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UX Case Study · XDI Berlin · 2025

One city
One platform

One city
One platform

A digital city platform that brings six fragmented services into one, designed for a diverse range of users across all ages and backgrounds.

MY ROLE

UX/UI Designer

TOOLS

Figma, FigJam, Maze

DURATION

19 weeks

PLATFORMS

Desktop + Mobile App

MY ROLE

UX/UI Designer

DURATION

19 weeks

TOOLS

Figma, FigJam, Maze

PLATFORMS

Desktop + Mobile App

UX Case Study · XDI Berlin · 2025

One city
One platform

A digital city platform that brings six fragmented services into one, designed for a diverse range of users across all ages and backgrounds.

VIEW FILE IN FIGMA

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Smarthill desktop homepage showing tourist view with search bar
Smarthill desktop homepage showing tourist view with search bar
the GoSmarthill mobile app showing city services dashboard
the GoSmarthill mobile app showing city services dashboard

Desktop Platform · Mobile App

Desktop Platform · Mobile App

the GoSmarthill mobile app showing city services dashboard
the GoSmarthill mobile app showing city services dashboard
Smarthill desktop homepage showing tourist view with search bar
Smarthill desktop homepage showing tourist view with search bar

Desktop Platform · Mobile App

Smarthill desktop homepage showing tourist view with search bar
Smarthill desktop homepage showing tourist view with search bar
the GoSmarthill mobile app showing city services dashboard
the GoSmarthill mobile app showing city services dashboard

Summary

Summary

What I achieved

What I achieved

What I achieved

User groups

0

Distinct user groups the platform was designed to serve

Weeks of work

0

End-to-end UX work from research through to a full design system

Platforms

0

A responsive city website and the GoSmarthill mobile app

The Problem

A city speaking in
six different voices

A city speaking in
six different voices

A city speaking in
six different voices

Before any design decisions were made, I needed to fully understand the problem space and the people I was designing for.

Before any design decisions were made, I needed to fully understand the problem space and the people I was designing for.

01

Fragmented services

Users navigated six disconnected platforms to complete basic daily tasks.

01

Fragmented services

Users navigated six disconnected platforms to complete basic daily tasks.

02

Language barriers

A city with tourists is making it a priority to include multilingual support

02

Language barriers

A city with tourists is making it a priority to include multilingual support

03

Accessibility gaps

Designing for elderly and neurodiverse users meant rethinking every interaction from the start.

03

Accessibility gaps

Designing for elderly and neurodiverse users meant rethinking every interaction from the start.

04

Frictionless task completion

Users needed to complete tasks quickly, without unnecessary steps or redirections.

04

Frictionless task completion

Users needed to complete tasks quickly, without unnecessary steps or redirections.

05

Centralised task management

Users needed one place to track payments, appointments and renewals, with reminders built in.

05

Centralised task management

Users needed one place to track payments, appointments and renewals, with reminders built in.

06

Five audiences, one solution

Five user groups with distinct needs, all requiring one platform that worked for each of them.

06

Five audiences, one solution

Five user groups with distinct needs, all requiring one platform that worked for each of them.

From the research themes, I developed a set of How Might We questions to reframe problems as design opportunities.

Pen illustration
Click image to view

My Role

My place in the project

My place
in the project

This was a solo project I completed as part of my bootcamp at XDI Berlin. I handled everything myself, from planning the research all the way through to the final screens, design system and marketing strategy. It was my first full end-to-end UX project and one of the most rewarding things I have done. Here's a look at my early thinking.

Pen illustration
Click image to view

Approach

Approach

Research first, design after

Research first,
design after

1
Define
2
Discover
3
Ideate
4
Build
5
Test

Step 1 of 5 · Define

InterviewsPersonasCompetitor analysisFive ForcesSWOT analysisBlue Ocean StrategyValue Proposition CanvasLean UX Canvas

Challenges

Challenges

Design decisions that mattered

Design decisions that mattered

01

Designing for five audiences simultaneously

Every decision had to work across five distinct user groups, each with different needs, behaviours, and levels of digital literacy, without creating friction for any of them.

