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STORY

Story Stitcher App

In a Google Design Sprint for FamilySearch, my solution sketch was chosen for prototyping: a mobile app where families write shared stories together.

  • ClientFamilySearch
  • RoleSenior UX Designer
  • Duration1 week
  • TeamProduct Manager, Designer, Developer, Marketing Manager, various stakeholders
Phone showing the Story Stitcher story screen titled Grandma's House.
01

Frame the problem

FamilySearch wanted a product that would introduce family history to people who weren’t familiar with it. Many newcomers found the platform hard to navigate and couldn’t find key features, so the sprint set out to create a more intuitive, approachable experience for people of every level of technical comfort.

A one-week design sprint

We ran the week using the Google Design Sprint format.

Google Sprint format used for the one-week FamilySearch sprint.

Refining the product goal

We started with an exercise to sharpen the product goal as a group.

Exercise to refine the product goal.

Interviews to “How might we”

We interviewed subject-matter experts and users, then turned what we heard into “How might we” statements to frame the opportunity.

Interview notes with how-might-we prompts from Jaden, Mike, Todd, and Roger.How might we statements derived from SME and user interviews.
02

Map and explore

With the problem framed, I mapped the journey so the group shared one picture of it. Then we looked outside the organization for ideas before sketching our own.

Map and target

I mapped a theoretical user journey to consolidate conclusions from the interviews and How Might We exercises, so the group stayed on the same page.

Map and target of the theoretical user journey, consolidating interviews and how-might-we exercises.

Lightning demos

We collected products and patterns from outside the organization that reflected where the sprint was heading.

Lightning demos: research collected outside the organization on products and patterns.

Four-step sketch

The four-step sketch distills a collection of notes into a solution sketch, quickly.

Four-step sketch used to distill notes into a solution sketch.

My solution sketch

My solution sketch captured three concepts: an app that lets people tell a story on a mobile device and share that experience with loved ones.

Solution sketch for an app that lets people tell a story on a mobile device and share it with loved ones.
03

Decide and prototype

The group critiqued every sketch and voted. Mine was chosen for prototyping, and I carried it from key steps through storyboard and wireframes.

Art museum and critique

The group used different kinds of dots for feedback and voting. My solution was chosen for prototyping.

Art museum critique. The group voted with dots and this solution was chosen for prototyping.

Key steps

I consolidated the group’s points into the key steps the experience needed to address.

Consolidated group points on the key steps to address in the experience.

Storyboard

I illustrated a storyboard for each step we would need to build into the prototype.

Storyboard of each step to build into the prototype.

Wireframes

I created wireframes that followed the pattern from the storyboard.

Wireframes reflecting the pattern from the storyboard.
04

Outcome

I built the final high-fidelity prototype in Figma. Story Stitcher is a mobile app where families write shared stories together—an approachable way into family history for a global audience new to genealogy.

  • Ease of use

    The experience followed familiar patterns.

  • Approachable

    It felt far less intimidating than traditional family history tools.

  • Interest

    Users loved the idea of shared family stories written together.

Open prototype

Final high-fidelity prototype created in Figma.