Founder / Photomoth

Photomoth is a platform for creators and supporters with great passions for photography and travel. Vetted photographers and travelers share and discover beautiful places around the world. Each photo spot comes with reliable directions, tips, and other relevant information all in one place.

MY ROLE

• Founder
• From ideation to launch, I designed everything from scratch and hired developers to write codes based on my design and specifications.
• Create product roadmaps and responsible for all facets of design.
• Managed developers’ workflow to maximize efficiency.
• QA and provided feedback to the engineering team.
• Financial planning and all aspects of project development.

GOALS

• Build a useful photo/travel platform with great user experience that people would want to use.
• Have a greater focus on providing high-quality photos with accurate location information so that everyone can be inspired and benefit from the content.
• Enable members to monetize their content in a variety of methods (features to be released later).
• Consistent growth without sacrificing quality and core values.
• Adjust and roll out new features as necessary.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

As someone who enjoys exploring beautiful places and taking photos, I find it rather inconvenient to find information about locations that are accurate and useful. Information is often scattered across different websites and social media platforms.

• The way sightseeing and photo spot information are available on the internet is overwhelming.
• Directions are vague and often point to a general area, not the precise spot where camera was placed.
• Information is scattered across the internet on different platforms.
• Photographers often have to do additional research on weather, gear, and sample works from other photographers.

MY SOLUTION

Create a platform with a stronger focus on sharing photo spots with accurate and useful information on locations. Each location comes with high-quality photos, reliable directions and tips from vetted photographers. It will be a one-stop solution for photographers and travelers to share and find inspirations.

• Provide reliable directions and useful information all in one place.
• Photographers are screened before they are allowed to post photos and directions to ensure high-quality content.
• User-friendly design and curated content help users easily find what they need.
• Build with photographers in mind with relevant information.
• Users who cannot post photos can share photos and travel stories in the form of blog articles.
• Incentivize creators with a digital gifting system that can translate into real cash.
• Eventually allow photographers to sell their photos and everyone to create tour guides for sale.

QUESTIONS & VALIDATION

What makes Photomoth different from other photo and travel platforms?

What value does Photomoth bring to its users?

Why would people want to use Photomoth?

How can Photomoth become profitable?

How can I validate and measure the outcomes?

MOVING FORWARD WITH THE IDEA

After some limited research and conducting surveys among photographers and travelers, I felt very motivated to solve this problem. With the right design and proper development, I believe Photomoth can be a useful tool for photographers and travelers.

FEATURES

📸 Photos on Photomoth

Vetted photographers share their best photos of locations they’ve explored. Each photo comes with directions and tips from the photographer. Information on gear, camera settings, sunrise and sunset times, and weather conditions are also conveniently available in one place.

🌟 Curated Galleries

Beautifully curated galleries are available at your fingertips to inspire your next adventure.

🏞️ Photo Collections

Discover the most breathtaking views around the world and curate your own galleries into collections.

📝 Blogging

Write and share your travel stories with the world. It’s also a great way to share information on photo spots and travel tips in the form of blog articles.

🌎 Gaining Exposure

Inspire and be inspired! Connect with other individuals with great passions for photography and travel.

💰 Earning Cash

Share your best work through photos and/or blogging, and provide the most helpful directions possible to photo spots. Earn support from the community in the form of Support Stickers, which can translate into real cash.

USER TYPES

• Photographers: Vetted photographers are able to post photos and blog articles.
• Travelers: Traveler users can only post blog articles.
• Admin: The admin curate content and acts as moderator.

PRODUCT SITEMAP

USER FLOWS & WIREFRAMES

HIGH FIDELITY DESIGN

HOMEPAGE

SIGN UP & ONBOARDING

USER PROFILE

UPLOADING PHOTOS

VIEWING PHOTOS

COLLECTING PHOTOS

CURATED GALLERIES

BLOGGING

SUPPORT STICKERS

UPGRADE TO PRO

STYLE GUIDE

TECH STACK

• PHP Framework
• Laravel 8
• Pusher

PRODUCT ROADMAP

• Milestone 1
  • Homepage (with placeholders)
  • Onboarding: Sign Up & Log In
  • Onboarding: User Profile & Account
• Milestone 2
  • Admin Panel
  • Upload Photos
  • Displaying Photos (Card View & Detail View)
• Milestone 3
  • Collect Photos
  • Admin Curated Content
  • Homepage (remove placeholders)
• Milestone 4
  • Search
  • Blogs
• Milestone 5
  • Chat
  • Landing Pages
• Milestone 6
  • Final Testing
  • Polishing

LAUNCH

• Step 1: Invite 4 photographers to use the platform. Ask for high-quality photos and content to set the standards.
• Step 2: Invite up to 20 photographers.
• Step 3: Invite more photographers and travelers. Consider doing some marketing campaign and broader outreach.