Crafting a Boutique Wellness Experience from Scratch

Product Design UX Research Prototyping Mobile Web Wellness Startup

QUICK READ ➤ Working directly with the founder of Soothe Inc., I built Drip Hydration Therapy's entire product from scratch — brand identity, mobile app, and web platform — as a rapid MVP to test market viability for an on-demand IV therapy service.

Role Consulting Product Designer

Scope Brand, Mobile & Web

Client Drip Hydration Therapy

Type MVP / Contract Engagement

Overview

Drip Hydration Therapy was initiated by the founder and CEO of Soothe Inc., an established mobile wellness company connecting massage therapists to clients through an on-demand platform. Applying a similar business model, Drip Hydration aimed to bring wellness directly to customers via a mobile platform specializing in IV therapy treatments, particularly targeting clientele in the Hollywood party scene seeking rapid recovery solutions.

As a consultant collaborating directly with the founder and primary stakeholder, I defined the brand identity, crafted the mobile and web experiences, and streamlined the booking process. The key challenge was rapidly developing a cohesive MVP from scratch that balanced usability, speed, and a premium aesthetic.

The primary design objectives included:

Developing a sleek and credible brand identity.
Creating a seamless mobile experience for booking therapy sessions.
Ensuring clear communication of the benefits of various IV therapy modalities.
Establishing a web presence to enhance brand legitimacy and provide minimal booking functionality.

Although the product did not fully launch, the MVP played a critical role in informing the strategic direction of the business. After analyzing competitive offerings already active in the market and observing lower-than-expected early user uptake, the founder chose to pivot the business toward a different wellness vertical. The project successfully delivered a polished MVP aligned with industry best practices and served as a valuable tool in evaluating market fit.

Mobile App Design

Challenge

IV therapy is a niche service with an unfamiliar value proposition for most consumers. The core design challenge was making something medically adjacent feel approachable, premium, and easy to book — without overwhelming users with clinical language or complex service differentiation.

Approach

Drawing on the booking flow patterns established at Soothe, I designed a guided mobile experience that minimized friction while keeping service clarity front and center. The key innovation was a visual card-based system for presenting therapy types — using simple descriptions, iconography, and color-coded categorization to help users quickly identify the right treatment without needing medical knowledge. The checkout supported both one-time bookings and an elite membership tier for frequent users.

Splash Screen / Log In / Sign In

Booking & Treatment Detail

Impact

The MVP was completed and used directly by the founder to evaluate market fit. Early user testing and competitive analysis informed the decision to pivot — an outcome that validated the MVP's purpose as a strategic tool rather than a failed launch.

Web App Design

Challenge

The web presence needed to do a specific job: establish credibility for a brand-new service that most potential customers had never heard of. Trust was the primary design problem, not functionality.

Approach

I designed the web experience intentionally lean — focused on brand legitimacy over feature parity with mobile. A high-end aesthetic, prominent testimonials, clear service explanations, and strong trust signals were prioritized over a full booking flow. The result functioned more as a marketing and conversion tool than a transactional platform.

Home Hero

Hydration Therapies

Booking

Impact

Delivered as part of the broader MVP package and used alongside the mobile app in early market testing.

Conclusion

The Drip Hydration Therapy project was an exciting exercise in rapid product development, brand creation, and UX design. While the product ultimately did not launch due to a shift in business priorities, it provided valuable insights into building an on-demand wellness service from the ground up. It's also a good reminder that a well-executed MVP that informs a pivot is a success — not every project needs to ship to deliver value.