Jacob Starr | Product Designer, Web Designer, Brand Designer | Building Research-Driven, Business-Oriented Digital Experiences

DIO PLATFORMS

THE PROBLEM

Nightlife hasn’t really changed in decades.

The drink ordering experience at a bar is chaotic on both sides of the counter.

Partygoers: long waits, forgotten tabs, and no way to track order history.

Bartenders: orders processed inefficiently and individually… take order, make drink, process payment, repeat.

Bars operate on razor-thin margins. Any solution must not just work for users, but drive real business value.

"A venue’s success is tied to how fast I can be as a bartender."

—random bartender I interviewed

THE SOLUTION

Dio connects partygoers and bars via a seamless platform that simplifies service and discovery.

Key innovations:

Complexity-based queueing: Batch drink orders by prep difficulty, not order time.

Digitalize & streamline: Reduce bar friction from individual processing of orders, and accept payments from digital options.

Live venue discovery: Let users find their ideal bar in real-time.

A better night out starts with Dio.

UX Constraints

(AND WHAT I DID ABOUT THEM)

The nature of our startup workflow was launch first, refine later.

My co-founder believed we were at the precipice of a disrupting technology, and didn't want someone else to get there first.

Business dictated the roadmap.

No time allotted for formal UX research.

So I reframed my role, integrating informal ways of validating while shipping fast.

Studied precedents from other industries, repurposing when possible.

Talked to bartenders and bar-goers casually (weekend nights = field research)

"I feel like I spend half the time [at a bar] waiting in lines."

—random partygoer I interviewed

"If I get too drunk, I’ll wake up with hundreds charged to my card and no idea what I even ordered."

—random partygoer I interviewed

KEY INSIGHTS

(THAT INFORMED THE PRODUCT)

Competitive Audit

Bibe: similar to Dio, but doesn't improve the ordering process, just promises bartenders more money.

Gloworder: cool make-your-own drink feature, but doesn't address issue of bar overcrowding.

Noble: acquired, has decent traction, but only handles pre-set menus and focuses more on event venues than nightlife.

Backbar: effective as a back-end system for bars, but has no b2c component and pricing structure is deceptive.

Casual Conversations

Talking to drunk partygoers and mid-shift bartenders was untraditional, but uncovered some repeating tropes:

Men & shorter people struggle systematically at busy bars.

Partygoers pondered why payment options are limited to "cash or card."

Bartenders acknowledge current process is inefficient but don't have alternative.

Takeaway: we can't fix nightlife unless we improve both sides of the experience.

IDEATION & SKETCHES

I jumped straight into exploratory sketching, connecting all sides of the value chain to optimize performance for both user sets.

Key flows:

Order queue.

Bar discovery & recommendations.

Set menu + custom drink builder.

Digital payment & tipping.

Product Innovation

QUEUE AND GROUPING

The most impactful design decision? A system that sorts and batches drink orders by complexity, not by what time they were ordered.

Drinks are classified into 3 levels:

Grab-and-go (cans, bottles)

Well cocktails (vodka soda, vodka sour)

Custom specialty drinks (menu cocktails)

Level 1 orders can all get batched together, level 2 orders can get batched together with the same liquor base, and level 3 orders can only get batched together if they're the exact same.

Beta test result: from entering a busy bar until getting a drink, ~9.5 minute wait shortened to ~3 minute wait or less.

We filed a patent for this technology.

QUEUE

GROUPING

PLAN EFFICIENTLY

The drink queue lets us do some cool stuff… like estimate wait times at bars.

Use Dio to discover a venue that perfectly matches your vibe.

MIX-IT-YOURSELF

Select from a pre-set menu, or build drinks like Chipotle burritos.

Clear options, transparent prices, no awkward interactions.

PAY YOUR WAY

No more "cash or card."

Imagine the flexibility of paying with Apple Pay, Cashapp, Venmo, Paypal, and more.

Business impact

grouping = reduced friction & faster service

faster service = more drinks sold & revenue

bars on Dio = another marketing stream

Dio solves pain points throughout the nightlife value chain, meeting real business needs.

Marketing & Launch

I also led branding and marketing creative, crafting Dio’s visual identity, character illustrations, and launch campaign.

What I Learned

UX is a toolset, not a checklist. Malleability can turn weird situations to good design.

Business and UX are two sides of the same coin. Design isn't viable if it can't scale or sell.

Ship > perfect. We couldn't have innovated some of these core features without the pressure from shipping quickly.

MORE PROJECTS

STARTUP
OTTERLOON
A digital platform reimagining professional networking without superficiality or transaction.
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Personal Project
CRESCENDO
Challenging hearing aid stigma with fashion-forward design and accessible personalization.
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Personal Project
SAVOR
An optimally humanized version of social media through the shared cultural connection of food.
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Personal Project
LAGNIAPP
A gamified navigation app creating mutual value for users, businesses, and cities.
See More

STARTUP
OTTERLOON
A digital platform reimagining professional networking without superficiality or transaction.
See More
Personal Project
CRESCENDO
Challenging hearing aid stigma with fashion-forward design and accessible personalization.
See More
Personal Project
SAVOR
An optimally humanized version of social media through the shared cultural connection of food.
See More
Personal Project
LAGNIAPP
A gamified navigation app creating mutual value for users, businesses, and cities.
See More

MORE PROJECTS

View the range of digital design work I've done across mobile and web.

THE PROBLEM

THE SOLUTION

UX Constraints

(AND WHAT I DID ABOUT THEM)

KEY INSIGHTS

(THAT INFORMED THE PRODUCT)

IDEATION & SKETCHES

Product Innovation

QUEUE AND GROUPING

QUEUE

GROUPING

PLAN EFFICIENTLY

MIX-IT-YOURSELF

PAY YOUR WAY

Business impact

Marketing & Launch

What I Learned

STARTUP

OTTERLOON

See More

Personal Project

CRESCENDO

See More

Personal Project

SAVOR

See More

Personal Project

LAGNIAPP

See More

STARTUP

OTTERLOON

See More

Personal Project

CRESCENDO

See More

Personal Project

SAVOR

See More

Personal Project

LAGNIAPP

See More

MORE PROJECTS

All Projects