Listo is a conceptual mobile app designed for the Dominican Republic that connects users with verified local service providers - from electricians to therapists.
At the heart of the platform is a multilingual AI assistant that guides users through finding, booking, and chatting with providers. This reduces confusion, builds trust, and makes the experience accessible to all - regardless of age or tech skills.
The AI-first approach sets the stage for future expansion across Spanish-speaking markets.
As the Product Designer, I led the end-to-end UX process - from user flows and wireframes to the final UI - with a focus on integrating the AI assistant to simplify service discovery and communication.
Informal labor dominates the market: According to Banco Central of the DR (2023), over 52% of the workforce operates outside the formal economy. Most jobs are arranged through WhatsApp groups, word-of-mouth, or Facebook posts — making it hard for both workers and clients to build trust or grow professionally.
Users often rely on WhatsApp or social media to find help, but face scams, missed appointments, and no accountability.
There’s no trusted platform where users can compare providers, book confidently, or resolve service issues.
Professionals without strong online networks or marketing knowledge struggle to compete and grow their client base.
Younger users expect smooth, app-like experiences — but informal workflows don’t meet those expectations..
To design an effective solution, we conducted extensive user interviews and provider surveys to understand the challenges, frustrations, and opportunities within the service market.
15 users from Santo Domingo and Santiago participated in in-depth interviews to identify key pain points when booking services.
20 providers (electricians, plumbers, beauty professionals) were surveyed to explore their challenges with client acquisition and pricing.
The research revealed that while both customers and providers have similar goals, they differ in their needs and expectations.
As part of our Research & Discovery phase, we conducted in-depth user interviews to understand current behaviors, pain points, and trust barriers. These are two examples of the questions and answers asked:
What's most important to you when hiring a cleaner?
✸ Maria: ❝I want someone affordable, but they need to be thorough. I also prefer someone recommended by a friend.❞
Insight: While Maria thinks affordability is the most important, she truly needs a cleaner she can trust-someone with positive reviews and a background check. LISTO could highlight verified professionals over simply offering low-cost providers.
How do you currently find house cleaners?
✸ Maria: ❝Usually, I just ask my neighbor or family if they know someone. It's quick that way.❞
Insight: Maria's want is convenience, but her need is access to a larger pool of trusted providers, which could eliminate reliance on personal referrals.
Have you ever had a bad experience hiring someone?
✸ Maria: ❝Yes, the cleaner didn't show up and didn't answer my messages. I was so frustrated.❞
Insight: Her experience shows that communication tools are critical. While she initially thought a referral was enough, what she really needs is reliable communication-which LISTO's in-app chat can address.
Summary of Wants vs Needs Insights (Maria - Customer)
➥ Wants: Convenience and low prices.
➥ Needs: Verified, reliable providers with clear communication.
What's your biggest challenge in finding new clients?
✸ Luis: ❝I want more clients, but I don't have time to promote myself online or build a website.❞
Insight: Luis thinks he needs more clients, but what he truly needs is better visibility. A platform like LISTO can provide him with a digital presence without requiring extra effort on his part.
How do clients usually contact you?
✸ Luis: ❝They call or send me WhatsApp messages, but sometimes it takes me a while to respond if I'm on a job.❞
Insight: Luis wants flexibility in communication, but he needs a structured system to manage inquiries without missing opportunities. LISTO's real-time messaging feature with push notifications addresses this gap.
How do you decide how much to charge for your services?
✸ Luis: ❝It depends. Sometimes I charge differently based on the customer. Some expect a lower price, so I adjust.❞
Insight: Luis wants pricing flexibility, but he needs to offer transparent pricing to build trust with new customers. LISTO's pricing transparency feature can help him establish credibility.
Summary of Wants vs Needs Insights (Luis - Service Provider)
➥ Wants: More clients and communication flexibility.
➥ Needs: Better visibility and tools for pricing transparency and inquiry management.
We followed an iterative design process, starting with user research data and insights, and later moving through prototyping, testing, and refinement to align the platform with user needs.
After defining core needs from both users and providers, we mapped a complete service ecosystem to embed AI into every critical moment — not as a chatbot, but as a context-aware assistant woven into the experience.
The goal: simplify decisions, reduce user effort, and increase confidence across a fragmented, informal market.
This blueprint outlines the entire user journey, highlighting where AI assists with discovery, scheduling, pricing, and communication. Front-stage actions show user interaction, while back-stage actions reveal how the system works intelligently behind the scenes.
AI touchpoints are embedded across customer interaction and back-end processing.
The information architecture reflects how user flows are segmented between customer and provider roles, with AI-driven onboarding, personalized search, and smart nudging built into each track..
Clear pathways show where AI enhances guidance, onboarding, and service selection.
This high-level sitemap includes customer, provider, and admin-side flows, showcasing how the platform supports everything from AI-driven recommendations to status tracking and payment processing.
System-wide design supports multilingual AI messaging, provider management, and admin controls.
With user needs, local behaviors, and AI goals in focus, I moved into the ideation phase. This step prioritized speed, clarity, and adaptability to quickly map out the structure of Listo from sketches to wireframes.
These hand-drawn screens allowed us to visualize essential flows like login, profile creation, and messaging. We quickly explored multiple navigation pathways and confirmed dual-entry points for customers and service providers.
Early ideation sketches for login, profile setup, and messaging interactions.
The visual system for Listo is built around clarity, accessibility, and emotional trust. Using Inter for high readability and a palette of purples, greens, and neutrals, the guide informed all UI elements and design consistency across screens.
Design system defining typography, colors, iconography, and brand consistency.
I created grayscale wireframes for core screens: login, provider dashboards, filtering, and search. These low-fidelity visuals guided early usability reviews and allowed me to focus purely on task flow and interaction logic.
Wireframes for onboarding, filters, dashboards, and early conversational flows.
AI isn't a layer—it’s a core interaction method. This flow shows how users chat with Listo to book help, while informal providers are guided through a simple onboarding designed for speed and clarity, even without prior app experience.
Conversational UX with AI guidance and an onboarding system tailored for informal workers.
The final mobile interface integrates AI-powered assistance and trust-building UI components — from conversational booking to real-time notifications and profile management. All elements follow the Inter typeface, Listo’s design system, and a color palette optimized for Latin American accessibility and digital habits.
The AI agent greets users in natural language, immediately setting a human tone. A typing indicator and microphone input invite verbal interaction, introducing a voice-driven onboarding journey.
Upon logging in, users are welcomed with intelligent recommendations and service updates. The AI agent remains active and visible, offering voice-enabled input and personalized suggestions — ensuring users feel guided and supported throughout.
Designing Listo taught me how to create inclusive, AI-integrated digital products for informal economies with limited access to traditional platforms. I learned to balance automation and human needs through conversation-driven UX and thoughtful onboarding.
I also deepened my ability to communicate strategy visually — across sketches, service blueprints, flows, and scalable UI. Most importantly, I validated that design thinking, when rooted in real local behaviors, can empower millions in overlooked markets.
