ArchMateria — Materials & Project Discovery Platform

Role: Product & UX/UI Designer (sole designer)
Duration: Ongoing project
Platform: Responsive marketplace platform (Desktop · iPad · Mobile)
Tools: Figma · Figma Make · FigJam · AI-assisted workflows · Design System

ArchMateria hero section

ArchMateria partial landing page

I am designing ArchMateria, a responsive architectural materials platform connecting architects, suppliers, and manufacturers across China and international markets through curated material discovery, project inspiration, and editorial storytelling.

As the sole designer, I am leading both the brand direction and end-to-end UX/UI process — including branding, user research, personas, information architecture, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, responsive UI design, design systems, and stakeholder workshops — while helping define the product vision in a fast-evolving startup environment.

The platform is being designed across desktop, tablet, and mobile experiences with a focus on scalable UX foundations, premium visual direction, and complex material exploration workflows.

Outcome

  • Developed the brand identity and visual direction for a premium architecture-focused platform.

  • Established scalable UX foundations for a responsive materials marketplace experience.

  • Created a high-end editorial-inspired UI system tailored to architects and design professionals.

  • Improved material discovery and manufacturer exploration through clearer IA, filtering structures, and navigation systems.

  • Developed reusable responsive components and an evolving design system for future scalability.

  • Helped align stakeholders around UX processes, feature prioritisation, and MVP direction.

  • Introduced bilingual and cross-market UX considerations for Chinese and international audiences.

Challenges

  • Defining both brand direction and UX structure within an evolving startup vision.

  • Translating complex architectural material data into intuitive and scalable user experiences.

  • Balancing editorial storytelling with functional filtering and technical specifications.

  • Managing shifting feature requirements and ongoing scope evolution during the design process.

  • Designing responsive experiences that work consistently across desktop, tablet, and mobile.

  • Creating scalable UX foundations flexible enough for future AI and material simulation features.

  • Aligning multiple stakeholder expectations while introducing UX processes in a low-design-maturity environment.

Key Contributions

  • Led branding, product strategy, and end-to-end UX/UI design as the sole designer.

  • Defined the platform’s brand identity, visual language, typography direction, colour palette, and editorial design style.

  • Designed responsive experiences across desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms.

  • Defined primary and secondary user personas to guide platform structure and product decisions.

  • Conducted competitor analysis, UX benchmarking, and workflow research across architecture and materials platforms.

  • Designed information architecture, user journeys, and filtering systems for complex material categories and technical specifications.

  • Created low-fidelity wireframes, interaction flows, and interactive prototypes to validate concepts early.

  • Conducted iterative usability testing and design reviews to improve navigation clarity and user experience.

  • Facilitated stakeholder workshops to align expectations, clarify UX processes, and refine scope.

  • Designed manufacturer pages, material libraries, project showcases, login experiences, and saved collections.

  • Built and maintained an evolving responsive design system using reusable UI components and AI-assisted workflows.

  • Designed bilingual and cross-market UX experiences for architects, suppliers, and manufacturers across Chinese and international markets.

  • Balanced premium editorial aesthetics, accessibility, and scalable product thinking throughout the design process.

ArchMateria product detailed page

ArchMateria materials gallery page