Blooming Ideas: Planting the Seeds for a Global Design Conference
Product Designer
Product Design, Content Design, Visual Direction, Product Strategy, Quality Assurance (QA)
Ko Nakatsu
Head of Design
Val Poon
Design Lead
Dillon Jenkins
Content Designer
Paul Nguyen
Product Designer
Rishav Kumar
Product Designer
Sowmya Chandra
Product Designer
8 days
Figma
Framer
Discord
Google Analytics
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.
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.
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.
Figuring out what tools we do and do not have to grow the garden...
Maybe sowing it a bit too in the process! :)
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.
+ water of course
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 — 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.
More watering and basking in the warm sun.
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.
I'll pass on the weeds, thanks.
I led QA efforts, ensuring our work remained as polished as possible within our time constraints. As one of the two strongest Framer proficiencies on our team, I played a key role in optimization, alongside copywriting and visual design.
... 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:
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.