We built a robust Design System as a foundation to design and launch a user-centered app in just three months for Meta (formerly Facebook). More importantly, we empowered Meta’s design team to take full ownership of the system, the product and the processes after launch.
Challenge and objectives
Meta approached us with an urgent mission: design and launch Paven, a financial well-being app for employees, in only three months. The pressure was on to move fast and keep the process human-centered. We had to maintain a laser focus on user needs without sacrificing efficiency or consistency from discovery through delivery.
Our answer was to create a scalable Design System as the backbone of this project. This system would enable rapid prototyping for frequent user testing, seamless handoffs to developers and quick adjustments in the live product—all while meeting Meta’s high bar for quality and usability.
Our approach
and deliverables
Design System
Built and helped to develop a centralized design library of reusable components, patterns, and styles—tailored for lightning-fast prototyping and ready for live production.
Product design and testing
Designed and prototyped every core feature of Paven's MVP, then validated each one through iterative user testing based on weekly cycles. Even the small details came to life, including animated illustrations that enriched the user experience.
Guidelines and training
Developed comprehensive guidelines and ran training sessions to enable the in-house team to confidently maintain and evolve both the product and its Design System long after launch.
Impact
Paven went from concept to reality in a mere three months—without ever losing the human touch. Designers iterated freely, testing ideas with real users every week and polishing the app’s experience until it shined. The result was a user-focused journey that felt perfectly at home in Meta’s brand universe. And the impact lasted beyond launch: our Design System made collaboration with developers frictionless and left the in-house design team with a foundation they can build on independently.
* Janine and Michael have been Design Leads at this project, prior to the founding of Inverse Studio shortly after.
