Waitscape was a mobile app concept pitched at Startup Weekend DC in 2013. Startup Weekends are 54-hour events where developers, designers, marketers, product managers, and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups.

I served as the lead designer on the Waitscape team. The app’s concept was simple but forward-thinking: allow users to pre-order their coffee on the way to work, school, the gym—anywhere—so they could skip the line, reduce errors in verbal orders, and stay loyal to coffee shops offering the Waitscape service. All research, design, and presentation preparation was completed in 54 hours.

In addition to designing the customer-facing mobile app, I also designed the iPad app used by coffee shops to receive and manage incoming orders—ensuring a seamless, intuitive experience for both ends of the transaction.

Importantly, this concept was developed before major coffee chains introduced order-ahead functionality, making it an early innovator in the space.

Though Waitscape did not win Startup Weekend DC, our team was recognized by the judges as having the best-researched idea—a testament to our deep understanding of user pain points and market potential.