Role: Lead Product Designer + Systems Architect

Project: Net-new insurtech platform

Released: 2025

Loti Design System

Scaling a disaster relief platform from zero with a robust system

CONTEXT & STAKES

Pre-seed, 4-person startup racing to launch ahead of the California wildfire season deadline for a first-of-its-kind insurtech relief platform. We needed a scalable system to enable rapid iteration under extreme time pressure while ensuring developer handoff velocity and future growth.

MY ROLE & COLLABORATORS

I operated as the lead product designer and systems architect across multiple workstreams. Building a net-new Figma component library and Storybook documentation from the ground up. Team met twice a week for development syncs to align on progress, implications, and any gaps.

PROBLEMS & INSIGHTS

User Pain Points

  • No existing patterns for novel disaster relief UX

  • Rapid feature evolution outpacing ad-hoc design

  • A small team needed maximum consistency & scalability

Technical Pain Points

  • Developer handoff was critical for launch velocity

  • Needed to future-proof tokens (i.e., dark mode, accessibility, etc.)

STRATEGY & KEY DECISIONS

Cards as a unifying primitive

Photos, documents, and expenses unified under a consistent card framework. Established visual/structural consistency across core inventory experiences despite rapid feature changes.

HCT colors for future flexibility

Harmonious Color Tokens enabled dark mode readiness, accessibility compliance, and brand expression flexibility from day one, critical for long-term scalability.

Lexend type system for clear weight

Free, sans-serif font with robust weights created a clear hierarchy for dense inventory, financial, and timeline data. Established type scale guiding all product surfaces.

Filter/side panel patterns for complex data

Elevated filters + robust side panel states (open/close, tabbed content) handled multi-dimensional data.

AI-powered photo analysis workflows

Designed patterns for AI object detection (pre/post-disaster photos) to automate inventory validation. Established a UX framework for AI-driven insights in relief workflows.

SOLUTION

Foundation

Establishing the underlying system for how the brand is perceived before creating the key interaction components.

Interation

Developing the key interaction component sets to help aid in rapid development and production.

Structure

Cards unify photos, documents, and expenses into a consistent pattern, so new features can be added quickly without the product feeling piecemeal.

System overview

Documented a reusable system in Figma, giving designers and engineers a single source of truth for components and states.

OUTCOMES

  • Accelerated prototyping & development velocity for 4-person team

  • Zero design debt at launch despite rapid iteration

  • Scalable foundation enabling future features (AI-workflows + dark mode)

WHAT I LEARNED

For the Organization

  • Zero-to-one systems foundation accelerated launch velocity and positioned Loti for rapid expansion.

For Myself

  • Applied product, branding, and architecture thinking to build scalable design systems under extreme constraints.