Building Experiences That Actually Work
We started DigitalMeshNet in 2019 because we kept seeing the same problem. Businesses would invest in mobile apps that looked nice but failed when real people tried to use them. That gap between design and usability bothered us enough to do something about it.
How We Got Here
Our founder, Anwen Rhydderch, spent years working with Hong Kong startups and SMEs. She noticed a pattern. Companies would launch apps with features nobody asked for while ignoring the basics that users actually needed.
The turning point came in early 2024 when a retail client's app had a 78% abandonment rate during checkout. Not because the payment system failed, but because users couldn't figure out how to edit their cart. Simple things matter more than fancy features.
That's when we decided to focus exclusively on mobile app UX and UI design. Not websites. Not marketing materials. Just mobile experiences that work the way people expect them to.
What Guides Our Work
These aren't motivational poster phrases. They're the principles we actually use when making decisions about projects.
User Testing Over Assumptions
We test designs with actual users before finalizing anything. Last month, user feedback changed our navigation approach on three different projects. Sometimes what seems obvious to us makes zero sense to the people using the app.
Clarity Beats Creativity
A button that's easy to find and tap is better than an innovative gesture nobody discovers. We'll choose boring and functional over clever and confusing every time. Your users will thank you for it.
Honest Timelines
If a project needs six weeks, we say six weeks. Not four weeks with rushed corners and midnight fixes. We've turned down projects when clients needed unrealistic turnarounds because quality suffers when you're racing the clock.
Mobile-First Actually Means Mobile-First
Most people say mobile-first but design on desktop screens. We prototype on actual phones because thumb reach and one-handed use aren't theoretical concepts. They're how your customers interact with your app on the MTR.
Iteration Is Normal
First drafts are rarely right. We build in revision cycles because discovering issues during design is much cheaper than fixing them after launch. Getting feedback early saves time and money in the long run.
Context Matters
An app for restaurant ordering needs different considerations than one for financial services. We don't use template approaches because each industry has specific user behaviors and expectations that affect design decisions.
Who's Actually Doing the Work
We're a small team based in Kowloon. Small enough that clients work directly with the people designing their apps, not account managers who relay messages. Our designers have backgrounds in psychology, computer science, and graphic design, which gives us different perspectives when solving UX problems.
Anwen Rhydderch
Lead UX Designer
Anwen started in web development before switching to UX design in 2017. She's particularly focused on accessibility and designs with screen readers and motor limitations in mind. Outside work, she volunteers with Code for HK on civic tech projects.
How We Approach Projects
Every project is different, but our general process stays consistent. It's structured enough to keep things moving forward and flexible enough to adapt when we learn something new about your users.
Discovery and Research
We start by understanding who's using your app and why. This includes competitor analysis, user interviews when possible, and reviewing any existing analytics. The goal is identifying actual user needs rather than assumed ones. This phase typically takes one to two weeks depending on project scope.
Wireframing and User Flows
Before touching visual design, we map out how users move through the app. Low-fidelity wireframes let us test structure and flow without getting distracted by colors and fonts. We involve clients heavily here because catching structural issues early prevents expensive revisions later.
Visual Design and Prototyping
Once the structure works, we add visual design. This includes establishing design systems, creating high-fidelity mockups, and building interactive prototypes. We design for both iOS and Android platforms because interaction patterns differ between them. Users expect certain behaviors based on their device.
Testing and Refinement
We test prototypes with real users to identify friction points. Sometimes we discover issues we completely missed. Testing usually reveals three to five significant improvements we can make before handoff to developers. These sessions often save months of post-launch adjustments.