Taking a meal-planning app from prototype to launch in 48 hours.
LifeBites
In a four-person hackathon team, I led the design of a meal-planning web app and helped implement its responsive front end and Gemini integration within the 48-hour deadline.
At a glanceShipped in 48 hours · Led design for a team of 4
01 / Background & problem
Make meal planning useful within a 48-hour build.
LifeBites began as a 48-hour hackathon project with a team of four. The product connected meal ideas to dietary needs and available ingredients. The short deadline meant the team needed a clear design to build from while development was already moving.
I led the design work, researching dietary needs and ingredient availability and translating that direction into a high-fidelity Figma prototype.
02 / Design decisions & execution
Give the team one prototype to build from.
I created the high-fidelity Figma prototype that the team used as its implementation reference. This connected the dietary and ingredient research to a shared interface direction during the hackathon.
I then helped build the responsive front end with Next.js and Tailwind CSS and connected the Gemini API for meal planning. The app also used Firebase. Moving between the prototype and implementation helped keep my design contribution connected to what we could deliver within the deadline.
03 / Results & reflection
Ship the app within the 48-hour limit.
Our four-person team shipped the web app within 48 hours. My contribution combined design leadership, the high-fidelity Figma prototype, responsive front-end work, and the Gemini API connection.
The hackathon gave me experience making design decisions under a fixed deadline and creating a prototype that teammates could use immediately. It reinforced the value of staying involved as the design became a working product.