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Kaikasen
Petalstorm 2025
Blooming Ideas: Planting the Seeds for a Global Design Conference
Role
Designer
What I did
Product Design, Content Design, Visual Direction,
Product Strategy, Quality Assurance (QA)
Team
Timeline
8 days
Tools
Figma
Framer
Discord
Google Analytics
Context
Petalstorm was built on the idea that creative conversations should flourish in an environment designed for exploration. To bring this vision to life, Kaikasen needed a digital hub that would not only serve as an informational resource, but also as an interactive experience that reflected the spirit of innovation and connection.
The Problem
We needed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a website. Petalstorm was brimming with potential having its seeds already planted, yet it needed nourishment in order for people to have an environment where this vision could fully flourish. Its roots were set, brimming with energy and excitement, but had no central home to cultivate its identity — attendees lacked a clear path to connect, register, or engage.
Okay… so what did you do?
I laid the foundation for the product and its strategy, shaping its earliest iterations through research, content, and visual direction. My work helped to establish a strong foundation for an MVP by playing a key role in setting the visual direction and informing strategic decisions early on, crafting a visually cohesive experience that reinforced Petalstorm’s identity through meticulously structured content — all while meeting an ambitious timeline.
Outcome
Since its launch on January 2025, the website has successfully showcased key projects and engaged users through a streamlined experience across both desktop and mobile platforms. By focusing on accessibility and visual storytelling, the site achieved:
351 total pageviews during the first three weeks, with users actively exploring multiple pages.
88 unique visitors, demonstrating early interest from a targeted audience.
42.6% bounce rate, indicating most visitors staying to engage with content beyond the landing page.
2 minute and 21 second average session length, highlighting strong user engagement and interest in vision.
Constraints
Figuring out what tools we do and do not have to grow the garden…
Prepping the Soil
Maybe sowing it a bit too in the process! :)
Benchmarking
Ko, our design lead, tasked us with first benchmarking conference websites. Our team made an annotated Figma file with conference websites that we all individually liked, which synthesized the work of me and 3 of my other co-designers who did some initial research in the early stages of ideation.
Planting the Seeds
+ water of course
Defining a Brand Identity
Originally, we considered the word "brevity" or "brev" as keywords contributing to visual and emotional identity, since the conference composed of succinct, 10 minutes talks. Hence ー brevity. Though, the team ended up seeing a new vision starting to blossom out of the older one…
We then envisioned "Kaikasen," a Japanese word for "the journey of a thousand blooms," for the community name, just like how each individualistic journey of each designer is a bloom in itself waiting to happen. Naturally, the petals unfolded and we landed on the conference's new name — Petalstorm.
Letting it Grow
More watering and basking in the warm sun.
Early Iterations
My wireframes were then aligned with visions from other teammates to build and collaboratively iterate upon.
I guided the design system’s visual direction, recommending a palette of oranges, off-whites, and beiges to evoke warmth and impression — which were refined by our design lead and reflected in the design system.
"uhh the name kind of reminds
me of illegal stuff like a gang"
— a hacker at CalHacks
Tending and Maintenance
I'll pass on the weeds, thanks.
Quality Assurance
I led QA efforts, ensuring our work remained as polished as possible within our time constraints. As one of the two strongest Framer proficiency on our team, I played a key role in optimization, alongside copywriting and visual design.
Watching the Flowers Bloom
… and potentially sneezing because of my pollen allergy (worth it).
The flowers have bloomed for Petalstorm 2025 🌸
Launched in January 2025, the Petalstorm website became a central hub for showcasing key projects and inviting deeper engagement. Designed for both desktop and mobile, the experience emphasizes accessibility and visual storytelling—allowing visitors to seamlessly navigate and connect with the conference’s vision.
In just the first three weeks, the site saw:
351 pageviews, with users actively exploring beyond the homepage.
88 unique visitors, signaling early traction with a highly engaged audience.
42.6% bounce rate, showing that most visitors stayed to interact with the content.
an average session time of 2 minutes and 21 seconds, highlighting strong interest and meaningful engagement.
As Petalstorm continues to grow, the platform lays the foundation for an expanding design community, inspiring designers to have more collaborative, creative conversations and push the confines of craft.
"uhh the name kind of reminds
me of illegal stuff like a gang"
— a hacker at CalHacks
Points of Growth
Takeaways 🫚