This project followed a fast 5 day design sprint. I used the first three days to understand how remote workers actually choose a café today, explore different layout ideas, and lock in a simple flow before moving into high fidelity screens.

Understanding the current journey (Day 1)

On Day 1, I focused on what remote workers already do when they try to find a place to work. I defined a simple user and goal:

User: Remote worker who needs a call friendly place with strong Wi-Fi, outlets, seating, and parking.

Goal: Work productively for 2–3 hours at a nearby cafe that allows calls and feels practical, not stressful.

I mapped the current journey step by step from the moment they search “coffee shops near me” to checking photos, popular times, amenities, and finally deciding where to go. This helped me see where time is wasted and what really matters in that decision.

“I mapped the current journey from searching on Google Maps to arriving at the café. This made the pain points and “moments that matter” very clear.”

Moments that matter

• Seeing real photos of tables and layout

• Quickly checking distance/ETA on a map

• Open/close times and Popular Times for the exact window they care about

• Work specific details at a glance: Wi-Fi, outlets, bathrooms, parking, call/laptop policy

Key pain points

• Libraries aren’t good for phone/video calls

• Most sites talk about food and service, not work needs

• Wi-Fi, outlets, parking, and laptop/call rules are hidden deep in reviews

• It’s hard to guess how crowded a café will be at a specific time

These insights shaped the entire concept for Cafe Scout: the app should answer “Can I actually work here right now?” in a few seconds, without jumping between different apps.

Exploring Ideas (Day 2)

On Day 2, I switched into exploration mode. I looked at existing apps to understand what already works, then sketched different ways to show work friendly details without overwhelming the user. This helped me find a direction that feels simple and fast for busy remote workers.

Lightning Demos — Inspiration from real apps

I analyzed a few apps that remote workers already rely on mainly Google Maps, Yelp, and Croissant.

Each one had something useful:

• Google Maps showed crowd levels and helpful photos

• Yelp listed Wi-Fi, parking, and other features

• Croissant used a clean, simple layout for quick decisions

These patterns made me focus on clear badges, reliable photos, and a clean structure for the Café Details screen.

“ These apps helped me understand how people scan crowd levels, amenities, and photos when choosing a café.

I used these patterns to guide the design of Café Scout.”

Crazy 8s — Exploring Layout Ideas

After looking at existing apps, I wanted to push myself to think quickly and explore different ways to show work-friendly information. I used a Crazy 8s exercise to sketch eight fast layout concepts for the Cafe Details screen. These sketches weren’t meant to be perfect ,they helped me try different placements for Popular Times, badges, and photos to see what felt the easiest to scan.

“ Day 2 – Crazy 8s helped me explore different layouts quickly and stay open to new ideas.”

Filtered Results — Updated list

After applying filters, the list updates instantly and shows cafés that fully match the user’s work requirements.

“Day 4 – Refined results with real time update.”

Cafe Details — Make the decision

This is the core decision screen. I placed Popular Times at the top and included clear badges for calls, Wi-Fi, outlets, and parking. A short note about noise and seating helps users make a quick, confident judgment.

“ Day 4 – Popular Times + work friendly badges help users decide in seconds.”

Directions — Final step

When a user picks a cafe, the final step is simple: open in Maps and go. I kept this screen quiet and clear so it doesn’t interrupt the flow.

I kept the prototype focused on the happy path so it felt real without adding unnecessary screens. Using believable details like realistic distances and Popular Times helped participants react naturally during testing.

Prototype

“ Day 4 – Easy handoff to navigation.”

Before testing on Day 5, I created a simple high fidelity prototype that walks through the full experience: finding nearby cafés, applying work friendly filters, reviewing key details, and getting directions. The goal was to make the flow feel calm, fast, and honest so users could react naturally during testing.

“ Day 4 – High-fidelity prototype showing the full flow:

start a search → compare cafés → apply filters → check details → get directions.”

Usability Testing (Day 5)

I ran a quick pilot test with five remote workers to see how fast they could choose a cafe and whether the decision screen made sense.

What I learned

• Most people picked a cafe in about 1 minute.

• Filters were helpful but not instantly noticeable.

• The “Calls” badge confused a few users.

• “Popular now” needed a little more explanation.

• Everyone liked the quick noise + seating note.

A few things users said

“Does ‘Calls’ mean I can take calls here?”
“I found the filters… just took me a second.”
“Love the seating tip.”

Takeaway

The flow works well overall, but a few labels and steps can be clearer.

That’s it. Short, simple, and perfect for a mini project.

“ Day 4 – Clear CTA to start the task quickly.”

“ Day 4 – Quick list of nearby cafes with work friendly badges and “Popular now” status. ”

Solution Sketch — Choosing the Direction

From the Crazy 8s exercise, I chose the layout that felt the clearest for a fast decision: Popular Times on top, followed by the core work friendly badges (Calls, Wi-Fi, Outlets, Parking). I turned this into a simple three panel sketch showing the flow from finding a cafe → checking details → taking the next step.

This sketch became the foundation for the prototype.

On Day 3, I reviewed everything from Day 1 and Day 2 and chose the flow that helped remote workers make the quickest, most confident decision. I compared a few different approaches, but the flow that put the Cafe Details screen at the center made the most sense because it answers the question “Can I work here right now?” in just a few seconds.

Storyboard

Day 2 – My final solution sketch set the direction for the prototype and made the decision screen feel simple and fast to scan.

Finalizing the Flow (Day 3)

To stay focused, I created a simple 10–12 panel storyboard showing the main journey from opening the app to choosing a café and getting directions. Each panel highlights only the pieces needed for the core experience:

• Opening the app

• Seeing nearby cafes

• Applying work friendly filters

• Checking Popular Times and badges

• Confirming call friendliness

• Getting directions

This storyboard helped me keep the prototype light, clear, and easy to test.

Day 3 – The storyboard clarified the full experience and helped me focus the prototype around the moment of decision.

Prototype — Key Screens (Day 4)

On Day 4, I moved into high fidelity designs and built a simple clickable prototype. I focused only on the essential screens needed to complete the main task: find a call friendly cafe, check work friendly details, and get directions. Keeping the flow light made the prototype fast to test and easy for users to understand.

Home — Start the task

The home screen gives users a clear, simple starting point. With one tap, they can begin searching for call-friendly cafes near them.

Nearby Cafes — Quick comparison

he results page shows nearby cafes with the most important details: distance, ETA, and work friendly badges. Users can quickly compare options without opening full pages.

Filters — Set work needs

Users can refine results based on what matters to them: calls allowed, strong Wi-Fi, outlets, and parking. The toggles keep the filtering experience light and fast.

“ Day 4 – Simple toggles to support different work needs.”