Designers
Areanna Whittington, Charlesa Thompson, Gabrielle Vidal, Taiwo Ayedun
Year
2025
Category
New Talent
Country
United States
School
Columbia College Chicago
Teacher
Becky Luther, Jo-Nell Sieren
Three questions to the project team
What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The main UX challenge was designing an inclusive, empowering platform that serves a wide range of users, from individuals caring for their own textured hair to aspiring stylists seeking structured education. We had to balance expert stylist-led content, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility in a single, intuitive interface. Creating a personalized, trustworthy learning space that could grow into a community experience required thoughtful design rooted in user feedback, iteration, and cultural understanding.
What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
A highlight was seeing how strongly users connected with Braid during testing, especially when they shared that they finally felt seen and supported. The “aha!” moment came when we shifted focus from just connecting users to stylists to empowering them through education. That insight reshaped our entire platform. As a team of students, building something so personal, educational, and culturally meaningful together was both a challenge and a proud, unforgettable experience.
Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
