The Challenge & Market Opportunity

The Irish learner driver market was deeply fragmented, still relying on archaic "call and hope" institutional models with no transparent pricing, no reviews, and no easy way for students to find or book instructors. There was a significant, untapped gap for a modern portal built on trust and directness.

The Mission: Build a peer-to-peer marketplace where all business is managed directly between driving instructors and students — removing institutional friction entirely, and giving both parties full ownership of their relationship.

Strategic Discovery & Dual-Persona Research

To build a healthy marketplace, we had to design equally well for two fundamentally different user groups. We ran discovery interviews and mapped behavioral patterns for both sides of the platform before a single wireframe was drawn.

Visual Research & SatNav Inspiration

Initially, the "Roundabout R" logo concept was well-received for its energy and relevance, but stakeholder review flagged its proximity to Revolut's redesigned mark—a critical risk for a product seeking trust. I pivoted to research-driven exploration, studying European road infrastructure and SatNav interfaces.

The breakthrough came through abstraction: I analyzed the geometric language of road mesh grids and SatNav line rendering, translating those patterns into a modular brand system.

Information Architecture & UX Logic

I developed a comprehensive Site Map and low-fidelity wireframes in parallel with the branding work. This allowed us to define the boundaries between Public and Member-Only content early, preventing scope creep later in the build.

• User Journeys: We mapped the full 'Search-to-Book' path, implementing a location-based suggestion dropdown to help students find instructors instantly without friction.
• Lean UX: On a tight 3-month timeline, we skipped formal usability testing in favour of Heuristic Analysis and proven mental models — leveraging Calendly-style booking patterns that users already understood, significantly accelerating development.

Design System & Handoff

I built a lean, purpose-built "Mini Design System" in Figma to directly support the engineer's Vue.js build. The priority was handoff fidelity: every component had a clear state, documented behaviour, and a named token — so the engineer could build with confidence without constant design review cycles.

• Component Library: Standardized atomic elements (buttons, inputs, badges) and complex organisms (booking calendar, instructor profile cards, review widgets).
• Happy Path Documentation: I delivered annotated high-fidelity screens with explicit 'Happy Path' flows for the booking engine, covering primary actions and key edge cases.
• Debate & Review Cadence: Weekly sessions with stakeholders ensured business alignment at every milestone, resulting in a launch that stayed fully true to the original design vision.