Fika is a members-only platform for top creatives to connect over coffee — from art directors to designers to writers and more.
Fika is a members-only platform for top creatives to connect over coffee — from art directors to designers to writers and more.
We launched in summer 2023 and onboarded 500+ NYC creatives in just 6 months, out of 2,000+ applicants. Fika has helped members find collaborators, friends and gigs through facilitating coffee chats.
We launched in summer 2023 and onboarded 500+ NYC creatives in just 6 months, out of 2,000+ applicants. Fika has helped members find collaborators, friends and gigs through facilitating coffee chats.
I co-founded Fika with my two close friends Sonika & Will, leading product and brand design. It’s been an incredible 0→1 journey — building a product from scratch, launching it into the world, and learning firsthand how real users engage with something we created.
I co-founded Fika with my two close friends Sonika & Will, leading product and brand design. It’s been an incredible 0→1 journey — building a product from scratch, launching it into the world, and learning firsthand how real users engage with something we created.
Feature Design & Exploration
Feature Design & Exploration
Our team grabbed coffee with members weekly to get to know them better and learn more about their needs and paint points.
Our team grabbed coffee with members weekly to get to know them better and learn more about their needs and paint points.
This was essential in driving our design explorations and strategy for where we should take the product next.
This was essential in driving our design explorations and strategy for where we should take the product next.
Message members before you meet for coffee
Message members before you meet for coffee
Message members before you meet for coffee
After launching messaging, we tracked its impact on member engagement and saw a 48% increase in coffees sent and a 23% lift in week-over-week user retention. These results showed that enabling users to connect beforehand made it easier to coordinate meetups and helped them feel more comfortable, ultimately strengthening the overall Fika experience.
After launching messaging, we tracked its impact on member engagement and saw a 48% increase in coffees sent and a 23% lift in week-over-week user retention. These results showed that enabling users to connect beforehand made it easier to coordinate meetups and helped them feel more comfortable, ultimately strengthening the overall Fika experience.
Masterpiece Reactions
Masterpiece Reactions
We wanted to jazz up the classic old "like" button and bring some delight into the platform by allowing users to show fellow members' work some love by reacting with a Mona Lisa, a Van Gogh or other iconic painting stickers!
We wanted to jazz up the classic old "like" button and bring some delight into the platform by allowing users to show fellow members' work some love by reacting with a Mona Lisa, a Van Gogh or other iconic painting stickers!
I drew all of the stickers on my iPad using Procreate, blending humor and art history to create a set that felt both expressive and cheeky.
I drew all of the stickers on my iPad using Procreate, blending humor and art history to create a set that felt both expressive and cheeky.
Coffee chat stamp card
Coffee chat stamp card
Coffee chat stamp card
We brainstormed ideas to increase the number of coffee chat invites being sent. In came the coffee card. Earn a stamp for every coffee chat you attend.
We brainstormed ideas to increase the number of coffee chat invites being sent. In came the coffee card. Earn a stamp for every coffee chat you attend.
We brainstormed ideas to increase the number of coffee chat invites being sent. In came the coffee card. Earn a stamp for every coffee chat you attend.
A hub for sharing creative events
A hub for sharing creative events
A hub for sharing creative events
Lots of our members would email and IG message us to help them promote their events. We listened to this need and started to design a way to share and discover events hosted by fellow Fika members.
Lots of our members would email and IG message us to help them promote their events. We listened to this need and started to design a way to share and discover events hosted by fellow Fika members.
Lots of our members would email and IG message us to help them promote their events. We listened to this need and started to design a way to share and discover events hosted by fellow Fika members.
Allowing users to provide feedback on work
Allowing users to provide feedback on work
Allowing users to provide feedback on work
Users expressed that they loved seeing each others' work but wished they could comment thoughts, ideas and feedback. We designed a way to leave feedback directly on fellow users' work to break the ice before meeting up.
Users expressed that they loved seeing each others' work but wished they could comment thoughts, ideas and feedback. We designed a way to leave feedback directly on fellow users' work to break the ice before meeting up.
Users expressed that they loved seeing each others' work but wished they could comment thoughts, ideas and feedback. We designed a way to leave feedback directly on fellow users' work to break the ice before meeting up.
Brand, Marketing & Meetups
Brand, Marketing & Meetups
To grow brand awareness and community, we hosted in-person meetups at local cafes and coworking spaces like Sey Coffee and Industrious.
To grow brand awareness and community, we hosted in-person meetups at local cafes and coworking spaces like Sey Coffee and Industrious.
These gatherings gave our mostly freelance and small-team members a chance to co-work, exchange feedback, and connect with like-minded creatives—fostering belonging and creative momentum.
These gatherings gave our mostly freelance and small-team members a chance to co-work, exchange feedback, and connect with like-minded creatives—fostering belonging and creative momentum.
Jamie Haberman
Jamie Haberman
Jamie Haberman
Jamie Haberman