Overview
Rob Dyrdek, founder of Dyrdek Machine, envisioned a product that would embody his life philosophy: mastering time to achieve a harmonious existence. The goal was to design and launch a mobile and web app that allows users to track, categorize, and optimize their time in a way that feels natural and rewarding. The challenge was to translate broad lifestyle concepts into an intuitive, approachable experience while ensuring a smooth interface, cross-platform consistency.
My role in Existence.
As the Lead UI Designer, I helped define the app’s visual identity, interaction design, and to create a seamless user experience. My work focused on creating a cohesive, intuitive interface that brought complex data to life while ensuring consistency across platforms. My contributions included:
End-to-End UI Design
Led the visual design from wireframes to high-fidelity mockups, following brand guidelines and ensuring a seamless and engaging experience across mobile and web.
Scalable Design System
Built a structured design system in Figma, defining components, typography, and interactions for consistency and easy implementation.
Interaction & Data Visualization
Designed intuitive microinteractions and a user-friendly dashboard that transformed time-tracking data into actionable insights, making analytics both digestible and motivating.
Developer Handoff & Collaboration
Delivered well-organized designs for developers, ensuring a smooth handoff and seamless implementation. Worked closely with UX designers and stakeholders to refine designs and create a better product.
Challenges and solutions.
Translating a philosophy of mindful time management into a seamless, intuitive app was the main challenge. From simplifying complex data visualizations to ensuring effortless interactions, every design decision needed to be focused on making time tracking feel natural, engaging, and easy to use.
Translating a lifestyle philosophy into a tangible UI.
Designed an interface that made abstract time mastery principles actionable, incorporating dynamic visualizations and intuitive categorization.
Designing an engaging & functional calendar.
Developed a responsive, visually appealing calendar with seamless Google Calendar sync and custom categorization features.
Ensuring scalability & consistency across platforms.
Built a flexible design system that maintained consistency across mobile and web while allowing for future feature expansion.
Google Calendar Add-on
Designed a seamless way for users to categorize and rate time directly within Google Calendar, enhancing time awareness without disrupting their workflow.
Oura Ring Integration
Integrated sleep and energy data from Oura Ring, with clear visualizations that helped users connect their rest patterns to daily productivity.
Google Calendar Sync
Created an intuitive two-way sync with Google Calendar, ensuring smooth event management across platforms with minimal friction.
User Analytics Dashboard
Designed a user-friendly dashboard that turned raw time-tracking data into actionable insights, helping users optimize their schedules.
Design system components.
Key learnings.
Through this project, I deepened my understanding of balancing technical innovation with user empathy.
Designing for clarity over perfection
Early on, I focused heavily on visual polish, but I learned that clarity and usability matter more than pixel-perfect designs. The real challenge was simplifying complex data in a way that felt effortless for users. Letting go of perfectionism and focusing on impact made me a stronger designer.
Bridging the gap between vision and execution
he most exciting part of this project was turning an abstract philosophy into a tangible product. However, I learned that even the best design ideas must align with technical constraints and business goals. By collaborating closely with developers and stakeholders, I helped ensure our vision remained strong while staying realistic.
The best designs evolve through collaboration
No design is ever truly finished—it’s shaped by iteration, feedback, and teamwork. By staying involved beyond the handoff and working closely with developers, I saw firsthand how flexibility and open communication lead to a more polished, cohesive final product.