American Speed

Case Study: American Speed - A Social Media Platform for Car and Bike Enthusiasts

Project Overview:

American Speed is a niche social media platform tailored specifically for car and bike enthusiasts. The goal of the platform is to provide an engaging space where users can connect with like-minded individuals, share their vehicle builds, organize or join local rides, and explore detailed specs and modifications of others' vehicles. As a UI/UX Designer on this project, I was responsible for visual design, user research, wireframes, and exploring monetization strategies.

• My Role:

  • UI/UX Design

    • User Research (Independent)

    • Wireframing and Prototyping

    • Visual Design System

    • Monetization Ideation

    This was my first end-to-end project where I was learning on the job while executing every stage of the design process

    Target Audience

    The platform is aimed at:

    • Individuals aged 18–45

    • Existing members of car/bike clubs or gangs

    • People passionate about modifying or showcasing their vehicles

    • Those looking for community, events, and ride meetups

    By narrowing the focus to this demographic, we ensured the product had a strong sense of community and relevance.

    Tools Used

    • Figma – My primary design tool. I used this opportunity to hone my skills, building all wireframes, UI components, and prototypes within Figma.

    Design System

    • Typography:

      • Logo: Oleo Script – Gives a bold, expressive identity

      • Body: Merriweather – Clean, readable for longer content

    • Color Palette:

      • Primary: #01118D – Deep, authoritative blue symbolizing trust and boldness

  • Accents: Shades of #01118D for contrast and emphasis

  • Background: #FFFFFF (Light Mode)

Q&A Breakdown

Q1: What is American Speed?

American Speed is a social media platform created specifically for car and bike lovers. Unlike mainstream social media, it’s built for a niche audience to connect over their passion, share vehicle specs, plan rides, and form communities. The platform combines community-building with performance showcasing.

Q2: What was your role in the project?

As the UI/UX designer, I handled the visual design, conducted solo user research, and created wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes. I also explored possible monetization opportunities within the platform.

Q3: Who is the target audience and how did you define it? T

he platform targets car and bike enthusiasts aged 18–45 — people who are already part of clubs or gangs or have a strong interest in modified vehicles and ride meetups. These insights came from online forums, Reddit threads, and similar community observations.

Q4: What challenges did you face during the project?

• Learning on the job and navigating through uncertainties as a first-time designer

• No formal user interviews, which made validating ideas harder

• Creating value in a niche platform while making it engaging

• Exploring monetization in a community-first product

Q5: How did you gather insights about user needs?

I relied heavily on secondary research — car enthusiast forums, subreddit discussions, and YouTube comments — to identify user behavior, content trends, and engagement triggers. These insights helped shape both the features and the UI/UX.

Q6: How did you approach the overall visual design of the platform?

My goal was to strike a balance between boldness and clarity. I chose a deep blue primary color (#01118D) to evoke trust and seriousness while using white space for readability. The use of Oleo Script for the logo added character, while Merriweather kept the body text readable and elegant. I wanted the design to resonate with Gen Z and Millennial users without compromising on usability.

Q7: How did you ensure the platform would be useful and engaging?

I structured the platform to feel like a digital garage and clubhouse — users could showcase their rides, join local rides, and interact through detailed specs and stories. Features like ride planning, vehicle mod galleries, and verified performance tags helped make it more than just a photo-sharing app.

Key Takeaways

• Designed a niche platform from scratch

• Learned the importance of clarity in communication and hierarchy in UI

• Gained hands-on experience in building a design system

• Developed a deeper understanding of community-driven UX

Final Thoughts

This project marked my transition from theoretical learning to practical application in UI/UX. Despite the hurdles of solo research and being a beginner, I delivered a visually cohesive and community-centric product that I’m proud to include in my portfolio.

Wireframes