TapTo (now Zaparoo)
Year
2024
My role
- UX designer
- Front end developer
- Illustrator
What I did
- Figma deliverables
- Front end development
- Visual design
- Product testing
Unlocking TapTo magic using the device you already own.
After releasing TapTo, we started gathering feedback on what aspects might be giving people trouble. The largest hurdle was creating better access to the necessary NFC hardware to get started. Then we had a lightbulb moment: everyone already has an NFC reader in their pocket. Let’s give them the TapTo experience on the device they already own!
Two weeks (and a lot of caffeine) later, we launched the TapTo mobile app.
Project Summary
- Took phone app from proof-of-concept to launch in 14 days.
- Dramatically expanded our user base by eradicating the previous hardware requirements.
- Created the initial Wizzo Design System to unify our product offerings.
- Solidified that Wizzo and I make a great team. 😊
Easy hurdles
Are still hurdles
After launching TapTo (now Zaparoo), we eagerly waited to hear what the community thought. Our mission? Keep it free, open, and super accessible. NFC cards? Easy to order online from multiple sources. DIY guides for making labels of your favorite games? I wrote them myself! A slick online tool to design your own labels with minimal work? You betcha.
But here’s the twist: while each step was simple, when combined the whole thing felt like a daunting quest for newcomers. It was a lot of dots to connect. And though we had a list of “should-work” NFC readers listed in our wiki, the only ones we could guarantee functioned perfectly lived in our shop in Australia with sometimes pricey, and always slow shipping.
A solution appears
along with competition
It started with a simple question on a team call: “What if you could just use the NFC in your phone to write and read TapTo tokens?” That was the spark. Less than 8 hours later, we had created a proof-of-concept.
Turns out we weren’t the only ones to come to this conclusion. Another project appeared with the same goal of using an Android device as an NFC reader for TapTo. The curse/blessing of releasing our software as open source. So we doubled down: we would be on iOS and Android, officially available on both app stores, and I would design an experience so polished it left no room for second-best.
This wasn’t just an idea any longer. It was a race.
Key learnings
- Easy isn’t effortless – each step added friction
- Eliminate the extras – the hardware requirement was holding us back
- Make it feel like magic – use this to truly entice new users
- The clock was ticking – being first to market was critical
Visualizing the concept
Working under tight deadlines, we had to move quickly. I’d been eager to experiment with neomorphism, and this early navigation concept was the first expression of that. Initially, the app was designed with a scan toggle that stayed “ON” as long as the app was open. But during development, we learned that initiating NFC hardware differed significantly between iOS and Android. This led us to shift toward a more traditional segmented navigation. This in turn actually resulted in making it clearer for users to understand where they were within the app. Tick tock.
Building the plane
While it’s taking off
The developer and I stayed in close contact to define the core features needed for launch. Our MVP focused on three key actions:
-
Scanning cards
-
Creating cards
-
Changing the TapTo target device
We also made the decision to introduce a paid feature. To help fund ongoing development costs and give fans a way to support the project. The free version allowed users to read and write cards, while the full version unlocked the ability to use your phone as an NFC reader. This still supported our original value proposition as the app was more convenient and accessible than buying a dedicated reader. Plus: the app is way cheaper (and we could guarantee compatibility with TapTo).
Speed of delivery
To stay on schedule, I had the developer start building the core functionality while I focused on defining reusable design patterns to speed up interface development. We used Figma for design and chose Tailwind CSS for quick and consistent front-end implementation. This provided a neat opportunity to think about how a living design system can incorporate into an open-source ecosystem. I’ve built this out further in Penpot and standard design token documentation to scale this in a free and open way.
Out the door
And into the wild
Just two weeks from idea to launch. As soon as TapTo was released, we jumped into marketing and promoted it everywhere we could. The community responded right away, sharing it widely. Even the gaming news site Time Extension reviewed the app. Their “Pros” list was everything I hoped for. As for the first “Con”… well, not much I can do about that one. 😅
Our work is
never done
This was our first real test in growing the TapTo audience: and it worked. We launched ahead of every other solution, with a level of polish that led many competing projects to bow out early. Sales and reviews have been strong, and we’re already gathering insights to improve the experience. The app is now seen as an essential part of the TapTo ecosystem and has even been featured in how-to videos, like this one from the YouTube channel What’s Ken Making.
We’re excited to dive into the next version!
You can learn more about TapTo (now Zaparoo) at Zaparoo.org, and get links to the app at Zaparoo.app
About Tim
Tim Wilsie is a UX and product designer with 15+ years of crafting intuitive, joyful, and even fun products and digital experiences for e-commerce, video games, and more. He is an avid contributor to open source projects, and co-creator of the Zaparoo platform that bridges digital collections to physical objects. He’s often found speaking about design, art, games, and their intersections.