Fiction

This mobile app was created with a central thesis in mind: Could we create an entertainment experience that leaves people feeling better, not worse, after engaging?

The goal was to build an emotionally engaging space where AI-generated content was actively experienced, shaped, and remembered by the user.

SCOPE

Mobile App Design

TOOLS

Design Process

My team and I tested four unique product prototypes over the span of 1.5 years, each exploring different pathways to reduce regret and increase emotional resonance:

V1: Quick Reactions – A swipe-based, lightweight interface for instant reactions to generative content.

V2: Collaborative Stories – A group-based narrative creation tool resembling a social storytelling experience.

V3: Story Mapping – An interactive map visually connecting stories, characters, and themes.

V4: Multimodal Creation – A flexible platform integrating diverse content formats including stories, images, music, and interactive experiences.

Each iteration tested our hypothesis from a fresh angle, deepening our understanding of meaningful user interaction.

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Outcome

Version 4 of Fiction was deployed to the public. It combined all learnings from previous prototypes into a unified, dynamic platform. The app focused on emotionally responsive experiences tailored to different content types (stories, images, rap battles, etc.).

With intentional pacing, creating moments of emotional depth, and a more exploratory navigational approach, we were able to create active engagement rather than passive scrolling.

We saw it in the numbers. Average time spent per app open exceeded benchmarks set by Facebook and Snapchat (15m on Fiction vs. 12m on Facebook vs. 9m on Snapchat). Overall usage was on par with leading social media platforms.

COLLEAGUES

Thomas Stahura, CEO
Jack Blair, Engineer
Kian Kishimoto, Engineer

Timeline

1 Year, 6 Months

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