Degen: Social event discovery app

Working as a founding designer at a real startup — with actual users and real stakes — was a completely different pressure than a class project. I learned how to move fast without losing design integrity, run a full research and testing operation solo, and make decisions that served both the user and the business. It pushed my craft too: custom map design, building a design system from scratch, and producing work that had to hold up to external reviews from senior design and product folks.