Night story
Built a mobile app from scratch for bite-sized horror stories
Mobile app
Landing
Branding
About
Night Story is a small startup of enthusiasts with a vision to create the best app for fans of creepy stories.
When I joined this project, there was no development progress, or confirmed features list, and no UX or UI design work had been undertaken.
Industry
Media, Audiobooks, Entertainment
Timeframe
Jan 2022 → Nov 2023
Team
Close-knit
Start up
Platform
IOS, Android
Launched in November 2023, Night Story was welcomed by fans and creators alike.
It became one of my richest projects, where I could influence vision, product direction, and design at every level.
Problem
Consumers struggle to find & enjoy stories
Goal
Design and launch a mobile product from scratch, attract an early user base.
What I did?
As the sole designer, I shaped the product end-to-end, from research and strategy to the mobile experience and marketing assets.
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Target users
16–32 years
fans of creepypasta
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Content
audio + text
creepypasta, horror
10-65 minutes
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Specific
community generated content
web-novels
I ran desk research and interviews with fans and content creators. This mix gave us a product-focused view of the market and revealed the key frustrations to address in the MVP.
What’s on the market?
What are users saying?
Who are the direct competitors?
What are creators saying?
Research insights
Most consumers listen to creepy stories to relax, not to get scared
This stage defined which features mattered most. We prioritized by user value vs effort and mapped key user flows to guide design and development.
Listening flow is the heart of the app, so I put it first and designed the flow to work in just one tap.
With the core flows defined, I established a design system of tokens and components to keep the experience consistent and support future growth.
Challenges
Midway strategy shift
Thanks to a good foundation, I could adjust flows quickly and expand the scope without breaking the existing designs or disrupting developers’ work.
Balancing business and user needs
I designed a dedicated ad area (no audio or flow interruption) and collaborated with creators to make the platform attractive for both users and content creators.
Limited space
I designed story cards that prioritized key information, making choices faster and easier for users.
Main flows
Adding little details…
Corner states are covered too
Dark and minimal visuals set the right mood for horror stories. A simple eye logo became the core of the identity, subtle, creepy, and immersive.
Strong foundations in design systems paid off, making it easier to scale flows, adjust scope, and add premium features without breaking existing work.
Negative feedback is inevitable, but it’s an opportunity for growth.
Hey stranger! Thanks for scrolling this far, you’ve earned a little celebration.