VidSpace
VidSpace
VidSpace
Mobile Web App
Role
Co-Founder + Designer
Side Project
Year
2013
Introduction
In 2013, during my final year of college, I got my first real introduction to building products. Messaging apps were on the rise—Snapchat was exploding, and Instagram had just introduced direct messaging. People were starting to communicate through media like emojis and photos but there was no easy way to send movie clips and memes in conversations. My co-founder and I set out to change that by creating a library of thousands of movie clips that users could seamlessly share in text messages.
At the time, GIFs were still a niche internet phenomenon, mostly confined to Reddit. GIPHY had just launched in early 2013, but reaction GIF humor hadn't yet reached mainstream audiences. We saw an opportunity to bring this form of communication to the masses, bridging the gap between meme culture and everyday messaging.
I started an Instagram account called Normon Memes to show the potential of our app.
The account quickly took off, reaching 100,000 followers, validating the demand for shareable video content in messaging.
Building the MVP
We manually built a library of thousands of movie clips and created an app that let users access and send them in conversations. We launched an MVP and tested it with friends, learning firsthand what worked and what didn’t.
Lessons Learned -
A Crash Course in UX
VidSpace was like my real-world UX bootcamp. Unlike hypothetical school projects that never get built, this was an actual product with real users, real stakes, and real money on the line. The lessons I learned shaped how I approach UX today:
Clarity in Design = Time & Money Saved
I learned the hard way that unclear designs and vague requirements can cost months of work and thousands of dollars. Every design decision needed to be precise, ensuring developers had everything they needed to execute efficiently.
Validating Ideas Before Building
Through rapid prototyping and user interviews, I saw firsthand how early validation could determine whether an idea was worth pursuing—before sinking time and money into development.
User Testing for Real Insights
We ran usability tests on new features and discovery research to uncover what would make the app a better experience. These insights directly influenced product decisions.
Unlike structured UX courses, where projects exist only in theory, VidSpace forced me to learn by doing—by solving real problems, iterating based on real feedback, and experiencing firsthand the impact of good and bad UX decisions. This hands-on experience laid the foundation for my career in product design.
