Helping junior developers learn to code by building a social network app
Nubble is a fictional social network app that was developed for students of a React Native programming course.
My role in this project
visual design
branding
style guide
UI/UX
The challenge
Creating a complete visual identity for a social network app designed to serve as a portfolio piece for junior developers
Nubble was created to help students in a React Native programming course not only learn to code but also build a beautiful project for their portfolios, helping them enter the job market.

I was responsible for creating all the documentation for a style guide/design system, enabling students to learn how to componentize an application in React Native.

In addition to the interface and component documentation, I also developed the complete visual identity, including the logo, typography, colors, and overall visual direction.
01.
The project had to be visually appealing, as it was intended to serve as a portfolio piece for junior developers entering the job market.
02.
Everything had to be thoroughly documented and easy to understand, as the students were not accustomed to working with designer handoffs.
Our approach
A friendly aesthetic for the visual identity, prioritizing simplicity in the user interface
The visual identity was designed with a friendly and approachable vibe, keeping things simple and welcoming. We focused on making the user interface easy to navigate with minimal friction.

The features were heavily inspired by Instagram, so users were already familiar with components like chat, messaging, photo feeds, and more.
Making documentation and handoff a priority
As the students wouldn't have access to me for any potential doubts, I needed to ensure that Figma was as clear as possible and that all possible interactions were documented.

Another requirement of the project was that the app also had a dark mode version, as it was part of the course curriculum.
The results and key learnings
More than 200 students have already started coding Nubble
More than 200 students have gone through the course to learn how to code using Nubble. Feedback has been very positive, especially regarding the documentation and overall experience.
Not only a style guide, but also not a design system
I had to create more than just a style guide, but not as complex as a design system. It needed to have the right amount of documentation, since there wouldn’t be any updates to the components in the future.
Figma organization was fundamental
Since the project also had a dark version, figma organization was essential to help the students understand all the interactions.
Driving results through data-informed design decisions.