Tracking the invisible

Everyday peace of mind

Platform: Mobile

Tools: Figma, ChatGPT (prompting partner), design thinking framework

Role: Junior Product Designer (AI-assisted prototyping, UI systems, accessibility)

Duration: 2 days - Class project, January 2025

Challenge

This class project asked us to create a useful everyday tool with AI assistance. My concept was a device that would help track and locate the personal objects that we all tend to misplace (water bottles, keys, chargers etc.). Existing trackers can be bulky or in some cases, overly visible.

My goal was to show how a discreet digitally linked tool could help to reduce stress from losing your items, remain accessible and also user friendly.

I sought to explore AI collaboration, as a design partner for rapid output, while still applying human-centered judgement to guide the outcome.

Objective

Design a hybrid solution that makes object tracking:

  • Subtle: Blends seamlessly with personal items.

  • Accessible: Can be applied to all your belongings.

  • Practical: Reduces everyday stress and recovery time in finding misplaced items.

Process

  1. Inspiration: The idea started when I misplaced my water bottle and I couldn’t track where I left it.

  2. AI collaboration: I used AI prompting in Chat GPT and Figma Make as ideation partners to:

    • Produce early wireframes and layout ideas.

    • Iterate with human judgement where AI lacked context to refine usability, readability, and flow.

  3. Prototyping

    • Prompted my way to creating a UV-visible sticker marker: invisible in normal light but detectable with a backlight for discreet recovery.

    • designed a mobile dashboard with scrollable item management and map views for location tracking to find your missing item.

  4. Key design principles

    • Accessibility - high contrast UI, simple icons.

    • Transparency - clear communication about data use and location permissions.

    • Utility - grounded in everyday “forgetful” moments, not just technology for its own sake.

Outcome

InvisiTrack - a fictional mobile app prototype with a physical sticker concept blending hardware and software:

  • Mobile dashboard tracking items.

  • Blacklight-visible stickers for physical confirmation.

  • Map and item management tools for recovery.

Click here to experience the prototype

What I learned

  • AI + Human collaboration: AI sped up iteration, but my design judgement was important to ensure usability and guide prompts to filter noise.

  • Human-Centered framing: A relatable story (me forgetting a water bottle) anchored the design, making it relatable and empathetic.

  • Systems thinking: Blending hardware and software elements required balancing feasibility, transparency and usability.

Next steps

If developed further:

  • Explore accessibility further through prompting (voice prompts, haptic cues).

  • Refine feasibility of hardware materials (UV sticker production).

  • Run usability tests to validate task success rates, ease of use, and perceived value.

Why does this Case Study Matter?

This was a class project for my Exploration and Analysis graduate class to show how I experimented with AI assisted workflows, anchor design in human-centered problems, and how I structured outcomes in a way that is both conceptual and practical.

While fictional, it reflects how I approach new tools, rapid prototyping, and design validation, skills that I am actively building as a junior designer.