: Establishing Brand Independence
Led the creation of Fansee's distinct design system while under Cafe Bazaar's umbrella. Despite Cafe Bazaar's established design framework, stakeholders required Fansee to maintain visual independence, with only subtle connection through 'powered by' branding.
Key System Components:
- Typography scale
- Primary color palette
- Neutral color spectrum
- Semantic color system
- Button components
- Selection controls
- Input fields
Developed under mentorship of Cafe Bazaar's Product Design Lead, establishing foundation for independent brand identity while maintaining professional standards.
Feature Development: Mastering State Management
Created comprehensive master components for each feature, focusing on state management and user communication:
Key Achievement: Request Submission System
- Automated status tracking
- Clear visibility of request progress
- Integrated notification system
- Celebrity reminder functionality
Applied Nielsen's First Heuristic: System Status Visibility ensured through:
- Real-time status updates
- Clear deadline indicators
- Task reminders for celebrities
- Progress tracking for users"
The automated system managed:
- Request submission
- Celebrity response timeframes
- Video creation deadlines
- Status notifications
- Task reminders
Design in Action: Key Interface Examples
Project Conclusion: The Impact of Social Change
Despite successful development, completed testing, and secured celebrity partnerships, Fansee faced an unexpected end. Following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini and subsequent social movements in Iran, the team made the ethical decision to halt the project out of respect for the Iranian people and the gravity of ongoing events.
Key Status at Closure:
- Platform fully developed
- Testing completed
- Celebrity contracts secured
- Ready for launch
