The Darkroom Mate Digital Design, Typography, UI/UX Design
The Darkroom Mate
The project started with a simple frustration: existing apps for film logging, development charts, timers, light metering, and inventory are often strong in isolation but fragmented in real use. After researching the space, I defined a unified structure that connects Film Rolls, Darkroom, Inventory, and Light Meter into a single system.
Problem
Film photographers often manage a full workflow across multiple disconnected tools: a development chart app, a timer app, a roll logger, a notes system, and sometimes a separate inventory tracker. That fragmentation creates friction and inconsistent record keeping.
When I reviewed existing apps in each category, I found a recurring gap: many tools are good at one specific function but don’t support the real end-to-end rhythm of shooting and developing.
The moment a user tries to move from logging a roll to metering a scene to prepping for development, the experience falls apart into separate apps and inconsistent UI patterns. The missing piece wasn’t another single-purpose tool, it was a cohesive system.
Skills: Digital Design, UI/UX, FIGMA Design, Design Guide
Software Used: Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator
Solution
I designed The Darkroom Mate, a four-in-one darkroom assistant that unifies the entire film cycle in one consistent interface:
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Darkroom — Development charts, recipes, and a guided timer.
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Film Rolls — Roll-level tracking and frame-by-frame logging.
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Inventory — Film, chemicals, and gear management for real-world readiness.
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Light Meter — iPhone-based metering with the intent to save exposure data directly into frame logs.
I mapped the experience in FigJam, defining core states and transitions — In Camera → Developing → Archived — to ensure the modules weren’t just grouped features but a connected workflow. From there I developed the UI with a calm, tool-first aesthetic: dark surfaces, clear hierarchy, consistent cards/pills, and restrained accent colour used for status and primary actions.
Outcome
The result is a high-fidelity product concept that treats film photography as a single journey rather than four separate tasks. Users can move smoothly from loading a roll, recording frames, referencing metering data, preparing recipes, and running the developing process with shared logic and consistent interaction patterns.
This project showcases my ability to identify unmet product gaps through comparative research, build a coherent feature architecture, and execute a unified visual system across multiple complex modules. It balances analog culture with modern usability, delivering an interface that feels premium, purposeful, and genuinely helpful to daily film practice.