01

Designing for five audiences simultaneously

Every decision had to work across five distinct user groups, each with different needs, behaviours, and levels of digital literacy, without creating friction for any of them.

02

Accessibility without compromise

The platform had to serve users aged 15 to 85+, spanning vastly different levels of digital confidence. Contrast ratios, touch targets, and language clarity were treated as design requirements.

02

Accessibility without compromise

The platform had to serve users aged 15 to 85+, spanning vastly different levels of digital confidence. Contrast ratios, touch targets, and language clarity were treated as design requirements.

03

Translating research into strategic decisions

Extensive research across user interviews, surveys, personas, and competitive analysis directly shaped every feature decision made throughout the project.

03

Translating research into strategic decisions

Extensive research across user interviews, surveys, personas, and competitive analysis directly shaped every feature decision made throughout the project.

04

From end-to-end

My first end-to-end UX project, handled independently across every phase from research to final screens.

04

From end-to-end

My first end-to-end UX project, handled independently across every phase from research to final screens.

Solution

All services in one platform

All services in one platform

The final platform has one unified search, personalised dashboards depending on who you are, real-time transport information and multilingual support. I also designed the GoSmarthill mobile app separately so people can access everything on the go, including paying for transport and managing city services from their phone.

Smarthill homepage in tourist view showing navigation menu open with categories including attractions, events, food and accommodation

Homepage, Tourist View

Discover Smarthill content grid showing museum and festival cards with imagery and descriptions

Discover Smarthill Content Grid

Transportation journey planner showing a route search form with destination, date, time and transport type fields

Transportation, Journey Planner

Stay Informed section showing latest news and upcoming events with three editorial cards including a candlelight concert, Christmas market and opera

Stay Informed, News and Events

Results and Impact

Results and Impact

Results and Impact

Results and Impact

What I delivered
What I would measure
2
Full platforms designed from scratch. A responsive desktop city website and the GoSmarthill mobile app.
How quickly users could complete a task without getting lost
5
User groups researched and designed for simultaneously
How many tourists bought a city pass through the app
5
SMART goals defined with measurable KPIs
User satisfaction score across all five groups
2
Design iterations completed, each informed by usability testing and heuristic evaluation
Whether elderly and neurodiverse users could navigate it independently
2
Full platforms designed from scratch. A responsive desktop city website and the GoSmarthill mobile app.
5
User groups researched and designed for simultaneously
5
SMART goals defined with measurable KPIs
2
Design iterations completed, each informed by usability testing and heuristic evaluation

Next Steps

Next Steps

Where this goes from here

Where this goes from here

The final platform brings together one unified search, personalised dashboards, real-time transport information and multilingual support. Alongside it I designed the GoSmarthill mobile app, giving users full access to transport, payments and city services on the go.

The final platform brings together one unified search, personalised dashboards, real-time transport information and multilingual support. Alongside it I designed the GoSmarthill mobile app, giving users full access to transport, payments and city services on the go.

Pilot in central Smarthill districts
Start small and validate with real residents before scaling. I would partner with local councils to run a structured pilot, measure satisfaction, and use that data to make the case for a full rollout.
If I continued · Design
Bill payments and eco-tracking
Layer in the services that matter most to daily life: bill payments, transport renewals, eco tracking. I would co-design these features with residents through workshops rather than building in isolation.
If I continued · Scale
AI navigation and European rollout
Explore how AI could reduce friction for users navigating complex city systems. I would focus on accessibility first, making sure the platform works for elderly and low-digital-literacy residents before adding complexity.
If this were a real project, I would...
Pilot in central Smarthill districts
Start small and validate with real residents before scaling. I would partner with local councils to run a structured pilot, measure satisfaction, and use that data to make the case for a full rollout.
"I enjoyed the journey more than the outcome. It taught me the most and I feel proud of what I built."
Alma Sissolak · UX/UI Designer and Illustrator

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© 2026 Alma Sissolak

© 2026 Alma Sissolak

UX/UI Designer & Illustrator

UX/UI Designer & Illustrator

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