Moment
Bring ideas together the instant they arrive.
Role
Sole Product Designer
Timeline
3 days (concept → hi-fid) |
Tools
Figma · Adobe CC
Project
CareerFoundry brief — investor concept
Challenge
Create a “less, but better” note-taking concept in a limited time frame for investors.
Target
Users (idea-driven adults) needed a single space where voice clips, photos, and lists could coexist.
Solution
A note-taking app that thinks like your brain does. Not in lists, but in connections. Inspired by mind maps and whiteboards, Moment lets you scatter thoughts anywhere on an infinite canvas because eureka moments don't wait for you to find the right folder.
Freeform Canvas
Ideas flow in all directions. So should notes. Users can pin thoughts anywhere, and see patterns emerge.
Instant recognition
Shape = function. No hunting through menus when inspiration strikes.
Less-but-better UI
Cuts navigation time. Every pixel has a purpose. Nothing more, nothing less.
What My Mentor Said:
"This is the most interesting take on this project brief from any student I've taught in 5 years."
My Tutor Added:
"Normally, I wouldn't advise attempting a non-conventional layout like this because it's difficult to make it work, but you've achieved a good result."
The gap
CareerFoundry threw a curveball: design a "less but better" note-taking app in a few days for an investor pitch. Why do we force ideas into lists when our minds work like constellations? Traditional note apps trap thoughts in rigid hierarchies.
Meanwhile, I'm losing eureka moments because I can't capture them fast enough. The opportunity: What if notes could live where thoughts actually happen: scattered, connected, and free?
Mode-switching kills momentum
Every tap to change tools costs seconds, and sometimes the idea itself.
Linear lists block insight
Scrolling one dimension hides the connections that spark bigger ideas.
Missing Link
No note-app mirrors how brains branch and reconnect.
Three pivotal moves
Shape = Function
Each shape hints at its purpose, shaving a decision step off capture time. Our brains recognize shapes faster than it reads labels which is crucial when ideas strike.
Infinite Canvas + Pinch-Zoom
From day-level detail to a year’s view in a one-pinch gesture, speeding brainstorming and planning. Zoom out to see thought patterns. Zoom in to focus.
Pill Filters & Inline Search
Complex searches made simple. Stack filters like building blocks, see results instantly. Finding ideas should be as fast as capturing them.
Steps
Focus
Outcome
1
Rapid ideation (Crazy-8 sketches + mapping)
Free-flow concept selected, shape system defined
2
Hi-fi screens in Figma
Investor-ready visuals delivered
3
Mentor & tutor reviews and critique
Visual clarity confirmed, tag shapes refined
4
Polish & deck hand-off
Files packaged for pitch
Learnings
Ideas branch, not lists
Canvas mirrors real mental patterns and keeps users in flow.
Tags need clarity
Mentor and tutor feedback pushed clearer tag shapes & labels.
Next up
Usability tests, then collaborative canvases for team brainstorming.
Outside the box
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" might be the most dangerous phrase in design.
Linear lists work, but what if we're missing something better? This 3-day sprint taught me that innovation isn't always about adding features, but sometimes it's about questioning the fundamentals.
Moment exists because I asked: What if note-taking worked like thinking? Maybe it's ambitious for a student to reimagine how we capture ideas, but a breakthrough starts with someone asking "what if?"
© 2025 by IvanAtlas