My responsibility:
analyse their market for visual positioning
define visual goals for the app and provide a design document
explore possible visual directions through moodboards
creating background and character concepts for 4 modules
produce all character assets and all animations for the app
produce marketing assets for their website
// design game content
// develop frontend
Project description
Speech therapists Dr. Hanna Jakob and Dr. Mona Späth successfully secured government funding to develop "Neolexon", a medically certified articulation app for children.
While their startup, Limbedix GmbH, provided the clinical expertise, they partnered with co-designer Reiko Groß and me for strategic planning and production of the app's frontend. Through subsequent fundings we could continue collaborating on further content, delivering a total of 5x modules, 1x home and 1x backend interface.
Deliverables:
competitive audit
logo package
landing page design
design brief
module and character concepts
final module and character assets
Client: Limbedix GmbH
Date: 2019-2021
Task: app development
for our speech therapy app
1
Strategy
2
3
1 +2 +3: Analysing app stores from a user's point of view. Goal: Understand visual representation choices of competitors in order to position Neolexon's store page with recognition and differentiation in mind.
2 Exploration: Suggesting visual directions. Goal: collect and categorise feedback in order to understand style preferences better. Example images were sourced from the internet with no intention to copy specific artists.
Deliverables
2: Setting direction for general mood, style and setting for the app with first design options for our main character: Lino. Exluding colour to enable efficient discussions on form language and expression.
2: Development of first character drafts to finetune choices into a final version
2: Adding options for a bird side character for a speaking module
2: Adding options of a side character of a second speaking module
2: Concepting first possibilities for module settings. Goal: evoke curiosity and deliver a magic infused place to allow game mechanics to work with reason.
Outcome: Magic library with a book that is missing words needs the players help to collect them
2: Concepting another module setting. Goal: create another option for players to exercise with an ingame side character. Outcome: It's their grandpa, whose hearing ability really is bad, though.
3 Production: Creating exchangable character items to incite individualisation. First set with low tier items with basic looks to customise Lino.
3: Adding another set of exchangle items, with a higher tier therefore more intriguing options to customise Lino.
Promotional video online, provided by Limbedix themselves
3: Set of promotional assets to be used online
Afterthoughts
Challenges + workourounds
Bridging the Experience Gap
As the sole designers on this project, our role extended beyond execution into strategic guidance. We focused on establishing a transparent process so that decision-makers could evaluate the long-term effects of each design decision with confidence before moving forward.
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By isolating visual concepts into core design components— eg. form, palette, and emotional tone—and contextualizing them with competitor audits and available budget, we created a shared understanding for the entire team. As a result, decisions were made confidently on the first pass, completely eliminating the need for structural revisions.
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Efficiency through Validation
With a lean budget, I sought to streamline our design pipeline, finding ways to eliminate redundant operations while ensuring the project owners remained fully informed at every stage.
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I suggested to adapt a design system akin to how CSS styles a HTML code: The main character and the first module of the app functioned as a approved master guide for all visual direction choices, allowing us to leap from initial sketches directly into high-fidelity production for the rest of the project. This way, we reduced alignment meetings and iterational work without sacrificing quality or consistency.
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Thank you Mona and Hanna for allowing this project to be displayed publicly!