Zrø 2026
Web and App
Zrø is a reflective digital experience that helps users notice what is already present in their own words without explicitly providing advice.
As the product design lead on the project, I was responsible for translating Zrø’s philosophy and vision into a cohesive digital experience. I defined the interaction model, primary visual language, motion principles, and brand identity across mobile and web, transforming abstract concepts into a unified product.
Another
Chatbot
Early versions of Zrø used a conventional chat interface with message bubbles and a persistent AI identity. While familiar, users immediately associated the experience with existing AI assistants and conversational products. This shifted their expectations toward asking questions and receiving answers—the opposite of the reflective experience Zrø was designed to create.
Old “Chat” Mode
stale, too permanent, and reminiscent of classic AI chat tools
Old “Card” Mode
cards felt better than bubbles, but didn’t serve a particular purpose
Final
Feels like your own thoughts visualized instead of someone talking to you
I noticed that interaction patterns communicate a product’s purpose long before reading any text. Therefore, I removed any hint toward conversational structure, replacing previous interfaces with a continuous stream of language that unfolds naturally like our thoughts themselves.
Memory
The traditional AI chat sidebar prioritizes recency and scannability for users to quickly index previous conversations. This kind of interface conflicted with the product’s goal of encouraging users to revisit reflections as meaningful experiences rather than completed exchanges.
Rather than presenting previous sessions as conversations, I redesigned them as individual spaces that users could return to. Each chat became more easily visualized through a box preview, which provoked feelings of entering a room or past memory. The improved navigation emphasized entering and revisiting experiences instead of scrolling through archived chats.
Philosophy
To Form
One of Zrø’s central ideas was that clarity doesn’t appear instantly, just as answers don’t come to us right away. In fact, it gradually comes into focus as our attention shifts. I focused the feelings I associated with the concept of aperture: uncertainty, emergence, focus, and changing perspective. The challenge was translating this abstract philosophy into a visual experience without relying on literal camera imagery or explanatory graphics.
I explored dynamic blur systems, motion studies, and interactive visual experiments inspired by the behavior of an aperture. Through multiple iterations, these ideas evolved into a fluid landing experience where clarity subtly emerges through the interaction of users themselves.
