INDUSTRY:
Business Messaging
CLIENT:
Voley
YEAR:
2025
TYPE:
Design/Consult
Voley Messaging
about.
Voley is a business messaging app being developed by a startup focused on the insurance industry. The team wanted to build something similar to Podium, since it is a strong business messaging platform, but tailor it specifically to insurance workflows. They were missing important features like conversation logging for compliance, integration with internal software, and a clear agent assignment system. I was the only designer they consulted, and my role was to create a messaging experience that felt familiar and intuitive while solving those industry specific gaps. This was also my first freelance project, which made it both exciting and a little nerve wracking.
process.
I started by researching competitors, with a heavy focus on Podium since it was the main reference point. Podium’s UX is clean and easy to use, so I did not want to reinvent the wheel. Instead, I focused on what was missing and how to build those features into a structure users would already feel comfortable with.
From there, I moved into sketches and wireframes. I kept the overall layout familiar to reduce the learning curve, but introduced three key additions: a dedicated Log function for compliance and record keeping, integration touchpoints for internal software, and an agent assignment feature so conversations could be clearly owned and managed.
After refining the wireframes, I built out a high fidelity version of the interface and presented it to the startup team. During this stage, I ran into a design lesson the hard way. In my first iteration, I made a lot of the UI elements too large, including text, buttons, and spacing. It made the interface feel bulky and less efficient than it should have been. Since messaging tools rely on quick scanning and multitasking, I had to go back and resize and rebalance everything. It was a good reminder that small visual decisions can have a big impact on usability.
In the end, the team did not implement my design exactly as shown. But they pulled a lot of inspiration from my layouts, feature structure, and overall UX direction. I have continued to consult with them as they move the product toward market, offering input on usability decisions and feature implementation along the way.
outcome.
Even though my original design was not used one to one, the project still had a real impact. I helped shape the foundation of the UX, introduced key compliance focused features, and influenced how the startup approached user workflows within the insurance space.
Since this was my first freelance project, it did a lot for my confidence as a designer. Being trusted as the sole designer and seeing my ideas influence a real product showed me that I can contribute strategically, not just visually. It gave me experience working in a startup environment and reinforced that design is collaborative and constantly evolving. Overall, it was a big step forward for me both professionally and personally.
